Documentation Guidelines for ADD/ADHD

Supporting documentation from an appropriate licensed medical and/or educational professional is required in order to substantiate an individual’s request for an accommodation. This individual must have the necessary qualifications to accurately and properly diagnose the disability. The information required to support the accommodation request may vary depending on the nature of the disability. This information should be dated within the past 18 months, though there may be times when the College can accept older documentation based on an individual’s specific circumstances.

The report should be printed on professional letterhead and may not be written by an immediate family member of the individual. The report should be sent to the Office of Accessibility Services via a HIPAA compliant electronic platform, such as Zendto, or mailed directly to William Jewell College, Attn: Office of Accessibility Services, 500 College Hill, Liberty, MO 64068.

Diagnostic Report

The report should contain the following information:

  • DSM-5 diagnosis
  • Procedures used to diagnose the disability (include a list of all instruments used in the assessment)
  • Diagnostic interview addressing relevant historical information, past academic achievement, age of initial diagnosis, discussion of medication, history and effectiveness of accommodations in past educational settings.
  • Discussion of testing results and behavior, including the symptoms that meet the diagnostic criteria. If the student was evaluated while on medication, please indicate the effect this may have had on performance.
  • Diagnostic summary statement that includes the following information:
    • Clear and direct statement that ADHD does or does not exist, including a rule out of alternative explanations for behaviors.
    • Clear statement specifying the substantial limitations to one or more major life activities and the degree of severity.
    • Recommendation regarding medications
    • Recommendations for accommodations, including rationale for the accommodations.

Further assessment and/or documentation by an appropriate professional may be required if there are co-existing disabilities indicated. If learning, attentional, or physical disorders are involved, please refer to the documentation guidelines for those specific disabilities.