Plan to provide any previous documentation you have of your special needs. 

It is suggested that the documentation be current (preferably within 3 to 5 years of the first day of enrollment at Le Moyne College) and appropriate.

Learning Disabilities

You will need written documentation of the specific learning disability/disabilities from a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, physician, or other certified personnel.

Documentation should include:

• A comprehensive assessment battery using adult measures.
• A diagnostic review composed of:
  an interview
  assessments of aptitude, academic achievement, and information processing
  a summary with a diagnosis of a specific learning disability and recommendations for appropriate classroom accommodations

o   Appropriate documentation may include:

§  Information from a standardized aptitude test, including subtest scores (such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised)

• Information regarding academic achievement (i.e. Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised: Test of Achievement), including all subtests and standard scores reported for those subtests. The battery should include current levels of academic functioning in relevant areas such as reading (decoding and comprehension), mathematics, and oral and written language.
• Information regarding information processing (e.g., Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised: Tests of Cognitive Ability). Specific areas of information processing should be assessed.
• A DSM IV diagnosis of a specific learning disability.
• Identification of learning strengths and weaknesses.
• Statements concerning social and emotional development.
• Diagnostic summary with recommendations for appropriate classroom accommodations as substantiated by assessment and diagnosis in report. If possible, please also include an IEP or any written documentation of special education services received during elementary and/or secondary school.

Emotional/Psychological Disabilities

 

Accommodations are determined and implemented following a complete diagnostic evaluation by a licensed mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, neurologist, or a clinical or educational psychologist.

ü  The diagnostic evaluation is conducted by a psychologist or psychiatrist retained by the student.

ü  Diagnosis should identify the learning areas impaired by the disability.

ü  Students who need assistance in obtaining a diagnostic evaluation can obtain referral assistance from Le Moyne's Wellness Center for Health and Counseling or from their local county mental health department.

The diagnostic evaluation must have been completed within 12 months of the first class day of the initial semester for which the student is seeking accommodations. Exceptions regarding the currency of the evaluation may be necessary due to individual circumstances.

 

Accommodations cannot be granted without a current DSM diagnosis verified by a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist.

 

The diagnostic report should include the following information:

• A DSM-IV diagnostic code including the date of diagnosis. (NOTE: Academic accommodations are not granted for Axis I or II codes preceded by a V)
• Psychological test results used to support the diagnosis and a summary of evaluation results, including standardized or percentile scores.
• A statement of the functional impact or limitations of the disability on learning or other major life activity and the degree to which it impacts the individual in the learning context for which accommodations are being requested.
• Current medications (including dosage and side effects). Medical information relating to the student's needs to include the impact of medication on the student's ability to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment.
• Evaluation of ability to function in a demanding college environment which requires independent, social functioning.
• Recommendations for academic and other accommodations. Each recommended accommodation should include a detailed explanation of its relevance to the disability that is diagnosed. The evaluation should indicate the level at which the individual is currently functioning with the benefit of treatment.
• The time period for which academic accommodations are recommended
• Examiner's name, address, telephone, and credentials Further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required if co- existing learning disabilities or other disabling conditions are indicated.
• A student must authorize the release of a written report containing all or the above information to the director of the Academic Support Center and the director or the Wellness Center for Health and Counseling before consideration of academic accommodations can begin.

 

NOTE: Academic accommodations for emotional disabilities are usually granted for twelve months and only while the student is under the continuing care of a licensed mental health practitioner. After this period, a renewal of the recommendation by a psychologist or psychiatrist, and verification of continuing care, are required before accommodations can be extended. Additionally, the professional must have expertise and experience working with a college-age population.

 

Physical Disability/ Ongoing Medical Condition

Requests for documentation for physical disabilities or ongoing medical conditions are made on a case-by-case basis.

 

In general a report from the student's physician will include:

 

ü  a specific diagnosis

ü  characteristics of the condition

ü  medication(s) including dosage and side effects

ü  information regarding the student's needs to include the impact of medication on the student's ability to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment

ü  a statement of the functional impact or limitations of the disability on learning or other major life activity and the degree to which it impacts the individual in the learning context for which accommodations are being requested.

 

Additional information may be needed depending on the specific disability, i.e., an audiogram for a student with a hearing impairment.

 

Please note that all diagnostic reports should be sent to:



Disability Support Services
Le Moyne College
1419 Salt Springs Road
Syracuse, NY 13214-1399

 

 

Disabilities Support Services will review documentation and to determine reasonable accommodations for you.  It is important to know that although you might receive all the same accommodations received in high school, not all accommodations received in high school will automatically be provided at Le Moyne College.  Please see “Accommodations Provided” (<- hotlink to that section) for further explanation.

“A diagnosis of impairment alone does not establish that an individual has a disability within the meaning of Section 504 or Title II. Rather, the impairment must substantially limit a major life activity, or the individual must have a record of such an impairment or be regarded as having such an impairment.14 A diagnosis from a treating physician, along with information about how the disability affects the student, may suffice.”  

- http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html

 “Students who have the same disability may not necessarily require the same academic adjustment. Section 504 and Title II require that institutions of postsecondary education make individualized determinations regarding appropriate academic adjustments for each individual student. If the student’s disability and need for an academic adjustment are obvious, less documentation may be necessary.” - http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html

1 Association on Higher Education and Disability, Guidelines for Documentation of a Learning Disability in Adolescents and Adult, July 1997