Documentation Requirements

All information submitted to Regis University’s Student Disability Services office becomes part of a student’s “educational record” as defined by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Regis University has the right to consider any and all information (including but not limited to your personal description of your needs; records of past accommodations and services; and/or high stakes testing (e.g. SAT, ACT, GRE); formal psychological or medical evaluations, and/or letters from past health, education or service providers) when evaluating student requests for accommodation.

In addition to a personal description, information from schools and previous service providers can be used to clarify how your disability interacts with learning and living on campus. School systems, doctors, and other professionals you have worked with may write a letter (clinical narrative) defining this information in terms of:

• Impact on physical (mobility, dexterity, endurance, etc.),
• Impact on perceptual, cognitive (attention, distractibility, communication, etc.),
• Impact on behavioral (observable actions)

The letter should include how this information was obtained (i.e. through the provision of specific results from the diagnostic procedures/assessment or in records of past accommodations and services), the diagnosis of the disability, and functional limitations.

Regis University needs to know what strategies or technology can facilitate your access. Strategies can include extended time testing, note taker, interpreter, etc. Technology can include screen readers, books in alternate format, etc. The documentation and student interviews must support the accommodation requests.

If you don't have copies of this type of information, you are welcome to meet with Student Disability Services to discuss other ways to demonstrate a connection between your condition and any academic barriers you anticipate or are facing.

These general guidelines were developed to assist you and the professionals in your support network to prepare the information so Regis University can evaluate your request and make recommendations. If you have questions, please call Student Disability Services at 303-458-4941 or email disability@regis.edu.

SDS created this guidance in compliance with and in consideration of the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, its amendments, updated regulations, and guidance from the Association for Higher Education and Disability, AHEAD

Evaluations must be conducted by a qualified impartial professional (psychologist, neuro-psychologist, or psychiatrist; not a family member). Documentation must be current. Doctor’s excuses on prescription pads and hand written notes are not sufficient for documentation of a disability. Documentation must include:

• Letterhead (name, license/certification/degree, area of specialization, employment, address, phone and signature)
• Dates of testing/diagnosis and most recent evaluation
• Evidence of existing impairment
• Assessment(s) results which meet diagnostic criteria, including, but not limited to, evaluation instruments/procedures, cognitive and achievement measures, and standardized scores/percentiles
• A clear, specific diagnosis of ADD/ADHD based on the DSM-IV criteria
• Functional limitations
• Interpretive summary, including description of current residual symptoms and the degree of impact the ADD/ADHD has on learning

Evaluations must be conducted by a qualified impartial professional (clinical/educational psychologist, school psychologist, neuro-psychologist, psychiatrist, or learning disability specialist; not a family member). Documentation must be current. Doctor's excuses on prescription pads and handwritten letters are not sufficient for documentation of a disability. Documentation must include:

• Letterhead (name, license/certification/degree, area of specialization, employment, address, phone and signature)
• Diagnostic interview (including the presenting problem; developmental, academic, family, and relevant medical history)
• Assessment(s) (neuropsychological or psycho-educational assessment results which meet diagnostic criteria for learning disability, including evaluation instruments/procedures utilized in assessing the following fields, but must not be based on any one test/subtest):
  • aptitude/cognitive ability (with all subtests, standard scores and percentiles)
    • WAIS-III, WAIS-IV
    • academic achievement (with all subtests, standard scores, percentiles, and grade equilvalents in reading, decoding and comprehension, mathematics, and oral and written language)
  • A clear, specific diagnosis of learning disability based on the DSM-IV criteria
  • Interpretive summary, including description of current residual symptoms and the degree of impact the learning disability has on learning in the post-secondary academic environment

Evaluations must be conducted by a qualified impartial professional (physician, neurologist, psychiatrist, or other medical specialist; not a family member). Documentation must be current within one year. Doctor's excuses on prescription pads and handwritten letters are not sufficient for documentation of a disability. Documentation must include the following:

• Letterhead (name, license/certification/degree, area of specialization, employment, address, phone and signature)
• Dates of initial testing/diagnosis and most recent evaluation (the age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition and the current medical status; disabilities/conditions that are sporadic, degenerative, or regenerative may require more frequent evaluation)
• A clear, specific diagnosis of the disability/illness and degree of severity
• Description of current residual symptoms and the degree of impact on learning
• Statement of positive/negative effect of medication on the student

Evaluations must be conducted by a qualified impartial professional (otorhinolaryngologist, otologist, and/or audiologist; not a family member). Documentation must be current, within one year. Doctor's excuses on prescription pads and handwritten letters are not sufficient for documentation of a disability. Documentation must include the following:

• A clear statement of deafness or hearing loss, with an audiogram that reflects the current impact the deafness or hearing loss has on the student's functioning
• A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis
• A narrative summary of evaluation results
• Medical information relating to the student's needs and the status of the student's hearing (static or changing)
• A statement of the functional impacts or limitations of the disability on learning

Evaluations must be conducted by a qualified impartial professional (ophthalmologist or optometrist; not a family member). Documentation must be current, within one year. Doctor's excuses on prescription pads or hand written letters are not sufficient for documentation of a disability. IEP's, CER's and 504 plans are not sufficient for documentation of a disability. Documentation must include the following:

• A clear statement of vision-related disability with supporting numerical description that reflects the current impact the blindness or vision loss has on the student's functioning (the age of acceptable documentation is dependant upon the disabling condition and the current status of the student's vision)
• A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis
• A narrative summary of evaluation results including standardized scores
• Medical information relating to the student's needs and the status of the student's vision (static or changing). Case notes are not appropriate
• Narrative providing both quantitative and qualitative information about the student's abilities to better understanding the student's profile, including the use of corrective lenses and ongoing visual therapy
• A statement of the functional impact or limitations of the disability on learning in the post-secondary academic environment
• Recommended accommodations specific for the post-secondary setting with rationale for each accommodation.

Evaluations must be conducted by a qualified impartial professional (physicians, neurologists, licensed clinical rehabilitation psychologists, neurophysiologists, or psychiatrists; not a family member). Documentation must be current, within one year. Doctor's excuses on prescription pads and handwritten letters are not sufficient for documentation of a disability. IEP's, CER's and 504 plans are not sufficient for documentation of a disability. Documentation must include the following:

• Letterhead (name, license number, area of specialization, employment, address, phone and signature)
• Assessment(s) results which meet diagnostic criteria, including evaluation instruments/procedures, cognitive and achievement measures, and standardized scores/percentiles
• A clear, specific diagnosis of the disability/illness and degree of serverity
• Statement of positive/negative effect of medication on the student's functioning in the post-secondary academic environment
• Interpretive summary, inlcuding description of current residual symptons and the degree of impact the head injury/traumatic brain injury has on learning in the post-secondary academic environment
• Recommended accommodations specific for the post-secondary setting with rationale for each accommodation