AD/HD Documentation Requirements
An Interpretative Summary Must Be Provided
A well-written interpretative summary based on a comprehensive evaluative process is a necessary component of the documentation. Because ADHD is in many ways a diagnosis that is based upon the interpretation of historical data and observation, as well as other diagnostic information, it is essential that professional judgment be utilized in the development of a summary, which must include
- demonstration of the evaluator's having ruled out alternative explanations for inattentiveness, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity as a result of psychological or medical disorders or noncognitive factors
- indication of how patterns of inattentiveness, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity across the life span and across settings are used to determine the presence of ADHD
- indication of whether or not the candidate was evaluated while on medication, and whether or not the prescribed treatment produced a positive response
- indication and discussion of the substantial limitation to learning presented by the ADHD and the degree to which it affects the individual in the academic, classroom, testing, or learning context for which accommodations are being requested
- indication as to why specific accommodations are needed and how the effects of ADHD symptoms, as designated by the DSM-IV, are mediated by the accommodations
