Guidelines for Documentation of a Specific Learning Disability

Students who are seeking support services from Boston College on the basis of a diagnosed specific learning disability are required to submit documentation to verify eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.  The following guidelines are provided to ensure that documentation is appropriate to verify eligibility and support requests for reasonable accommodations.

  1. Testing must be current
    Specifically this means that the testing must be conducted within the last four years.  Because the provision of all reasonable accommodations and services is based upon assessment of the current impact of the student's disabilities on his/her academic performance, it is in the student's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation.
  2. Testing must be comprehensive
    Testing must reflect the student's present levels of aptitude, achievement and information processing. Tests used must be technically sound (i.e. statistically reliable and valid) and standardized for use with an adult population. Actual test scores must be provided. Standard scores and/or percentiles are acceptable. It is not acceptable to administer only one test for the purpose of diagnosis.
  3. Qualifications of Evaluator
    Trained and certified learning disability specialists and/or licensed psychologists may conduct the assessment. Diagnostic reports must include the names, title, and professional credentials of the evaluators, as well as the date(s) of the testing.
  4. Specific LD must be diagnosed
    There must be clear and specific evidence of a learning disability. "Individual learning styles" and "learning differences" in and of themselves do not constitute a learning disability.
  5. Educational Recommendations
    Educational recommendations regarding the impact of the disability and accommodations recommended at the post-secondary level must be included.
  6. Additional Documentations for Undergraduate Students (if applicable):
    1. Proof of high school accommodation(s):  504 / IEP / Other
    2. Proof of standardized testing accommodation (s):  College Board / ACT
    3. For transfer students: proof of accommodation(s) from previous institution.
  7. Additional Documentations for Graduate Students (if applicable):
    1. Along with documentation, we will need a letter of verification of accommodations from your previous institution.

 

Guidelines for Documentation of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Documentation from the psychiatrist, psychologist or clinician who made the diagnosis must be no older than four years and provide information regarding the onset, longevity, and severity of the symptoms, as well as the specifics of describing how it has interfered with educational achievement. 

To receive accommodations on the basis of ADHD, an assessment that measures the student’s current functional impact of ADHD on learning and/or testing is required. The assessment might include measures in the areas of attention, learning, intellect, achievement, processing speed, fluency, executive functioning, language and memory. Some formal measures are required.

A complete psycho-educational or neuropsychological assessment is often recommended for determining the degree to which the ADHD currently impacts functioning relative to taking standardized tests. 

 

  1. Additional Documentations for Undergraduate Students (if applicable):
    1. Proof of high school accommodation(s):  504 / IEP / Other
    2. Proof of standardized testing accommodation (s):  College Board / ACT
    3. For transfer students: proof of accommodation(s) from previous institution.
  2. Additional Documentations for Graduate Students (if applicable):
    1. Along with documentation, we will need a letter of verification of accommodations from your previous institution.

 

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