Documentation Guidelines for Attention Deficit / Hyperactive Disorder

Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (AD/HD) is considered a medical or clinical diagnosis. Individuals qualified to render a diagnosis for this disorder are practitioners who have been trained in the assessment of AD/HD and are experienced in assessing the needs of adult learners. Recommended practitioners may include developmental pediatricians, neurologists, psychiatrists, licensed clinical or educational psychologists, family physicians, or a combination of such professionals. The diagnostician must be an impartial individual who is not a family member of the student.

The following documentation requirements will assist the service provider in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations. Documentation serves as a foundation that supports a student's request for appropriate accommodations. Recommended documentation includes all of the following:

1. A clear statement of ADD or AD/HD with the DSM-IV diagnosis (including which DSM-IV criteria were met), and alternative diagnoses or explanations should be ruled out;
   
   
2. Documentation for eligibility must be current, within the last three years; (the age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, the current status of the student, and the student's specific request for accommodations);
   
   
3. A summary of the client’s self report of past history (to demonstrate childhood onset and rule out other causes for the difficulties), past treatment and/or remediation history (if no previous treatment or remediation, why not), the chronic and pervasive nature of the condition as manifested in multiple settings;
   
   
4. A summary of hard data to support the client’s self report (for example, performance reviews, past academic reports, reports from significant others, etc.);
   
   
5. A summary of the testing measures used to document the disabling condition (including standardized scores of all subtests as well as overall standardized test scores);
   
   
6. A  conclusive summary that presents the sound rationale for the diagnosis based on the information presented, information gathered and tests administered;
   
   
7. A statement of the functional impact or limitations of the disorder or disability on learning or other major life activity and the degree to which it impacts the individual;
   
   
8. Medical information relating to the student’s needs must include the impact of medication on the student’s ability to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment;
   
   
9. Recommendations of strategies and accommodations that would be appropriate for the student based on the information gathered, testing results, and observations of performance.

Further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required if co-existing learning disabilities or other disabling conditions are indicated. Appropriate accommodations and services are collaboratively determined by the student and Disability Access Services staff at Aims Community College.