Policies for Requesting Accommodations for Psychiatric Disabilities

DOCUMENTATION

A Qualified Professional Must Conduct the Evaluation

An assessment administered by a trained, qualified, and licensed professional who has had direct experience with adolescents and adults with psychiatric disorders must be submitted before accommodations can be considered.  A qualified professional may include but is not limited to a medical doctor, psychologist, or student clinician who is being supervised by a professional.  The evaluator's name, title, and professional credentials and affiliation should be provided. The professional should not be a family member.  All reports should be on letterhead, typed, dated, and signed.

Documentation Must be Current

Reasonable accommodations are based on the current  impact of the disability on academic performance.  A diagnostic evaluation should be relevant to the student's learning encironment and show the student's current level of functioning.  If documentation does not address the individual's current level of functioning, a re-evaluation may be required.

Documentation Must Include a Specific Diagnosis

The report must be comprehensive and include a specific diagnosis based on the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria.  It is recommended that the clinician report the diagnostic criteria used to support the diagnosis.  The diagnostician should use direct language, avoiding the use of terms such as "suggests", "appears", or "is indicative of".

Co-existing Conditions

The diagnostic assessment should examine the possibility of co-existing conditions including medical disorders and learning disabilities.  The evaluator should consider and discuss the possibility of alternative conditions that may mimic psychiatric disorders

Documentation Must  Be Comprehensive

Documentation should be based on a comprehensive diagnostic/clinical evaluation that includes the following:

1.  History of presenting symptoms

2.  Duration and severity of the disorder

3.  Relevant developmental, historical, and familial data

4.  Procedures used to diagnose the disorder (include a list of all instruments used in the assessment and test scores as applicable)

5.  A description of current functional limitations in the academic environment as well as across other settings

6.  Relevant information regarding medications, the student's history of compliance with medication, and the anticipated impact on the student in an academic environment

7.  Relevant information regarding current treatment.

Recommendations for Accommodations

A diagnostic report should include specific recommendations for accommodations.  A prior history of an accommodation, without a demonstration of a current need, does not in and of itself warrant the provision of similar accommodations.  Each accommodation recommended by an evaluator should include a rationale.  The evaluation should support the recommendations with specific test results or clinical observations.  If an accommodation is not clearly identified in the diagnostic report, the Advisor will seek clarification and, if necessary, more information, and will make the final determination as to whether appropriate and reasonable accommodations are warranted and can be provided.   The Advisor reserves the right to request reassessment when questions regarding previous assessment or previous service provision arise.  Depending on accommodations recommended, additional psycho-educational, neuropsychological or behavioral assessments may be necessary.

Definitions

Psychiatric disabilities: Comprise a range of conditions characterized by emotional, cognitive, and/or behavioral dysfunction.  A diagnosis of a disorder does not, in and of itself, meet the definition of a disability necessitating reasonable accommodations under the ADA or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Major life activity: Examples of major life activities include walking, sitting, standing, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself, and other similar activities.

Functional limitation: A substantial impairment in the individual's ability to function in the condition, manner, or duration of a reequired major life activity.

Submit all documentation to:

Professor Barbara Howard

Advisor to Students with Learning Disabilities

Northwest Nazarene University

623 Holly Street

Nampa, ID  83686

208-467-8669

bshoward@nnu.edu