Guidelines for Documentation of
Learning Disabilities
Introduction
In response to the expressed need for guidance related to the documentation of learning disabilities (LD) when a referral is made by the University of Missouri-Columbia, the Office of Disability Services (ODS) has developed the following guidelines in conjunction with the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD.) The primary intent of these guidelines is to provide students and professional diagnosticians with a common understanding of those components of documentation that are necessary to validate LD and the need for accommodation.
This document provides guidelines in four important areas:
- Qualifications of the evaluator
- Recency of the documentation
- Comprehensiveness of the evaluation
- Rationale supporting the need for accommodations
Under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, individuals with learning disabilities are guaranteed certain protections and rights; thus, the documentation should indicate that the disability substantially limits some major life activity. The following guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that LD documentation is appropriate to verify eligibility and to support requests for academic accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids.
IEP or 504 Plans will not be accepted as documentation of disability.
