ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY EAST BAY
Hayward (510) 885-3868 | Concord (925) 602-6716 | Online http://www.csueastbay.edu/as
GUIDELINES FOR VERIFICATION OF
LEARNING DISABILITIES
The CSU system views learning disability as a general term referring to a variety of disorders
characterized by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing,
reasoning, or mathematical abilities. Learning disabilities typically occur in people with average to above
average intelligence and are presumed to be caused by neurological dysfunction.
Student Responsibility for Verifying Learning Disabilities
Students who would like to receive services from Accessibility Services are responsible for providing a
current, comprehensive learning assessment report (sometimes called a psychoeducational evaluation)
verifying the presence of a learning disability. Students who have been tested previously should submit
documentation of this when scheduling an intake appointment. Students with out-of-date or incomplete
assessments will require a new evaluation.
Assessment Providers
Accessibility Services does not conduct learning assessments but can provide students with referrals for
testing elsewhere. Assessment providers must have training and experience assessing and diagnosing
learning disabilities in adolescents and adults. Qualified professionals include clinical or educational
psychologists, school psychologists, neuropsychologists, learning disabilities specialists, and others. The
assessor must be a neutral, unrelated, non-biased professional. Students may want to check with their
health insurance regarding possible availability of coverage for a learning assessment.
Assessment Process
Academic accommodations are based on the impact of a disability on current academic performance.
This means that assessments should be conducted within three years prior to the student’s initial
request for disability-related services at the University, if at all possible.
According to CSU guidelines, a comprehensive assessment includes a diagnostic interview; evaluation of
cognitive ability, academic achievement, and information processing; clinical observations and
interpretation; and a diagnosis. Assessments should include at least one test (of the latest version) from
the following categories.
Aptitude/Cognitive Ability
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)
Woodcock Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ)
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (SB)
Kaufman Adult Intelligence Test (KAIT)
Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (TONI)
Academic Achievement
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)
This document is available in Alternate Format. Please contact Accessibility Services for more details.
LD Verification 11/10
Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement (WJ)
The above lists are not exhaustive. Additionally, assessment of processing skills is often completed as
part of a full cognitive assessment. Other processing tests may also be administered including those
measuring visual, auditory, sensory motor, and attention processing.
Assessment Documentation
Diagnostic reports must include the following components:
 Clinician’s name, title, license number, phone number, address, and signature on letterhead.
 A list of all tests, procedures, and dates of examination.
 A written summary of educational, medical, and family histories, and behavioral observations.
 All test scores (scaled scores, standard scores, and percentiles) and a detailed interpretation of
the results, including strengths and weaknesses.
 Description of intra-cognitive or aptitude–achievement discrepancies (typically greater than 1.5
standard deviations) or processing deficits. An explanation of how cognitive or academic scores
reflect the presence of a learning disability, or the professional’s rationale for clinical judgment if
scores are not typical.
 Consideration and rule-out of alternative explanations for academic problems.
 Clear statement of a specific DSM-IV diagnosis.
 Demonstration of how the learning disability interferes with the student’s educational progress,
record of any prior accommodations, and suggestions for continued accommodations,
adjustments, or support.
Community college assessment reports must include the following:

Complete Computer Assisted Record System Report

Intake Screening and Eligibility Record

California Community College Learning Disability Assessment and Recommendations Form
with specification of the learning disability eligibility characteristics:
a. Average or greater aptitude score
b. Significant information processing or intra-cognitive discrepancies
c. Significant aptitude–achievement discrepancies
d. Average or greater academic achievement or achievement in employment
Clarification about LD status and Accessibility Services accommodations
Students diagnosed with learning disabilities are eligible to register with Accessibility Services and can
meet with a disability counselor to better understand their weaknesses, discuss study skills, and plan
coping strategies. However, students who would like accommodations should realize that
accommodations are NOT granted on the basis of a learning disability diagnosis alone.
Instead, accommodations are based on functional limitations. The verification of limitations comes from
a combination of sources, including self-report, qualitative observations of the assessor, and
quantitative scores on cognitive and learning tests (e.g., standard scores less than 85 generally indicate
the presence of functional impairment in a university setting). This distinction may be difficult to
understand. Please call us if you have any questions about the documentation of learning disabilities or
eligibility for academic accommodations.