AD/HD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) Documentation Guidelines

Students requesting to receive accommodations to mitigate symptoms of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) while at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, please refer to the Disability Resource Center’s Provider Verification of Disability Form

Note that the DRC AD/HD form is not sufficient documentation to qualify a student for standardized exam accommodations, nor to receive medications, and does not guarantee receipt of accommodations outside of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Tests of intelligence, cognition/information processing and academic achievement, which may not be part of the diagnostic process itself, may be needed by a disabilities specialist to determine appropriate accommodations and services for a student with AD/HD. This additional documentation should include:

1. Documentation needs to be current (within 3 years)
2. Documentation needs to be comprehensive:
   1. Evidence of Early Impairment (parent interviews, report cards, etc.)
   2. Evidence of Current Impairment (and level of severity)
   3. Alternative Diagnoses or Explanations Should Be Ruled Out
   4. Relevant Testing Should Be Provided
   5. Identification of DSM-5 Criteria
   6. Documentation Needs to Include a Specific Diagnosis
   7. Statement of Specific Functional Limitations (especially those involved in attending a post-secondary educational institution, and whether the degree of limitation is mild or severe)
   8. An Interpretative Summary Needs to Be Provided
3. Each Accommodation Recommended by the Evaluator Needs to Include a Rationale

Accommodations and Support Services

Requests for accommodations are considered on an individual basis by taking into account the student’s qualifications related to the educational activity, the reasonableness of the request and whether or not the accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of the activity in question.

Impairments rising to the level of disability protect individuals from discrimination on the basis of disability; however, services and accommodations related to those impairments must reflect specific limitations affecting the ability to participate in one or more major life activities.

Students requesting accommodations for a standardized exam are encouraged to read through the specific documentation requirements. Below is a non-extensive list of common standardized exams:

GRE, TOEFL, PRAXIS

MCAT

LSAT

 

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