Physical Disabilities & Systemic Illnesses
Documentation Guidelines

A Qualified Professional Must Conduct the Evaluation

(Includes but is not limited to: Depressive Disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Bipolar Disorders, and Disassociative Disorders)

A diagnosis by a licensed mental health professional including licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed professional counselors (LPC), psychologists, psychiatrists, or neurologists is required and must include the license number. The diagnostician must 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 the disability, including the DSM-IV diagnosis and a summary of present symptoms;
  2. A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis and a summary of evaluation results, including standardized or percentile scores;
  3. Medical information relating to the student's needs to include the impact of medication on the student's ability to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment;
  4. A statement of the functional impact or limitations of the disability 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 if co-existing learning disabilities or other disabling conditions are indicated. The student and his or her counselor at the Disability Resource Center at Utah State University collaboratively determine appropriate accommodations.

Adapted from Colorado Consortium of Support Programs for Students with Disabilities