Documentation Guidelines

Documentation is required by Middlesex County College to establish and support the need for reasonable accommodations and academic accommodations. All documentation is reviewed on a case by case basis. Disability Services utilizes documentation in conjunction with a personal intake interview to clarify and understand the disability and true impact on an individual’s academic life. The College may deny an accommodation, academic adjustment or request for assistive technology, if the modification fundamentally alters an academic program. The purpose of requesting documentation is to establish protection from discrimination. Please be advised that at all times the College reserves the right to request additional documentation. All documentation is considered confidential material and is secured in locked file cabinets with limited access only by professionals who have a need to know. Students should make a copy of their own records prior to submitting them to MCC. The College keeps documentation for 5 years after a student graduates or leaves the institution. Also, the College does not do any diagnostic work for students and all students requesting accommodations and services are responsible for providing appropriate and timely documentation.

Documentation should include the following:

• All documentation should be current and tested according to adult norms. A diagnostic statement should identify the specific disability.
• A description of diagnostic tests and or criteria used should be provided. Test results and a narrative should also be included.
• Credentials of diagnosing physician, psychologist, learning specialist, audiologist or professional should be clearly stated.
• The documentation needs to show the functional impact of the disability on learning or other major life activity and the degree to which it impacts the individual.
• Statement indicating medications, treatments, or any Assistive Technology devices currently prescribed or used should be included.
• Descriptions of any accommodations used at the secondary or post-secondary level.
• IEP’s or 504 plans may be useful but are not, in and of themselves sufficient documentation to establish the need for accommodations.

Guidelines for Specific Disabilities:

Below please find additional information for several frequently identified disability groups. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, however, and there are other disabilities that may not have been included here.

Learning Disability:

Students with a learning disability are required to provide a comprehensive psychological and educational evaluation. Testing should be comprehensive and include current measures of aptitude and cognitive ability (e.g. WAIS-R) and achievement (e.g. Woodcock Johnson ) with current levels of functioning in reading, math and written language) and information processing deficits. A qualified professional must conduct the evaluation and include all standard scores, sub-test scores and percentiles using age based norms. Please note that grade equivalents are not acceptable. A diagnosis must be present and not individual learning styles, learning differences, academic problems or test anxiety, which by themselves would not be considered cognitive disabilities for which accommodations are appropriate. The assessment report should include recommended academic accommodations. A neuropsychological assessment is also acceptable.

Attention Deficit Disorder (AD/HD)

Students with Attention Deficit Disorder are required to submit documentation that substantiates a diagnosis of AD/HD. Documentation should include evidence of impairment, relevant testing information and a summary which included recommended academic accommodations by a qualified professional.

Psychological Disability

Students with a psychological disability are required to submit documentation by licensed mental health professional that includes a clear statement of the disability including the DSM-IV diagnosis, summary of present symptoms and how they impact on a student’s ability to learn in an educational setting. The material should also include recommendations for academic accommodations. Medical information relating to medications prescribed and their impact on student’s ability to learn should also be included. Given the nature of psychological disorders, students may be asked to provide updated information every six months.

Physical/Medical Disabilities

Students with physical and medical disabilities are required to submit documentation from physicians or medical specialists with an expertise in the area for which accommodations are being requested. Documentation should include a clear statement of the diagnosis, the impact the disability has on a student’s ability to function in an academic setting and recommended accommodations.