Documentation
Guidelines for
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder
Students
requesting support services from the University of Southern
Maine are required to submit documentation to verify eligibility
under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990(ADA) and
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The eligibility
requirements for disability accommodations for students
with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder are:
-
Verification
of diagnosis and severity of condition
-
Documentation
of current significant functional limitations in an
educational setting
Accommodations
are provided after documentation has been submitted to and
approved by the Office of Support for Students with Disabilities
(OSSD). To ensure the provision of reasonable and appropriate
accommodations for students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder, the following information should be provided in
the documentation.
1. Verification of Disability
-
Professional Credentials - Name, title, and professional credentials
of the evaluator, including information about license
or certification, area of specialization, employment,
and state or province in which the individual practices.
Professionals generally considered qualified to evaluate
and diagnose ADHD/ADD have comprehensive training in
differential diagnosis, psychiatric disorders and direct
experience with adolescent or adult ADHD population,
such as clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists,
psychiatrists and other relevantly-trained medical doctors.
-
Currency of Report - The provision of reasonable accommodations
and services is based upon assessment of the current
impact of the disability on academic performance.
In most cases, this means that a diagnostic evaluation
has been completed within the last three years. Documentation
older than three years may be acceptable under certain
conditions on a case-by-case basis.
-
Diagnostic Statement – Provide a specific diagnosis of
ADHD based on the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. The diagnosis
must be stated directly and should not use such terms
as suggests, is indicative of, or attention
problems.
-
Evidence of Early Impairment –Include indicators establishing
that symptoms of the disorder were present in childhood,
and manifested in more than one setting
-
Developmental and Medical History – Include a developmental and medical
history.
-
DSM-IV Symptoms – Include a summary of objective historical
information substantiating the individual’s manifestations
of DSM-IV ADHD throughout childhood, adolescence and
adulthood (to the present) in two or more settings,
and how patterns of inattentiveness, impulsivity and/or
hyperactivity have been used to determine the presence
of ADHD.
-
Rule Out Alternative Causes –Indicate that alternative psychological,
medical or non-cognitive (e.g.; educational; cultural)
explanations have been investigated and ruled out as
causes for inattentiveness, impulsivity and/or hyperactivity.
-
Medical Treatment – Provide relevant current medical history.
Indicate whether or not the individual was evaluated
while on medication prescribed for the treatment of
ADHD, and whether or not the prescribed treatment produced
a positive response.
-
History of the type and degree of limitations
to learning- Include
a summary of objective historical information about
the educational impact of the ADHD from childhood to
the present such as transcripts, report cards, teacher
comments, tutoring evaluations, past psychoeducational
testing, and other third party interviews. The individual’s
history of using academic accommodations should be documented.
If no history exists, then an explanation should be
included regarding why accommodations were not used,
and why they are now needed.
-
Current educational impact- Specify how ADHD currently impacts the
individual’s academic functioning. Document current
and substantial limitation to learning for which the
individual is requesting accommodation, including how
the disability impacts course examinations (if accommodations
are being requested in this area).
4. Accommodation
recommendations and justifications-
Indicate why specific accommodations are needed and how
the effects of ADHD symptoms, as designated by the DSM-IV,
are mediated by the accommodations.
5. In addition to the diagnostic report,
please attach other information relevant to this student’s
academic adjustment.
Send
this information marked confidential to:
Director
The
Office of Support for Students with Disabilities
University of Southern
Maine
P.O. Box 9300
Portland, Maine 04104-9300
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