Documentation Guidelines for Learning Disabilities
Muhlenberg College students with diagnosed disabilities are eligible for protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) (revised in 2008) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended). The ADA Amendments Act 2008 retains the definition of a "disability" as (a) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of an individual; (b) a record of such an impairment; or (c) being regarded as having such an impairment.
Students requesting accommodations based on a qualifying diagnosis must submit current, detailed documentation from an appropriately qualified or licensed healthcare professional who is:
- qualified to diagnosis the condition and is currently or recently associated with the student in a healthcare professional/patient relationship
- familiar with the challenges and functional limitations of the condition and possible impact on access to the college environment
- an impartial evaluator or diagnostician who is not a family member nor in a dual relationship with the student
- qualified to verify the presence of a condition that rises to the level of a disability and confirms the need for reasonable accommodations based on the diagnosed condition.
The evaluation must:
- include a comprehensive psycho-educational evaluation conducted by a licensed or otherwise properly credentialed professional
- have occurred within 3 years of enrollment
- include a full narrative listing and interpreting all test scores with evidence of statistically significant intra-individual discrepancies
- include a clearly stated diagnosis
- include data documenting a current, significant impairment impacting major life functions
- include recommended accommodations clearly linked to the test data with a discussion of each
- include a list of all current or past accommodations utilized successfully
The evaluation must include at least one measure from each of the following categories:
- A measure of Intellectual Ability or Cognitive Functioning. Examples of such measures include:
- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS IV)
- Woodcock-Johnson III – Tests of Cognitive Ability
- A measure of Achievement in reading comprehension, written language, and/or mathematics, which demonstrates a significant impairment. Examples of such measures include:
- Woodcock-Johnson III – Tests of Achievement
- Test of Written Language-3 (TOWL-3)
- Nelson-Denny Reading Test
- Wechsler Individual Achievement Test – II (WIAT II)
- Stanford Test of Academic Skills (TASK)
- A measure of Cognitive and Information Processing in one or more of the following areas that demonstrates a significant impairment:
- Visual and/or auditory processing
- Memory
- Processing speed & Cognitive Fluency (other than the Nelson Denny Reading Rate)
- Attention and concentration
- Sensory - Perceptual functioning
- Executive Functioning
