Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City

POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Documentation Guidelines

Documentation will be reviewed on an individual, case-by-case basis. Determination of accommodations is an interactive process that includes diagnostic information, your self-report and the service provider's professional judgment.

Accommodations are based on the functional impact of your condition and its likely interaction with the environment (course assignments, program requirements, physical design, etc.). Recommendations may vary from individual to individual and from environment to environment even for those with the same disability diagnosis.

What to include:

Ideally, your documentation should encompass AHEAD's Seven Essential Elements.

Briefly:

• The best documentation is provided by a licensed professional.
• Quality documentation contains a clear statement that describes how a diagnosis was made, provides information on the functional impact of the disability and details the prognosis.
• Comprehensive documentation may include both formal and informal methods of evaluation. Formal, standardized assessment may include diagnostic criteria, methods and procedures used, tests and dates of administration and a clinical narrative. Informal methods should explain their role in the diagnostic process (i.e., history of accommodations, educational situations and extent of the disability's impact).
• Information on how learning is currently affected is important in establishing learning disability and the need for specific accommodations. The most recent diagnostic information available should be provided.
• Documentation should provide information on any expected or cyclical changes in the functional impact of the disability over time and context and any known or suspected environmental impacts.
• Comprehensive documentation includes a description of both current and past auxiliary aids, assistive devices, support services and accommodations, including their effectiveness in the educational setting.
• Recommendations from professionals with a history of working with you are often useful.

Specific guidelines:

Learning disability

• Diagnosis by a qualified professional (e.g., licensed psychologist)
• Assessment information, generally including:
  • Diagnostic interview
  • Aptitude/achievement testing - typically WAIS-III and WJ-R (adult-normed testing preferred)
  • Specific diagnosis
  • Clinical summary indicating substantial limitations to learning or other major life activities
  • Current IEP/records of prior accommodations used and rationale for using them.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

• Current diagnosis by a qualified professional (i.e. licensed psychologist)
• Information regarding tests and assessments used to make the diagnosis, including any test scores used
• Current medication and/or treatment plan, if any
• Suggestions for educational accommodations (should be supported by the diagnosis).

Brain injury

• A current statement of residual symptoms/limitations caused by the brain injury
• A current neuropsychological report or summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis
• Medical information to be considered in a college environment, including medication needs
• Suggestions for reasonable accommodations (should be supported by the diagnosis).

Blind and low-vision disability

• A current diagnosis of visual impairment including acuity, prognosis, and prescription of corrective and/or low vision aids
• A summary of present functioning (include prognosis if vision loss is progressive)
• Suggestions for reasonable accommodations supported by the diagnosis.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing disability

• A current audiology report
• A summary of present functioning
• Suggestions for reasonable accommodations (should be supported by the diagnosis).

Physical/orthopedic/health disabilities

• Doctor's verification and diagnosis
• Relevant medical history stating functional limitation(s)
• Current medications, including side effects that may affect educational performance
• A description of present symptoms, fluctuating conditions/symptoms and prognosis
• Suggestions of reasonable accommodations supported by the diagnosis
• A description of personal care concerns, if applicable.

Psychiatric disabilities

• A current statement of the DSM-IV diagnosis, including pertinent history, from a qualified professional (i.e. psychiatrist/psychologist)
• A description of current symptoms, fluctuating conditions/symptoms and prognosis
• A summary of assessment procedures used to make the diagnosis
• Current medications, including side effects that may affect educational performance
• Suggestions of reasonable accommodations (should be supported by the diagnosis).

Temporary disabilities

• Doctor's verification and diagnosis
• A description of present symptoms, fluctuating conditions/symptoms and prognosis
• Suggestions of reasonable accommodations and length of time they will be needed.

Accommodation procedures

Your responsibilities

1. You must meet eligibility criteria as defined under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Refer to our disability documentation guidelines for more information.
2. You must self-identify to an Access professional.

   This must be made in a timely manner in order to allow MCC sufficient time to plan and provide the accommodations. Some accommodations, such as alternative formats and in-class readers and scribes, can take several weeks or longer to arrange. If you are eligible, but do not self-identify, you are not entitled to services.

3. You must provide documentation of the disability from a qualified professional.
4. You and an Access professional will plan accommodations.

   All accommodations agreed upon must be supported by the information or data in the documentation and must address your disability needs.

5. You have the responsibility to provide each instructor with the notification memo.

   You and your instructor should meet to discuss how the accommodations are to be addressed. Accommodations are not retroactive and will begin when the instructor receives the instructor notification memo. Any concerns or suggested changes should be directed to an Access office.

6. You have the responsibility to communicate any concerns about accommodations to the instructor or an Access office professional.

   You may request accommodations be added, adjusted or eliminated based upon your personal experiences in academic course work or changes in documented needs.

7. You have the right to file a grievance if you believe there has been discrimination on the basis of disability.

You may file a grievance internally with the designated site ADA coordinator or externally with the Office of Civil Rights.

Our responsibilities

1. Our responsibility is to assure your documentation is relevant and from a qualified professional.

   If not, we can require you to secure additional documentation at your own expense. We will keep your documentation in a separate file in adherence to FERPA.

2. We will work with you and the faculty to implement appropriate accommodations.

   We will coordinate the provision of those accommodations at no cost to you. If you have a request for a specific academic adjustment, MCC may offer that or an alternative one if that would also be effective.

3. We will support you in developing advocacy skills.

   It is our goal that you become your own advocate. We recognize this is a skill that may need to be taught. We are available for support, clarification and general consultation.

Grievance Procedure

Students are encouraged to discuss disability-related concerns with Access Office staff. The Access Office will attempt to resolve issues by assisting the student in discussing concerns with the faculty member, department, or program; participating in such discussions; or calling the faculty member and/or head of the department in an effort to clarify and resolve issues. Most situations are positively resolved through this process.

If a satisfactory resolution is still not reached, information about MCC’s grievance procedure can be found at http://web.mcckc.edu/asp/infoex/prp/files/730030BP.pdf

If the complaint is not resolved at the college level, a student may choose to file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights at http://www.ed.gov/ocr/.