Disability Documentation

Procedure for a previously diagnosed disability:

1. 1. Hampden-Sydney College will provide accommodations for students with documented disabilities (attentional, medical, neurological, physical, psychological, sensory, speech and language, and/or specific learning disabilities) which impact them in an academic setting. Determination of a disability is based on the testing procedures outlined by the College in conjunction with the clinical judgment of the Hampden-Sydney College consulting psychologist, physician and/or psychiatrist.
   2. The student must submit to the Office of Disability Services (Student Health Center, 101) the results, using adult norms, of diagnostic testing performed by an appropriate professional diagnostician within three years of the date of submission. As documentation must reflect the student's current level of functioning, a student with fluctuating condition(s) may be asked to periodically update documentation as appropriate to the nature of the disability. This documentation must include each of the following.  
      
      1. Procedure for documenting Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):
         1. Intellectual Assessment with IQ and sub-test scores reported
         2. Continuous Performance Test
         3. Results of appropriate Adult ADHD Checklists
         4. Statement which rules out emotional cause for disability
            1. Results and impression from clinical interview
            2. Objective Assessment Instrument
         5. Optional Evaluation Aspects
         6. Documentation of functional impact
            
            
      2. Procedures for documenting other specific learning disabilities:
         Normally, the difference between the student's IQ and his achievement must be at least 1.5 standard deviations and his achievement must fall below the average range of ability.
         1. Intellectual Assessment with IQ and sub-test scores reported
         2. Academic Achievement testing with standard scores and percentiles reported
         3. Testing of Information Processing appropriate for specific problem area
         4. Statement which rules out emotional cause for disability
            
            
      3. Procedures for documenting a combined diagnosis of a specific learning disability and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder:
         1. The appropriate tests for the specific learning disability listed above and
         2. A continuous performance test from those listed above
            
            
      4. Procedures for documenting other disabilities such as medical, physical, psychological, and sensory disabilities:
         1. A Narrative summary of assessment procedures including all quantitative data reflecting the severity of the functional impact.
         2. Evaluator must state a diagnosis, prognosis, describe the current substantial functional impact of the disability on a major life activity, as well as provide recommendations, supported by the diagnosis, for reasonable accommodations in a college setting.
         3. Evaluator should also include information to be considered in a college environment, including medication needs and side effects, and personal care concerns as they pertain to the student's unique situation.
            
            
   3. The student's documentation is reviewed by a licensed psychologist hired by Hampden Sydney as a disabilities consultant. The College physician and/or psychiatrist may also be consulted depending on the nature of the disability.  The College reserves the right to review all documents for relevance, reliability, and thoroughness of data, and to require additional testing documentation and/or information in order to clarify the disability and/or the associated functional impairment. If the documentation warrants, the consultant suggests appropriate academic accommodations in accordance with the College's disability policy.
   4. The suggested academic accommodations are presented to the student in writing and are reviewed with the student by the Disability Services Coordinator and/or the disabilities consultant.
   5. An individualized learning accommodation letter including the consultant's recommendations will then be signed by the Disability Services Coordinator.
   6. The Disability Services Coordinator will send a letter to the student authorizing the academic accommodations specific to that person's need. The Office of Disability Services emails the student with an attached Accommodations Letter to print and bring to each faculty member, preferably during scheduled office hours so that the practical arrangements for each accommodation can be agreed upon well in advance of the need for implementation.  A copy of the accommodations letter is sent to the student's academic advisor.
   7. The student is responsible for showing the letter to his professors and discussing how these accommodations can be implemented in each course where he desires to use the accommodations.  

Procedures for documenting an undiagnosed disability:

1. 1. If a student has not yet been diagnosed with a disability which impacts him in an academic setting, the student may be referred to the Office of Disability Services by a professor, an advisor or counselor, or by self-referral. If testing appears warranted, the student arranges for the necessary diagnostic testing to be done by an appropriate professional diagnostician. The College does not provide diagnostic services.

   2. The procedure then follows Procedures for Disability Documentation, steps three through seven as outlined above.                       

Revision approved by Provost & Dean of the Faculty on August 8, 2014

Updated on June 19, 2020