Academic Accommodations

• Documentation must be provided by a professional qualified by education and experience to diagnose the specific disability.
• Professionals should not evaluate members of their own families for documentation purposes.

• Preferred documentation format is our documentation form or including the information requested in Documentation Guidelines.
• If not using the Whitman documentation form, all reports should be typed or clearly written on official letterhead, dated, and must include the license number and signature of the professional.

• Documentation should detail the instruments and standards used for evaluation.
• An official diagnosis or clear description of the condition.
• The appropriate DSM-5 code may be included.
• The report should describe how the student's disability substantially limits one or more major life activities.

• Documentation should be current and relevant.
  • Preferably within five (5) years for learning disabilities.
  • Within one to three (1–3) years for most other disabilities.
• More leniency is granted for permanent medical conditions or observable physical disabilities.
• However, more specific documentation guidelines for graduate exams and other assessments may be required. If students want to review the documentation guidelines for graduate exams they may read them here.

• Accommodation requests must be directly connected to the student’s current functional limitations, with a clear explanation/rationale provided for each recommended accommodation.
• While the evaluators’ report can list recommended accommodations, the Disability Support Services staff will determine the appropriateness and reasonableness of these accommodations.

• More specific guidelines are available on the Whitman College Disability Support Services website. 

• To access your Accommodate file during the accommodation request process, or to request supplemental accommodations, log in here.

• Your provider may fax documentation to 509-527-5039.
• If faxed, please email dss@whitman.edu to notify staff of incoming documentation.

Whitman College follows these adapted College Board Documentation Guidelines as listed below.

All requests should meet seven (7) key criteria:

1. The diagnosis/diagnoses should be clearly stated.
   
   Documentation should state the learning disorder as diagnosed. The diagnosis should be made by someone with appropriate professional credentials, should be specific, and should reference the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM-5 or whichever edition was current at the time of diagnosis).
2. All information should be current.
   
   Because some disabilities change over time, documentation should be up to date. For learning disorders, the educational evaluation and testing should be no more than five (5) years old. Cognitive testing may be older than five (5) years, but testing performed before third grade may not provide a valid indication of the student’s current ability.
3. History should be presented.
   
   Provide relevant educational, developmental and medical history in support of the diagnosis and functional limitations. Information about the student’s history of receiving school accommodations and current use of accommodations is necessary in order for our Disability Support Services Specialists to understand the nature and severity of the student’s learning disorder and need for accommodations.
4. Psychoeducational evaluations: The diagnosis should be supported by testing.
   
   A note from a treatment provider or evaluator is usually not sufficient to support the need for accommodations. Documentation should describe the comprehensive testing and techniques used to arrive at the specific learning disorder diagnosis. Tests used to diagnose learning disorders should be comprehensive, nationally normed and administered individually under standardized conditions.
   
   The full report should be provided, including:
   • Relevant educational, developmental and medical history.
   • Standardized test scores for all administered subtests (standard or scaled scores).
   • A narrative summary of evaluation results.
   Examples:
   • If extended time is requested, include both timed and untimed or standard time measures.
   • If use of a computer is requested for recording responses, please include information about visual, fine-motor and/or visual-motor integration deficits as well as a test of written expression.
   • If use of a four-function calculator is requested, please provide documentation of difficulties with math calculation.
   • If assistive technology such as a screen reader (text-to-speech) is requested, please include a comprehensive reading assessment.
5. Functional limitations should be described.
   
   Explain how the learning disorder impacts the student’s daily functioning in a college environment. For example: Does the student work more slowly than other students? Is the student able to read the test? Write an essay? 
6. Recommended accommodations should be justified.
   
   Provide a detailed rationale for the requested accommodations, focusing on:
   • The connection between the student’s diagnosed learning disability and requested accommodations.
   • Current academic needs of the student, including functional impairment(s) and use of accommodations in school.
7. Evaluators’ professional credentials should be listed.
   
   To ensure valid testing and diagnosis, evaluators must be licensed by the state in which they practice.

To receive accommodations, please review the adapted College Board Documentation Guidelines. Even if students have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), a 504 plan, or already receive those accommodations for school or state tests, only providing their IEP or 504 plans may not contain enough information to meet the criteria. IEP and 504 plan documents may be provided as additional supporting documentation. 

All requests should meet seven (7) key criteria.

1. The diagnosis should be clearly stated.
   
   The ADHD diagnosis should be made by someone with appropriate professional credentials, should be specific, and should reference the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5 or whichever edition was current at the time of diagnosis).
2. All information should be current.
   
   Because some disabilities and needs for accommodation can change, documentation should be up to date. In most cases, the educational evaluation and testing should be no more than five (5) years old. Cognitive testing may be older than five (5) years, but testing performed before third grade may not provide a valid indication of the student’s current ability. Medical or psychiatric testing should have a current update, completed within the last year.
3. History should be presented.
   
   Provide relevant educational, developmental and medical history in support of the ADHD diagnosis and the functional limitation. The student’s history of receiving school accommodations and current use of accommodations is necessary in order for our Disability Support Specialists to understand the nature and severity of the symptoms of ADHD and the need for accommodations.
4. The diagnosis should be supported by testing.
   
   A medical note is usually not sufficient to support the need for accommodations. Documentation should demonstrate that a comprehensive assessment was conducted, with a summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis, including:
   • A narrative summary of evaluation results.
   • Test results with subtest scores (standard or scaled).

   Tests used to diagnose ADHD may differ, depending on the accommodations being requested. For instance, requests for extended time should be supported by comprehensive cognitive and academic assessments that are:

   • Individually administered.
   • Nationally normed.
   • Administered under standardized conditions.
5. Functional limitations should be described.
   
   Explain how ADHD impacts the student’s academic functioning and ability to participate in a college environment. Include the impacted major life functions that meet the criteria of a disability.
   
   Functional limitations can be documented in a variety of ways.
   • Psychoeducational evaluations, including standardized test scores and narrative: Use national norms to support both the diagnosis and functional limitation.
   • Standardized rating scales
   • Summary of the student’s developmental, educational and/or medical history
6. Recommended accommodations should be justified.
   
   Provide a detailed rationale for requested accommodations, focusing on:
   • The connection between the student’s ADHD diagnosis and the requested accommodations.
   • Whether and how the student’s diagnosis significantly impacts a major life function.
   • The current academic needs of the student, including functional impairments and use of accommodations in school.
   • For example, a request for extended time should document difficulty taking timed tests and should include standardized scores on timed and untimed or extended time measures.
7. Evaluators’ professional credentials should be listed.
   
   To ensure valid testing and ADHD diagnosis, evaluators must be licensed by the state in which they practice.