Deaf/Hard of Hearing Documentation Guidelines

A Qualified Professional Must Conduct the Evaluation

Physicians, including Otorhinolaryngologists and Otologists are qualified to provide diagnosis and treatment of hearing disorders. Audiologists may also provide current audiograms. The diagnostician should be an impartial individual who is not a family member of the student.

The following guidelines are provided to assist the service provider in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations. Documentation serves as the foundation that legitimizes a student's request for appropriate accommodations. Recommended documentation includes:

  1. A clear statement of Deafness or hearing loss, with an audiogram that reflects the current impact the Deafness or hearing loss has on the student's functioning, (the age of acceptable documentation is dependant upon the condition, the current status of the student, and the student's request for accommodations);
  2. A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis and a narrative summary of evaluation results, if appropriate;
  3. Medical information relating to the student's needs, and the status of the individual's hearing (static or changing), and impact on the demands of the academic program;
  4. A statement regarding the use of hearing aids (if appropriate);
  5. A statement of the functional impacts or limitations of the hearing loss on learning or other major life activity and the degree to which it impacts the individual in the learning context for which accommodations are being requested.

Further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required to determine eligibility for accommodations at USU.

Adapted from Colorado Consortium of Support Programs for Students with Disabilities