Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.”
Disability Support Services (DSS), CSU, Chico
Documentation
- Policy for Documentation of Disability
- Definition of specific disabilities and guidelines for verification
Policy for Documentation of Disability
The following guidelines are provided to assure that documentation of disability submitted to Disability Support Services is appropriate to both verify the disability and to support requests for accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids.
It is the policy of CSU, Chico to provide appropriate accommodations to students who have documented disabilities meeting the eligibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Definition of disability
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines disability as “having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities.” The ADA protects individuals from discrimination if they have a record of such impairments or if they are regarded as having such impairments. Additionally, specific protections are guaranteed through Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (amended, 1998).
Determination of a disability does not require the use of any specific language. Clinicians’ training or philosophical approaches may result in their use of euphemistic phrases, rather than specific diagnostic labels; this practice should not be automatically interpreted to suggest that a disability does or does not exist.
Qualified individual with a disability
A qualified individual with a disability is an individual with a disability who meets the academic and technical standards requisite for admission or participation in the education programs of CSU, Chico. This includes students with disabilities participating in clinical or field placements that are offered as part of a program’s field of study.
Authority to determine disability status
The Disability Support Services director and, by designation, DSS advisors determine disability status and eligibility for DSS services, subject to the provisions below and to established appeal procedures. All documentation is reviewed on an individual, case-by-case basis. This calls for an individualized inquiry, examining the impact of a disability on the individual and within the specific context of the request for accommodations.
Verification of evident disability
The Disability Support Services director and, by designation, DSS advisors have the authority to verify a disability if the nature and extent of the disability is obvious and apparent by observation.
Definition of specific disabilities and guidelines for verification
Learning Disability
The CSU Office of the Chancellor defines a learning disability as:
...a generic term that refers to the heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities. These disorders occur in persons of average to very superior intelligence and are presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction. Even though a learning disability may exist concomitantly with other handicapping conditions (e.g. sensory impairments) or environmental influences (e.g., cultural/language difficulties), it is not the direct result of these conditions or influences. The chancellor's office requires diagnostic documentation to include (a) Significant discrepancies in intra-cognitive abilities or aptitude-achievement abilities; (b) at least average intellectual capacity; and (c) average or greater achievement scores in at least one academic area, as measured by the diagnostic instrument.
Verification of a learning disability by a qualified professional
The following guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that evaluation reports are appropriate to document eligibility:
- Testing must be comprehensive. It is not acceptable to base a diagnosis on only one of several subtests. Minimally, domains to be addressed must include (but are not limited to):
a. Aptitude.
In evaluating aptitude, specific areas of information processing, memory, auditory and visual perception/processing, processing speed, and reasoning must be assessed.
The Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R) or Woodcock-Johnson III: Tests of Cognitive Ability with subtest scores is the preferred instrument OR the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III (WAIS III).
The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) is not an acceptable assessment instrument for an adult population.
b. Achievement.
Current levels of functioning in reading, mathematics, and written language are required.
The Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R), Woodcock-Johnson III: Tests of Achievement, or the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test II (WIAT II) are the preferred instruments.
The Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) is not a comprehensive measure of achievement and is therefore not suitable as a sole measure of achievement.
- Testing must be current. Since assessment constitutes the basis for determining reasonable accommodations, it is in a student's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation. Documentation must not be more than three years old. This assessment serves as the basis for decision-making about a student's needs for accommodations in a college environment that is academically very competitive.
- Documentation must contain a clear diagnosis of a disability. Individual "learning styles" and "learning differences" in and of themselves do not constitute a learning disability.
- Test scores/data must be included (standard scores). This is important since certain university policies and procedures (e.g. petitioning for permission to substitute courses) require specific data to substantiate eligibility.
- Professionals conducting assessment and rendering diagnoses of learning disabilities must be qualified to do so. Experience working with an adult population is essential. The following professionals would generally be considered qualified to evaluate specific learning disabilities: clinical or educational psychologists, school psychologists, neuropsychologists, learning disabilities specialists, and speech language pathologists. It is not considered appropriate for professionals to evaluate members of their own families.
- Diagnostic reports must include the names and titles of the evaluators as well as the date(s) of testing.
Visual impairment
The CSU Office of the Chancellor defines visual limitation as:
...blindness or partial sight to the degree that it impedes the educational process and necessitates procurement of supportive services or programs.
People with visual disabilities are those who, even with treatment and corrective lenses, have vision so restricted that it significantly affects their daily functioning. To be considered legally blind, a person's vision must be either:
No more than 20/200 in the better eye, with correction. (This means that they can see at 20 feet what a person without visual impairment can see at 200 feet.)
and/or
Of a very restricted range -- no more than a 20 degree angle in the better eye. (This is sometimes called "tunnel vision.") This term thus includes people with extremely limited vision as well as those with none at all.
Verification of visual impairment:
Documentation shall be provided by a verifying professional qualified to assess the nature and extent of a visual impairment, including an ophthalmologist, optometrist, or licensed physician.
Testing must be current. Since assessment constitutes the basis for determining reasonable accommodations, it is in a student's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation. Documentation must not be more than three years old.
Communication disability
The CSU Office of the Chancellor defines a communication disability as:
...limitation in the processes of speech and/or hearing which impedes the educational process and necessitates the procurement of supportive services or programs.
Verification of communication disability:
Documentation shall be provided by a verifying professional qualified to assess the nature and extent of communication impairment, such as a speech pathologist.
Testing must be current. Since assessment constitutes the basis for determining reasonable accommodations, it is in a student's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation. Documentation must not be more than three years old.
Deafness
The CSU Office of the Chancellor defines deafness as:
...limitation in the process of hearing which impedes the educational process and necessitates the procurement of supportive services or programs. Students in this category usually require oral or sign language interpreters.
Verification of hearing impairment or deafness:
Documentation, including an audiogram, shall be provided by a verifying professional qualified to assess the nature and extent of a hearing impairment, such as an audiologist.
Testing must be current. Since assessment constitutes the basis for determining reasonable accommodations, it is in a student's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation. Documentation must not be more than three years old.
Mobility limitation
The CSU Office of the Chancellor defines mobility limitation as:
...limitation in locomotion or motor functions which indicates a need for supportive services or programs. Included in this category would be persons who have asthma, cardiovascular problems, or who do not have motor functions necessary to lift or carry items normally used in an academic setting (i.e., books and supplies).
Verification of Mobility Impairment:
Documentation shall be provided by a verifying professional qualified to assess the nature and extent of mobility impairment, including a licensed physician, or orthopedist.
Testing must be current. Since assessment constitutes the basis for determining reasonable accommodations, it is in a student's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation. Documentation must not be more than three years old.
Psychological disability
Disability Support Services office defines psychological disability as:
...a persistent psychological disorder or psychiatric disorder, emotional or mental illness that adversely affects educational performance and/or functioning and frequently requires medication.
Verification of psychological impairment:
Documentation, including a Diagnostic Statistical Manual 4 code, shall be provided by a verifying professional qualified to assess the nature and extent of a psychological impairment, such as a psychiatrist.
Testing must be current. Since assessment constitutes the basis for determining reasonable accommodations, it is in a student's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation. Documentation must not be more than two years old.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Disability Support Services defines two types of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder:
The first type (ADD) is primarily characterized by inattention (difficulty sustaining attention to tasks) and the second type (ADHD) is primarily characterized by hyperactivity- impulsivity (excessive fidgeting or talking or difficulty in refraining from saying or doing whatever comes to mind). ADD/ADHD are not the result of another disorder (for example, autism, schizophrenia, chronic depression, chronic anxiety, a disassociative disorder or a personality disorder).
Verification of ADD/ADHD:
Documentation shall be provided by a verifying professional qualified to assess the nature and extent of ADD and ADHD, such as a licensed physician, psychiatrist, or clinical psychologist.
Testing must be current. Since assessment constitutes the basis for determining reasonable accommodations, it is in a student's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation. Documentation must not be more than three years old.
Other functional limitations
The CSU Office of the Chancellor defines other functional limitations as:
...any other dysfunction of a body part or process which necessitates the use of supportive services or programs, and which does not fall within the categories listed above. This category may include students with epilepsy, diabetes and other non-visible illness or disability. Individuals who fall into this category will probably require services similar to those described above. Specific services will, of course, depend on the individual.
Verification of other functional limitations or impairments:
Documentation shall be provided by a verifying professional qualified to assess the nature and extent of the specific impairment.
Testing must be current. Since assessment constitutes the basis for determining reasonable accommodations, it is in a student's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation. Documentation must not be more than three years old.