| Students requesting accommodations or other support services from Lafayette College are required to submit documentation to verify eligibility for protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1992 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The provision of reasonable accommodations and services is based upon assessment of the current impact of the student’s disorder on a major life activity, such as learning. Because symptoms of ADHD can ameliorate in late adolescence and adulthood, a comprehensive evaluation must have been obtained within the last three years. The diagnostic report must render a specific diagnosis of ADHD based on DSM-IV criteria, and must include the following information in order to establish eligibility for ADA protection:
Evidence of Early Impairment
Because ADHD is, by definition, a developmental disorder with onset in childhood that manifests itself in more than one setting and that maintains a chronic rather than episodic course, the report must present historical information regarding behavioral patterns and academic performance.
Evidence of Current Impairment
Diagnostic assessment must consist of more than a self-report of symptoms; observations from an independent adult should verify the presence of at least six major behaviors. For individuals 18 years of age or older, the following symptoms, in addition to those set forth by DSM-IV, qualify as major behaviors:
- Trouble directing and sustaining attention in conversations, lectures, reading, driving
- Difficulty persisting with and completing projects
- Easily overwhelmed by tasks of daily living, such as managing money, paying bills on time
- Trouble maintaining an organized living/working place.
- Inconsistent work performance
- Lacks attention to detail
- Makes decisions impulsively and does not anticipate consequences
- Impulsivity reflected in frequent moves, job changes, quitting of jobs
- Difficulty delaying gratification, seeks out excessive stimulation
- Restless, fidgety
- Makes statements or comments without considering their impact
- Impatient, easily frustrated
- Multiple traffic violations such as speeding, running stop signs
Differential Diagnosis
Diagnostic assessment must examine the possibility of alternative explanations of symptoms, including medical, psychiatric, educational, and/or cultural factors that impact the individual and may result in behaviors that mimic ADHD. The possibility of comorbid diagnoses must also be explored.
Diagnostic Test Battery and Determination of Severity
Scores from a single test or rating scale will not be considered sufficient to document a diagnosis of ADHD. Report of any standardized tests or rating scales administered in a diagnostic evaluation must include quantitative information, including standard scores and percentile ranks. Age and grade-equivalents alone are insufficient.
- Results of a norms-referenced, individually administered, comprehensive intelligence test such as:
- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, 3rd Edition (WAIS-III)
- Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test (KAIT)
- Stanford-Binet, Fourth Edition (SB4)
- Woodcock-Johnson III, Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ III Cog)
- Results of an age-normed, individually administered, comprehensive achievement test such as:
- Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)
- Woodcock-Johnson III, Tests of Achievement (WJ III Ach)
Or a set of specific achievement tests such as:
-
- Stanford Diagnostic Mathematics Test
- Test of Written Language 3 (TOWL 3)
- Nelson-Denny Reading Test
All standard scores and percentile ranks must be provided; age- and grade-equivalents alone are insufficient.
Recommended Accommodations
Any recommendations for specific accommodations must be based on significant functional limitations and must be supported by the diagnostic assessment. Final determination of accommodations will be the responsibility of the Office of the Dean of Studies.
Professional Credentials of the Clinician
Professionals conducting assessments and rendering diagnoses of ADHD must have training in differential diagnosis and the full range of psychiatric disorders. Generally, the following professionals would be considered qualified to evaluate and diagnosis ADHD: licensed clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, and other relevantly trained medical doctors. The report must be typed on official letterhead, and must include the name, title, professional credentials, address and phone/fax numbers of the evaluator.
Requests for support services should be forwarded to Dr. Erica D’Agostino, Director of Disability Services, 312 Scott Hall. |
