• Disability Services
• Documentation Guidelines
• ADHD

ADHD

1. The evaluation report must have a thorough and complete diagnostic interview that includes:

• A summary of the student's educational, medical, and family history that may relate to ADHD.
• Evidence that the condition was present in childhood in more than one setting.
• A review of the student's presentation of attentional, hyperactive, and/or impulsive symptoms.

2. Documentation must provide evidence of the student's current impairment in the academic setting as demonstrated by a psychoeducational assessment that minimally includes a measure of aptitude.
3. Results from a behavioral rating scale (i.e. Conner's or Brown's).
4. All subtest, factor, and index scores must be provided for all measures reported. Additionally, the classification ranges associated with these scores should be noted (e.g. borderline, average, high average).
5. The report must include a specific diagnosis that corresponds to a diagnosis in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - IV (DSM-IV). Vague terms such as "may have," "seems to have," or "suggests" are not acceptable as diagnostic.
6. The evaluation report should include an interpretative summary that includes:

• An indication that alternative explanations for the student's presenting symptoms have been ruled out.
• A description of the functional limitations caused by the ADHD/ADD on the student's current participation in College programs, courses, and other activities of the College.
• Severity of the disability: Mild, moderate, severe.
• Indication of whether the student was evaluated while on medication and its potential ameliorative effects.
• Recommendations for necessary and appropriate accommodations to equalize the student's educational opportunities at Occidental College.

Last updated: April 12, 2012