All documentation submitted as evidence of a psychological/psychiatric disability must be current. All documentation must be provided by a professional who is qualified and appropriately licensed to diagnose such disorders.
- Documentation supporting a psychological/psychiatric disability should include a specific diagnosis based upon established clinical criteria (e.g., Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th Edition). Further, an indication of the student's current symptoms supporting this diagnosis and the degree of impairment caused by this disorder should be reported.
- Documentation should include any pertinent history related to the disorder and information that describes how the disorder currently impacts academic performance and causes significant impairment in academic functioning.
- The methods utilized to determine the diagnosis should be reported (e.g. clinical interview).
- Recommendations for accommodations should be included.
- Documentation should include information regarding prognosis for improvement and the timeline for re-evaluation. Due to the transitory nature of many psychological/psychiatric disabilities, annual re-evaluations are usually required.
Last updated July 17, 2013