Psychiatric/ Psychological Disability

Documentation submitted as evidence of a medical disability or physical disability must be current (within 3 years). All documentation must be provided by a professional who is qualified and appropriately licensed to diagnose such disorders. Appropriate professionals can complete the Disability Documentation Form , the Verification for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Form, and/or send supplementary documentation including the following information:

1. Documentation supporting a psychological/psychiatric disability should include a specific diagnosis based upon established clinical criteria (e.g., most current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Further, an indication of the student's current symptoms supporting this diagnosis and the degree of impairment caused by this disorder should be reported.

2. 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.

3. The methods utilized to determine the diagnosis should be reported (e.g. clinical interview).

4. Recommendations for accommodations should be included.

5. 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.