Unsure of what documentation is needed when applying for accommodations? This guidance is a great place to start!

 

Documentation is required for consideration of academic, housing, dining, foreign language and/or temporary  accommodations. Documentation must verify the nature of the disability and the disability-related barriers (functional limitations) and address the need for student's specific accommodation requests. 

DSS will assess all requests on a case-by-case basis in accordance with professional standards.  It is important that DSS be provided with quality, comprehensive documentation to efficiently manage the accommodation request.  This positions DSS to be in an informed place to move forward to an interactive process meeting with the student to discuss the accessibility request with the understanding of the access barriers. While much context is gathered from the student's narrative during their structured interview, each request for a disability-related accommodation must be supported by documentation.

 

Essential Elements of Comprehensive Disability Documentation include:

  • A diagnosis of a chronic health condition or a disability protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
  • A comprehensive narrative which identifies and describes the disability and any presentation of symptoms.  Documentation that does not reflect the student’s current state of health, current challenges or limitations, will require updates.    
  • A description of the functional limitations, challenges, or impacts of the condition as relevant to the academic experience, the on-campus living environment, or participation in the campus dining program.
  • Details of any current treatment plan, including medications and therapeutic support, assistive devices, and expected progression or stability of the disability.
  • A list of all diagnostic assessments used in the evaluation report and relevant subtest scores used to document the stated disability or condition.   
  • Be typed or printed on official letterhead and be signed by an evaluator qualified to make the diagnosis, with their credentials. Our Clinical Care Provider Form may also be used by any treating clinician(s); this form asks targeted questions that help provide DSS with the necessary context about the student’s disability or condition. 

What Determines a Qualified Provider? We are glad you asked!

  • A provider should have sufficient professional knowledge of the student’s condition(s), including familiarity with the history, functional limitations, and current impact on major life activities. 
  • A provider should have an established or ongoing treatment relationship. Documentation from a provider based solely on a limited or one-time contact may not provide sufficient information to determine the existence of a disability or need for accommodations.
  • A provider must have comprehensive training and experience in the relevant specialty and hold appropriate licensure and/or certification.
  • A provider cannot be a family member, relative, or someone with a primarily personal relationship with the student or student's family.
  • Providers may be members of a student’s high school Child Study Team who have conducted assessments and completed a comprehensive report of findings.

Please Note: The role of the provider is to provide context about the student’s disability or condition. While they may offer specific recommendations for accommodations, the evaluation of the request will ultimately be determined by DSS through an Interactive Process Meeting with the student.

 

Ready to submit? Check our Go for Green and Review for Red list first!

✅ A completed copy of the Clinical Care Provider Form and/or a comprehensive letter or report on official letterhead (letter must include all information requested on the Clinician Form). 

✅Prior evaluations completed by a school district Child Study Team or private provider (e.g. neuropsychological assessment), preferably conducted while the student was in high school using adult-normed assessments.

✅An IEP from high school is sufficient if: (1) it clearly includes a determination of specific learning disability with supporting data from assessments; (2) it reflects the status of the student's current functional limitations; and (3) it is within the last two-three years of high school. 

✅ Documentation should be submitted via the Accommodate Portal (link it).

✅ Documents should be submitted as PDFs.

✅ Any multi-page document should be submitted as one documentation file.

🛑A short narrative statement from a provider is not comprehensive documentation.

🛑Medical records indicating only a diagnosis of the condition(s), with no additional information of current disability impacts is not comprehensive documentation. Evidence of a diagnosis alone does not meet the standard of a disabling condition, with few exceptions (e.g. physical impairments).

🛑A 504 Plan or an accommodations letter from a previous educational institution can be shared to establish disability accommodation history, but will not be sufficient alone to determine accommodation eligibility.

🛑DSS will not accept images/screen shots as submitted documentation.


Would you like more specific guidance tailored to your condition?  Click below!

  • ADHD

    • A letter or a Clinical Care Provider Form offered by DSS.
    • The results of a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. 
    • History of accommodations used in past educational experiences (IEP, 504 Plan, Letter of Accommodations).

  • Autism Spectrum Disorders

    • A letter or a Clinical Care Provider Form offered by DSS.
    • The results of a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. 
    • History of accommodations used in past educational experiences (IEP, 504 Plan, Letter of Accommodations).

  • Chronic Health Condition

    • A letter or medical history report within the last 12 months or a Clinical Care Provider Form offered by DSS.

  • Learning Disability

    • The results of a comprehensive neuropsychological or psychoeducational evaluation, preferably within the last two-three years of high school or more recent, using adult-normed versions of assessments, completed by either a private evaluator or a Child Study Team.
    • An IEP as previously described.
    • History of accommodations used in past educational experiences (IEP, 504 Plan, Letter of Accommodations).

  • Mobility, Hearing, Speech, or Visual Impairment

    • A letter or medical history report or a Clinical Care Provider Form offered by DSS.
    • Any specialized diagnostic testing pertaining to the impairment.

  • Psychological Disability

    • A letter or assessment report within the past 12 months from a mental health professional or a Clinical Care Provider Form offered by DSS.

  • Traumatic Brain Injury

    • Evaluation from a rehabilitation counselor, neuropsychologist, or relevant specialist.
    • Assessment of cognitive abilities (memory, processing speed), academic impact, and treatment history.

 

For those that are seeking other accommodations, please see the appropriate pages:

 

Updated June 2026