Guidelines for Documenting a Disability

To determine reasonable accommodations, Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) uses information from:

• The student’s self-report
• Observations, knowledge, and professional judgement of the SSD staff
• Professional documentation from third parties

Self-report

A student’s self-report of their disability experience, barriers, and previous accommodation experience is a vital source of information. As part of the intake process, students meet with a counselor from the SSD Office. During this meeting, students should be prepared to discuss the following:

• Nature and severity of diagnosed disability
• Impact of the disability in the college environment
• Rationale for requested accommodation(s), auxiliary aids and services for individual courses, programs, activities and/or facilities
• Previous use of accommodations and auxiliary aids and services in an academic environment

Observation and Interaction

SSD staff use professional judgement, observations, and knowledge of the college environment in evaluating accommodation requests. During the intake interview, SSD staff engage students in an interactive process to establish the impact a disability barrier may have on academic experiences.

Professional Documentation

Students seeking accommodations from Trident Technical College based on a disability should submit documentation identifying a diagnosis, their disability barrier(s), and describing the current level of impairment.

Documentation assists SSD in understanding the impact of the disability in an academic setting and making informed decisions about the accommodation(s) being requested.

The SSD office provides a Documentation for Accommodations Request Form that may be completed by providers. All forms of documentation submitted by a student will be reviewed and given consideration.

Professional third-party documentation should include the following elements:

Provider Credentials:

Documentation should be completed by a professional who is licensed or otherwise properly credentialed to diagnose the condition.?Documentation completed by family members, regardless of qualifications, will not be accepted.?Please be aware that SSD does not provide disability evaluations.

Diagnostic Statement:

A clear diagnostic statement identifying the disability. This should include the date of the most current assessment and the date of original diagnosis, as appropriate.

Diagnostic Methodology:

A description of the current diagnostic criteria, and a clinical narrative of processes/tests used to confirm diagnosis. Diagnostic methods appropriate to a particular disability and consistent with current professional practices in the field are expected. Where appropriate (e.g., for learning disabilities, cognitive disorders, and ADHD), relevant summary data and specific test scores may be included.

Functional Limitations:

A clear description of the functional impacts of the condition in an academic environment. Provide a detailed description of the severity, frequency, and pervasiveness of the condition.

Suggested Reasonable Accommodations:

Providers may suggest accommodations. These recommendations should include a rationale for each based on the functional limitations?of the condition.

Recommendations by outside agencies are considered and may be adopted when they are congruent with the institution in providing equal access to courses, programs, facilities, and services and when they are reasonable in nature. Documentation of a specific disability does not translate directly into a specific accommodation or set of accommodations. Instead, reasonable accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis while integrating the individual's experience with the impact of the disability and the essential elements of a program, course, or activity.