General Guidelines
Accommodations and support for students with disabilities is a shared responsibility between the students, the Students with Disabilities Office (SDO), faculty and all University personnel. Students requesting accommodations are responsible for providing the appropriate documentation which supports their requests. Students are also responsible for communicating requests as early as possible to allow the service provider adequate time to respond.
Documentation must indicate that a specific disability exists and that the disability substantially limits one or more of life’s major activities which could include walking, sitting, standing, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, or other similar activities. The documentation must also support the request for accommodations or academic adjustments and/or aids and devices and verify the functional impact of the disability on the student’s academic performance. Diagnosis of a condition or disorder does not in itself automatically qualify a student for any and all accommodations.
In the case of multiple disabilities, students must provide documentation for each disability for which accommodations are requested. Prior documentation such as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a history of receiving accommodations from a former school does not necessarily validate the need for services or continuation of accommodations at the university level. This history can, however, be attached to the current documentation as part of a comprehensive assessment battery.
The SDO requires documented diagnostic information regarding a student’s disability, as well as information about how the disability can impact academic performance. Documentation must come from a qualified practitioner who is certified in the areas of the disability.
Learning Disability
Professionals qualified to diagnose Learning Disabilities (LD): Registered Psychologists with comprehensive training in adult LD assessment.
- A copy of your latest psycho-educational assessment, which should have been conducted no earlier than 3 (three) years prior to the student’s initial request for disability related services at Bishop’s. Documentation that is more than 3 (three) years old is reviewed on an individual basis. Tests performed before Grade 10 are NOT accepted. The report must contain a clear diagnostic statement indicating the presence of a learning disability. Statements such as “suggest the presence of “or “may indicate” are not acceptable diagnostic statements. Also, the report should make every effort to indentify the underlying psychological processing deficit.
- A previous IEP or a letter from your high-school/ college detailing the types of academic accommodations you have used in the past few years.
A psycho-educational assessment report must be printed on letterhead that indentifies the assessor and includes professional credentials and the date of the assessment. It should contain the following:
- A detailed interview to obtain relevant background information
- Review of relevant educational records
- A formal intelligence test
- A formal measure of academic achievement. Note: the WRAT is not considered an acceptable measure when used on its own.
- A formal measure of Memory skills
- Summary section should include a detailed description of how the student’s psychological processing deficit impacts their current learning endeavors
- Efforts to rule out differential diagnosis
- Recommendation section should include ideas that may assist in meeting the students disability related needs
Adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
In order to support the needs of adults with ADHD in a university setting, it is necessary that documentation supporting this diagnosis be based on the following criteria. It is strongly recommended that students also be screened for possible vision, hearing or health problems that may be contributing to attention and/or academic difficulties.
- A clinical assessment by a licensed mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, neuropsychologist, a clinical or educational psychologist or psychological associate, using the current version of the DSM. Evaluation by clinicians who have extensive training and experience in differential diagnosis with adults is recommended.
- This assessment should include:
- Disclosure of ADHD as a diagnostic statement, including the nature (type) of the disorder as outlined in the current version of the DSM.
- Information regarding the functional impact and severity of symptoms that will influence academic performance
- Implications for appropriate accommodations in a university environment indicated by the recommendations
- Disclosure of co-existing conditions (psychiatric and/or learning that may be diagnosed.
Other associated disorders (e.g. anxiety disorder, mood disorders) frequently co-exist with ADHD. It is therefore important to consider such information when recommending appropriate support- Assessment of cognitive and academic functioning.
Due to the fact that learning disabilities frequently co-exist with attention-deficit disorders, it is important to investigate the student’s learning profile, and the presence of possible learning disabilities, in order to provide appropriate support.- Assessment and description of social-emotional functional either through formal assessment and/or clinical interview to rule out other explanations for the difficulties.
- Recent diagnosis: the assessments should have been conducted no earlier than 3 (three) years prior to the student’s initial request for disability related services at Bishop’s.
The SDO recognizes that previous evaluation by a physician/pediatrician may be accepted by the current evaluator as evidence of the existence of the disorder since childhood, but may be questioned as the sole indicator of adult ADHD. Therefore, students with ADHD who request accommodations and support at the university level must provide a current assessment report to support their request.
Guidelines for the required documentation of a medical, physical or sensory disability
A letter from a licensed medical practitioner, qualified in the appropriate specialty area, which must be current (within the last 6 months) and include:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Diagnosis of disability
- Date(s) of initial diagnosis(es)
- Pertinent treatment
- Frequency and duration of care
- Current medication with possible effect on academic performance
- Pertinent tests
- Prognosis
- Current functional impact/assessment including (where appropriate):
- Assistive devices, specialized equipment, environmental adaptations required
- Physical tolerance/activity engagement
- Gross and fine motor function
- Situational responses
- Cognition
- Communication
- Patient’s recommended follow-up
- Name of practitioner, professional credentials, address, phone number, typed, dated and signed.
Students with a hearing disability should also include:
- Audiologist report
- Use of assistive devices, e.g. hearing aids, FM system
Students with a visual disability should also include:
- Visual acuity (best corrected)
- Visual field limitations
All documentation must be on the practitioner’s official letterhead OR include an official office stamp.
Qualified medical practitioners include: Physician, Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Audiologist, Chiropractor, Occupational therapist, Optometrist, Ophthalmologist, Physiotherapist, Speech-Language Pathologist.
Returning students may be required to provide updated documentation in order to assess or adjust required accommodations.
Guidelines for required documentation of a Mental Health Disability
Students who have a persistent, diagnosed Psychiatric disability (e.g. Bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, obsessive compulsive disorders, social anxiety)
Professionals qualified to diagnose Mental Health Disabilities (dependent on the diagnosis): Psychiatrist, Psychologist or Physician. A diagnosis of a mental health disorder alone is not sufficient to be eligible for accommodation and supports.
Documentation must indicate the impact of the condition on the student in an academic setting. As the nature of a mental health can change within a short period of time, it is recommended documentation of a mental health should be dated within three months of the student’s initial request for disability – related services at SDO. Documentation must include:
- Clinician’s name, title, phone number and address
- Date(s) of examination
- A clear statement of the disability, including the DSM-IV diagnosis and a summary of past and present symptoms
- A summary of assessment procedures and/or evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis
- Medical information relating to the student’s needs, including the impact of medication on the student’s ability to meet the demands of a post secondary education environment
- Suggestions for specific academic adjustments or accommodations which may assist to minimize the impact of the disability-related limitations on the student’s academic performance. Suggestions for accommodations should be supported by assessment results and diagnosis
All documentation must be on the practitioner’s official letterhead OR include an official office stamp.
Returning students may be required to provide updated documentation in order to asses or adjust required accommodations.
Temporary Disabilities and Academic Accommodations
Students who experience a temporary short-term medical impairment unrelated to a documented disability may require temporary academic accommodations. A temporary impairment is typically expected to be present for 6 weeks or less and is common to the general population, such as a broken bone, sprained muscles, lacerations, or minor surgeries. Temporary disabilities or conditions are considered to be in the medical domain and require the diagnosis by a professional with expertise in the area of the particular illness or disability. It is recommended that assessments and evaluations should have been conducted no earlier than one month prior to the student’s initial request for disability-related services at Bishop’s.
- Clinician’s name, title, phone number, and address
- Date(s) of examination
- A clear statement of the temporary disability or condition, a summary of present symptoms, and a statement of the treatment, if applicable. Where relevant, a description of the severity, longevity, and/or expected progression or stability of the temporary disability or condition
- Medical information relating to the student’s needs, including the impact of treatment (e.g. medication, physiotherapy) on the student’s ability to meet the demands of the post-secondary environment
- Description of how the temporary illness or disorder and treatment, if applicable, impact the student’s functioning in an academic setting
- Suggestions on specific types of accommodations which may minimize academic barriers
- Signed original preferred
Temporary Mental Health
SDO can provide support in the form of referrals in order to help students access other available therapeutic resources.
On some occasions and only if appropriate as determined, some temporary accommodations may be put into place for a maximum of one semester. In these cases, the following documentation will be required and students should be actively engaged in addressing their particular issues.
A letter from a qualified mental health professional or medical practitioner (Physician, Psychiatrist, Psychologist) which must be current and include:
- A statement of the nature of the difficulty
- Date(s) of initial contact
- Pertinent treatment
- Frequency and duration of care
- Current medication if any
- Possible effects on academic performance
- Impact on communication, memory, concentration, test-taking, group work, attendance, etc.
- Severity of symptoms
- Patient’s recommended follow-up
- Name of practitioner, professional credentials, address, phone number, typed, dated and signed
All documentation must be on the practitioner’s official letterhead OR include an official office stamp
(Note: Adapted from Brock University’s Documentation Guidelines)
