Documentation Guidelines
SAEO recognizes that every person has their own unique path regardless of their disability status or particular diagnosis. This may involve working with various medical, mental health, and educational professionals. We accept documentation from a wide range of professionals and in many different forms. This helps us remove barriers to access and take an individualized and holistic approach to provide supports. We do, however, have some minimum criteria that all documentation must meet in order to be considered. All documentation must:
- Be provided on professional letterhead, signed, and include the name, title, and professional credentials.
- Confirm a diagnosis/the presence of a disability or chronic health condition
- Describe the nature of the impairment and potential impact on the student’s ability to participate in the university’s educational programs and services.
- Reflect an evaluation recent enough to provide comprehensive information about the disability that may still be deemed relevant. Documentation from childhood and early adolescence may not be considered applicable to a higher education setting.
Should a provider prefer completing a verification form rather than using SAEO's documentation guidelines to generate a letter or provide a copy of an evaluation/assessment, they may complete either a Physical/Medical/Sensory Disability Verification Form [PDF] or a Psychological/Psychiatric Disability Verification FormPsychological/Psychiatric Disability Verification Form [PDF]. These forms should be completed in their entirety in order to ensure that SAEO is being provided with the necessary information to determine appropriate accommodations.
Specialized Accommodations
For information regarding certain specialized accommodations, please review the documentation guidelines for the appropriate area and/or concern.
- COVID-19 Accommodations
- Housing Accommodation Requests
- Course Substitution Requests
Eligibility
For more detailed and specific information about what we look for when considering a student’s eligibility for accommodations, please refer below.
Documentation to support an ADHD diagnosis should be in the form of a written report based on a current and comprehensive psychological, neuropsychological or psycho-educational evaluation, comprehensive medical report, detailed letter from a treating professional, and/or by having a treating professional complete a copy of our Psychological/Psychiatric Disability Verification Form.
While there are no official cutoffs for how recent documentation must be, ideally it should be within the past 3-5 years and reflect the student’s level of functioning as an adult. Updated documentation may be requested if it is determined that what is submitted is too dated to still be considered relevant.
The following should be addressed:
- Clear statement of the diagnosis.
- Description of current and past ADHD symptoms across multiple settings, including academic.
- Formal evaluations and testing should include standardized measures of attention, IQ, achievement, and other forms of cognitive functioning. Actual test scores should be provided.
- Treatment information including current medication.
- Potential impact of the condition in a college environment.
Documentation to support an Autism Spectrum Disorder should be in the form of a written report based on a current and comprehensive psychological, neuropsychological or psycho-educational evaluation, comprehensive letter from a treating professional and/or by having a treating professional complete a copy of our Psychological/Psychiatric Disability Verification Form.
While there are no official cutoffs for how recent documentation must be, ideally it should be within the past 3-5 years and reflect the student’s level of functioning as an adult. Updated documentation may be requested if it is determined that what is submitted is too dated to still be considered relevant.
The following criteria should be addressed:
- Clear statement of the diagnosis.
- Discussion of social, behavioral, and communication functioning across multiple settings.
- Formal evaluations and testing should include standardized measures assessing IQ, achievement, emotional, adaptive, and social functioning, and other forms of cognitive functioning. Actual test scores should be provided.
- Potential impact of condition in a college environment (classroom, campus, residence hall, etc.).
Documentation to support a health or medical condition must be in the form of a current and comprehensive medical report, practitioner’s letter, and/or by having a treating professional complete a copy of our Physical/Medical/Sensory Disability Verification Form. Doctor’s prescription pad notes will not be accepted.
The following criteria should be addressed:
- Clear statement of the diagnosis.
- Functional limitations of the impairment
- A statement on whether the condition is stable, progressive, or temporary.
- Possible side effects of treatment (including prescribed medication).
Please note - Temporary conditions or injuries such as a broken bone will require information on the projected length of recovery.
Documentation to support hearing loss or another hearing impairment must be in the form of a current and comprehensive medical/audiologist report, practitioner’s letter, or by having a treating professional complete a copy of our Physical/Medical/Sensory Disability Verification Form. Diagnosis must be made by an audiologist or similarly qualified practitioner.
Information about assistive listening devices or other tools to support everyday functioning should be included.
Documentation to support an LD diagnosis should be in the form of a written report based on a current and comprehensive psychological, neuropsychological or psycho-educational evaluation, detailed letter from a treating professional, and/or by having a treating professional complete a copy of our Psychological/Psychiatric Disability Verification Form.
While there are no official cutoffs for how recent documentation must be, ideally it should be within the past 3-5 years and reflect the student’s level of functioning as an adult. Updated documentation may be requested if it is determined that what is submitted is too dated to still be considered relevant.
The following should be addressed:
- Clear statement of the diagnosis.
- Description of how the diagnosis impacts the student in an academic setting.
- Formal evaluations and testing should include standardized measures of academic achievement, various forms of cognitive functioning, and IQ. Actual test scores should be provided.
- Documentation must be in the form of a current and comprehensive psychological, psychiatric, neuropsychological report, and/or by having a treating professional complete a copy of our Psychological/Psychiatric Disability Verification Form
- A specific diagnosis must be provided
- Potential impact on social, behavioral, academic and emotional functioning in a college setting should be addressed.
Documentation to support a health or medical condition must be in the form of a current and comprehensive medical report, practitioner’s letter, and/or by having a treating professional complete a copy of our Physical/Medical/Sensory Disability Verification Form. Documentation must include detailed information about functional limitations and areas of impairment.
Doctor’s prescription pad notes will not be accepted.
Documentation to support a Traumatic Brain Injury or concussion diagnosis should be in the form of a written report based on a current and comprehensive psychological, neuropsychological or neurological evaluation, or detailed letter from a treating professional.
The following should be addressed:
- Clear statement of the diagnosis.
- Description of how the diagnosis impacts the student in an academic setting.
- Formal evaluations and testing should include standardized measures of academic achievement, cognitive development, executive functioning, memory, information processing, and IQ. Actual test scores should be provided.
Information regarding recovery should also be included to determine if the Traumatic Brain Injury is a temporary or permanent condition.
Documentation to support low vision or another visual impairment must be in the form of a current and comprehensive medical/vision report, practitioner’s letter, or by having a treating professional complete a copy of our Physical/Medical/Sensory Disability Verification Form.
Diagnosis must be made by an ophthalmologist, optometrist, or similarly qualified practitioner.