Guidelines for Documentation of a Learning Disability
Students applying to NIU and enrolled students requesting support services and/or accommodations from CAAR are required to submit documentation to verify eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This documentation should be current within three years, but exceptions may be necessary dependent upon individual circumstances and disability.
Diagnostician / Evaluator Qualifications
The assessment and diagnosis of specific learning disabilities must be conducted by a qualified professional who has comprehensive training and direct experience with an adolescent and adult LD population. A qualified professional is a trained and certified and/or licensed psychologist, learning disabilities specialist/diagnostician, or educational therapist. This type of evaluation can be done by appropriate public school personnel and/or individuals in private practice. It is not considered appropriate for professionals to evaluate members of their families.
Diagnosis / Verification of the Learning Disability
The assessment report must contain a diagnosis of specific LD (i.e. DSM-4). Nonspecific diagnoses (i.e. learning styles, learning differences, academic problems, slow reader, and test anxiety) in and of themselves do not constitute a learning disability. The report should use direct language in the diagnosis with support of specific test results or clinical observations, and provide a need for services based on current levels of functioning in an educational setting. A school plan such as an individualized education program (IEP) or a 504 Plan alone is insufficient documentation, but can be included as part of a more comprehensive documentation file.
Comprehensive Assessment Battery and the Resulting Diagnostic Report:
- Evaluator Information: Name, signature, license number (if applicable), title, address, and phone of the evaluator/s
- Evaluation Date/s: Dates of testing; the evaluation must have been completed within the previous three years.
- Tests Administered and Scores: Names and specific scores of diagnostic instruments used in making the diagnosis.
- Diagnostic Interview: A summary of relevant information regarding the student's academic history and learning processes.
- Assessment Battery: A comprehensive battery should include:
- Aptitude/Cognitive Testing: Intellectual ability with all sub-tests and standard scores.
- Academic Achievement Testing: Comprehensive achievement in reading, mathematics and oral and written language skills reported in both grade level and standard scores.
- Information Processing Testing: Ability scores in short and long term memory, auditory and visual processing, processing speed, and reasoning skills.
- Clinical Summary: Indicate how evaluator has ruled out alternative explanations for academic problems, how assessment score patterns reflect presence of LD, how LD constitutes a substantial limitation to learning or other major life activity, degree to which learning is impacted by the LD, rationale for specific accommodations needed.
- Recommendation: Specific suggestions for reasonable academic-related accommodations based on diagnostic evaluation results and supported by the diagnosis.
Diagnostic Testing Guidelines
- Current Information: Diagnostic assessment and/or re-evaluation should be current within three years (particularly achievement testing).
- Comprehensive Battery: A battery of more than one test and/or sub-tests within a diagnostic testing instrument.
- Aptitude/Cognitive Ability Measurement: At least one instrument to measure aptitude or cognitive ability. This should be a complete intellectual assessment with all sub-tests and standard scores reported.
- Academic Achievement Measurement: At least one measure of current achievement in each of the basic skill areas of Reading, Written Language, and Math.
- Information Processing Measurement: Specific areas of information processing (e.g., short and long term memory, sequential memory, auditory and visual perception/processing, processing speed, executive functioning/fluid reasoning, and motor ability) should be assessed.
Suggested Diagnostic Evaluation Instruments
The following list is not intended to be all-inclusive or to limit assessment in other areas that may be pertinent to the individual, such as vocational interests and aptitude, etc. The instruments listed below are routinely used and generally widely accepted by professionals qualified in administering and interpreting such diagnostic evaluations. These guidelines are meant to provide specific information with respect to the minimum areas that should be assessed in order to verify the diagnosis and to determine appropriate academic accommodations.
Aptitude/Cognitive Ability Assessment Instruments
- Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery--III (WJ-III): Tests of Cognitive Ability is the preferred instrument. A report of the results, scored according to norms based on grade, is most appropriate for post-secondary students. Specific grade equivalent scores, standard scores, and SD Difference scores for each test and test cluster administered, and/or a copy of the "Compuscore" computer printout to accompany the diagnostic report, would be acceptable and useful information.
- Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-- Revised (WJ-R): Tests of Cognitive Ability is also a preferred older instrument. A report of the results, scored according to norms based on grade, is most appropriate for post-secondary students. Specific grade equivalent scores, standard scores, and SD Difference scores for each test and test cluster administered, and/or a copy of the "Compuscore" computer printout to accompany the diagnostic report, would be acceptable and useful information.
* Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale- 3 (WAIS-3) is also a preferred instrument. Verbal IQ, Performance IQ, Full Scale IQ, and all sub-test scores should be included.
- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) is also a preferred older instrument. Verbal IQ, Performance IQ, Full Scale IQ, and all sub-test scores should be included.
- Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (4th ed.)
- Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test
Academic Achievement Assessment Instruments
- Woodcock-Johnson Psycho educational Battery - Revised or III: Tests of Achievement
- Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)
- Scholastic Abilities Test for Adults (SATA)
- Stanford Test of Academic skills
- Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests - Revised
- Nelson Denny Reading Test
- Test of Written Language - 3 (TOWL-3)
- Stanford Diagnostic Mathematics Test
Information Processing Assessment Instruments:
- Woodcock-Johnson Psycho educational Battery - III : Tests of Cognitive Ability
- WAIS-3 Subtests
- WAIS-R Subtests
- Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude - 3 (DTLA-3)
- Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude - Adult (DTLA-A)
All documentation is confidential and should be sent to:
Center for Access-Ability Resources
Health Services - Fourth Floor
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115
