Why Documentation Matters:

• Required to verify a diagnosis and approve accommodations.

• Each institution sets its own requirements.

Strong documentation helps avoid delays in receiving support.

Core Elements of Strong Documentation

Clear Diagnosis

• Specific, current condition identified.

How Diagnosis Was Made

• Testing tools, assessments, or evaluation methods used.

Functional Limitations

• How the condition impacts academics.

• Severity and whether it is ongoing or episodic.

Recommended Accommodations

• Direct link between limitations and accommodations needed.

Additional Details That Help

• Evaluator’s credentials and qualifications.

• Relevant educational history.

• Current medications (if applicable).

• Timeline of diagnosis (e.g., adolescent vs. adult measures for SLD).

Tip:
Many colleges provide their own disability verification form.

• Completed by your treating clinician.

• Submitted directly to the school’s disability services office.

The following terms are frequently encountered in conversations about academic and housing accommodations within higher education. Understanding them can help students, families, and educators navigate the accommodation process more effectively.

Accommodation: In higher education, academic accommodations are modifications to the learning environment or academic tasks designed to provide students with disabilities equal access to educational opportunities. These adjustments do not change the core objectives or essential requirements of a course or program. Instead, they help remove barriers that may hinder a student’s ability to fully demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and potential.

Alternate format: Alternative formats are ways to present information that make content easier to access for people with disabilities. These formats are used in both print and electronic documents, benefiting students with a number of different diagnoses.

Assistive technology: Refers to any device, equipment, or software specifically designed to reduce functional limitations and enhance the abilities of individuals with disabilities.

Disability: Any condition that impacts or limits an individual’s ability to participate in daily life activities. In the K–12 environment, terms such as Individualized Education Plan (IEP), 504 Plan, or Learning Profile are commonly used. However, in higher education settings, the term disability is typically used to refer to these types of diagnosed conditions.

At Rising Tide Educators, we view the term disability not as a label, but as a valuable framework for identifying and implementing meaningful, individualized support structures that promote student success.

Documentation: Refers to the written verification of a disability or diagnosis provided by a licensed treating professional or qualified evaluator with no relation to the student. Most institutions require this documentation in order to determine eligibility for accommodations. Some institutions provide specific forms for healthcare providers to complete, while others accept comprehensive documentation prepared independently by the provider.

Functional impairment/limitation: Functional limitations refer to the specific challenges a student experiences in performing daily academic tasks as a result of a disability. It is not solely the presence of a diagnosis that determines eligibility for accommodations, but rather how that condition affects the student’s ability to learn and participate in the college environment. These limitations must be clearly supported in the documentation.

Provider: Refers to the licensed healthcare or mental health professional responsible for diagnosing or treating the student’s condition. The provider must be an objective third party and cannot be a relative of the student.

Rationale: The accommodation must address a barrier that is a direct result of the individual's disability.

Reasonable accommodation: A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a course, program, service, or activity that allows a qualified student with a disability to participate in and benefit from educational opportunities on an equal basis. Importantly, accommodations must not fundamentally alter the essential nature of a course or program, nor impose an undue hardship on the institution providing them.