Guidelines for Documentation of Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)

To qualify for services, a student must provide documentation of diagnosed ADD/ADHD. The guidelines that follow are provided in the interest of assuring that documentation of ADHD demonstrates an impact on a major life activity and supports the request for reasonable accommodations. The Office of Disability Services (ODS) staff is available to consult with students or diagnosticians regarding the following guidelines:

According to DSM-IV, "the essential feature of ADHD is a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development" (p.78). Documentation of ADHD should include historical evidence of the condition, evidence of current impairment, neuropsychological or psychoeducational assessment, and the absence of alternative diagnoses. Staff at ODS are available to consult with diagnosticians regarding the following guidelines:

• Assessments must be conducted by qualified professionals trained in differential diagnosis and the full range of psychiatric disorders. Comprehensive training and experience with an adolescent and adult ADHD population are critical. The following professionals would generally be considered qualified to evaluate and diagnose ADHD: clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, and other relevantly trained medical doctors. Reports must include names and professional credentials of the evaluators, and be on letterhead, typed, dated, and signed.

• Documentation should be current (within 3 years) because the determination of reasonable accommodations is based upon the current impact of the disability on academic performance. Additionally, changes in use of medication may affect the student's current limitations. Exceptions may be considered if the past assessment is applicable to the current setting.

• Documentation must include evidence of early impairment and the disability manifested in a variety of settings. Such evidence may be gathered in the form of academic transcripts, teacher and tutor reports, and past psychoeducational testing.

• A diagnostic interview should include information from the student as well as third party sources and should address developmental history, family history, thorough academic history, relevant medical and medication history, relevant psychosocial history, relevant employment history, and current functional limitations in an educational setting.

• Alternative medical and psychiatric disorders as well as educational and cultural factors that may impact the student's behaviors must be ruled out or considered as co-existing disorders.

• Neuropsychological or psychoeducational assessment should be included to assess the current impact of the disability on the student's academic functioning. However, test scores and subtest scores, memory functions tests, continuous performance tests, or attention or tracking tests should not be used to diagnose ADHD in and of themselves. All tests referenced must include dates of testing.

• DSM-IV criteria for ADHD should be discussed, and symptoms that are present should be specified.

• The report must include a specific diagnosis of ADD/ADHD supported by a discussion of the substantial limitation(s) to learning caused by the disability.

• Current functional limitations in an academic setting and specific correlated recommendations for accommodations must also be included.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list or to restrict assessment in other pertinent areas. Acceptable alternative evaluations may be determined by the ODS.

Students seeking qualified professionals for assessments for ADHD may find referral sources from disability services staff at a college or university, or from a physician. ODS staff at KSC are available to assist with selection criteria for a qualified professional.

ALL DOCUMENTATION IS CONFIDENTIAL AND SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO:

Jane Warner
Coordinator
Office of Disability Services
Keene State College
229 Main Street
Keene, NH 03435-2609

or faxed to a confidential line at 603-358-2313.