Marquette University Disability Documentation Guidelines
The policy for all disability documentation can be found in the policy document,
“Accessibility at Marquette University.” The following are guidelines for appropriate
documentation for specific disabilities including learning disabilities, Attention Deficit
Disorder, psychiatric/psychological disabilities, physical, mobility, systemic or healthrelated disabilities, vision and hearing disabilities, and traumatic brain injury.
The Office of Disability Services will not generally release any part of a student’s
documentation without the student’s informed and written consent.
I. Learning Disabilities
Students who identify learning disabilities must provide documentation to the Office
of Disability Services in order to receive appropriate accommodations. The
documentation must include but not be restricted to the following:
1. Come from an appropriate licensed professional who is knowledgeable about
the field of learning disabilities. Licensed psychologists, educational
psychologists or neuropsychologists are a few examples of professionals
qualified to administer diagnostic evaluations. Evaluations from family
members are not acceptable.
2. Contain a diagnostic interview that includes a listing of presenting problems,
relevant histories (medical, development, psychosocial, family, academic and
employment) and/or co-morbidity.
3. Provide a detailed assessment that gives clear evidence of a learning disability
based on standardized tests, plus an informal assessment by the evaluator. The
evidence should be precise and clearly state the specific deficit areas and
functional limitations resulting from these deficits. The evaluation should cover
these three areas: aptitude/cognitive ability, academic achievement and
information processing. For aptitude, the WAIS-Revised Woodcock Johnson
Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Stanford Binet, and Kaufman Adolescent and Adult
Tests are acceptable testing batteries. For achievement, the Woodcock-Johnson
Tests of Achievement, Stanford Test of Academic Skills (TASK), the Wechsler
Individual Achievement Test and Nelson-Denny Reading Skills Test are
acceptable. For information processing, the Wechsler Memory Scale – 3rd edition
and those components of other testing batteries evaluating processing strengths
and weaknesses, processing speed, short and long-term memory, and
metacognition along with the evaluator’s observations are acceptable. The Wide
Range Achievement Test (WRAT) is not considered a comprehensive measure of
achievement.
Office of Disability Services Marquette University P.O. Box 1881 Marquette Hall 05 Milwaukee, WI 53201
Phone: 414-288-1645 Fax: 414-288-5799
ODS 07/2012
4. Provide a clinical summary of the testing results that lists the substantial
limitations to major life activities, describes how the disability will impact on
academics, offer suggestions for accommodations for the disability and the
rationale for the accommodations.
5. Reflect the current impact of the disability on academics – for high school
students, testing done within the last three years is acceptable, for adults tested
after high school, five years.
6. Provide all test scores and data.
Learning styles, learning differences or academic problems do not constitute a
learning disability.
II. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Students who identify themselves as having ADHD must provide documentation to
ODS in order to receive accommodations. The documentation must include but not be
restricted to the following:
1. A diagnosis by a qualified professional that includes doctoral level clinical
psychologists, neuropsychologists or psychiatrists or other medical
professionals having experience in the diagnosis of ADHD in adolescent/adult
populations. The evaluator’s credentials must be identified in the diagnostic
report. Diagnoses from family members are not acceptable.
2. Provide a diagnostic interview that includes development history, family history
of ADHD, childhood history of ADHD, academic history, medical history and
medication history.
3. Provide an assessment that includes a description of the diagnostic testing that
examines executive functioning, processing speed, listening comprehension,
written language and reading skills.
4. Provide a clinical summary that indicated the substantial limitations to major
life activities, describes the severity and duration of any impairments that are
the direct result of the diagnosis, describes the extent to which these limitations
impact on the student in an academic environment, suggests how the disability
may be accommodated and the rationale for the accommodations.
5. Provide evidence of ADHD-related symptoms for at least six months and
impaired functioning in two more settings, such as school, home or work. The
documentation must reflect the current impact of the disability – testing done
within the last three years is acceptable.
6. Provide all test scores and relevant data.
Office of Disability Services Marquette University P.O. Box 1881 Marquette Hall 05 Milwaukee, WI 53201
Phone: 414-288-1645 Fax: 414-288-5799
ODS 07/2012
III. Psychiatric/Psychological Disabilities
Students who identify themselves as having a psychiatric/psychological disability must
provide documentation to the Office of Disability Services to receive appropriate
accommodations. The documentation must include but not be restricted to the
following:
1. Come from a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist or licensed clinical social
worker, clinical team or other medical professional.
2. Include a specific, current diagnosis per the DSM-IV that describes the nature,
frequency and severity of symptoms upon which the diagnosis is predicted.
Primary and secondary DSM IV Axis I and Axis II diagnoses are required. This
diagnosis should be no older than six months to a year. If needed, that student
should obtain a letter from a qualified professional that provides an update of
the current diagnosis and level of functioning. All relevant histories including
medical, academic, family, developmental and employment should be included
as well.
3. Provide identification of prescribed medications, dosages and schedules that
may affect the student’s functioning and subsequent accommodations.
4. Provide a clinical summary that indicates the substantial limitations to major
life activities, describes how these limitations will impact on the student’s
classes, provide suggestions for accommodations for the specific effects of the
disability and provide a rationale for the suggested accommodations. If more
than one disorder has been diagnosed, descriptions, effects and appropriate
accommodations for each disorder should be included in the summary.
IV. Physical, Mobility, Systemic or Health-Related Disabilities
Students who have physical, mobility, and systemic or health-related disabilities must
provide documentation to the Office of Disability Services in order to receive
appropriate accommodations. The documentation must include but not be restricted
to the following:
1. Identification of the disabling condition from a licensed medical professional.
2. An assessment of the current functional limitations of the condition(s) for
which accommodations are being sought and an indication of the degree of
limitation – mild, moderate, or severe.
3. Suggestions for accommodations appropriate to the limitations posed by the
disability and subsequent rationale for the suggested accommodations.
Office of Disability Services Marquette University P.O. Box 1881 Marquette Hall 05 Milwaukee, WI 53201
Phone: 414-288-1645 Fax: 414-288-5799
ODS 07/2012
V. Hearing Loss
Students who identify themselves as having a hearing loss must provide
documentation to the Office of Disability Services in order to receive appropriate
accommodations. The documentation must include but not be restricted to the
following:
1. Provide an audiological evaluation or audiogram from an appropriate licensed
professional that is no older than three years if the hearing loss is progressive.
The evaluation should also indicate the stability of the hearing loss.
2. An assessment of functional limitations of the hearing loss for which
accommodations are being sought. The degree of limitation of the hearing loss
should be identified as mild, moderate, severe, profound, or complete. The
student’s communication skills and preference should also be described.
3. Suggestions for accommodations appropriate and effective for the hearing loss
in an academic setting and the rationale for the accommodations.
VI. Blind/Low Vision
Students who identify themselves as having a vision-related disability must provide
documentation to the Office of Disability Services in order to receive appropriate
accommodations. The documentation must include but not be restricted to the
following:
1. An ocular assessment or evaluation from a licensed ophthalmologist that
includes quantitative information about the student’s visual abilities including
visual activity, use of corrective lenses, etc. that is no older than three years if
the sight loss is progressive.
2. A description of the functional limitations of the disability that may affect the
student academically and physically.
3. Suggestions for accommodations appropriate to the disability and rationale for
the accommodations.
VII. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Students who identify themselves as having a traumatic brain injury (TBI) must provide
documentation to the Office of Disability Services in order to receive appropriate
accommodations. The documentation must include but not be restricted to the
following:
1. A thorough neuropsychological evaluation by a licensed medical professional
including assessment of areas of attention, visual perception, visual reasoning,
language, reading, composition, memory, learning, executive function, sensory,
motor skills and emotional status. A specific diagnosis as indicated in the DSMIV must be indicated.
2. A description of the current impairment status of the injury and the prognosis
for the injury.
Office of Disability Services Marquette University P.O. Box 1881 Marquette Hall 05 Milwaukee, WI 53201
Phone: 414-288-1645 Fax: 414-288-5799
ODS 07/2012
3. A diagnostic interview that includes relevant history of symptoms and evidence
of behaviors that affect functioning.
4. A clinical summary that describes the substantial limitations to major life
activities posed by the injury, the extent to which these limitations will impact
on the academic environment, suggestions for accommodations and the
rationale for the suggested accommodations.
Acknowledgements
The following documents were referred to and used in the development of these
guidelines: The Ohio State University Office for Disability Services Disability
Documentation Guidelines and Policies, McBurney Disability Resource Center
University of Wisconsin-Madison Disability Documentation Policies, Educational
Testing Services (ETS) Policy Statement for Documentation of a Learning Disability in
Adolescents and Adults, AHEAD Guidelines for Documentation of a Learning Disability
in Adolescents and Adults, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Learning
Disabilities Services Documentation Guidelines, Consortium on ADHD Documentation
Guidelines for Documentation of ADHD in Adolescents and Adults, ETS Guidelines for
Documentation of Psychiatric Disabilities in Adolescents and Adults, and Harvard
University Student Disability Resources Guidelines for Documentation of Psychiatric
Disabilities. Other policies/guidelines from other institutions of postsecondary
education were also referred to including University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Barnard
college, Bradford College, University of Michigan, Colorado Consortium of Support
Services for Students with Disabilities, and the University of California-Berkeley.
Office of Disability Services Marquette University P.O. Box 1881 Marquette Hall 05 Milwaukee, WI 53201
Phone: 414-288-1645 Fax: 414-288-5799
ODS 07/2012