Documenting a Learning Disability

A Qualified Evaluator. Professionals conducting assessments, diagnosing learning disabilities, and making recommendations for appropriate academic accommodations must be qualified to administer the required comprehensive test battery and be licensed to diagnose learning disorders as defined by DSM guidelines. Appropriate training and direct experience with adolescents and/or adults with learning disabilities (LD), as well as those of culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds, are essential. The documentation must meet the following criteria:
- Include evaluator's name, title, professional credentials, license and/or certification number
- be presented on the professional's letterhead, typed, dated, signed, and legible
- the evaluator may not be a family member.
Current Documentation. The impact of a learning disability on an individual changes over time. To determine the most appropriate accommodations, it is important for documentation to be current — preferably within the past three (3) years.
A Comprehensive Evaluation. The LD evaluation must contain:
- A discussion of:
  - relevant developmental, psychosocial, employment, family, and medical history
  - an academic history with a history of LD-related accommodation
  - cultural and linguistic background and level of English-language fluency
  - co-morbidity or alternate disorder which may mimic or exacerbate symptoms of LD
- an individually administered Aptitude Test battery (Intelligence or Cognitive tests) with all subtests included. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - 4th Edition (WAIS-IV) is preferred.
  An Achievement Test battery, also called an academic achievement battery. The Woodcock Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery: Tests of Achievement is preferred. The Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) is not comprehensive and is not acceptable as the sole measure of achievement. Achievement tests must show current academic functioning in:
  - reading — decoding and comprehension of long passages typical of college texts
  - mathematics — applied word problems and calculations, specifically algebra problems,
  - written language skills — spelling and written expression
- an Information Processing battery, such as the Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude (DTLA) of subtests from the WAIS-IV. These assessments must describe strengths, weaknesses, and deficits in:
  - visual-spatial abilities
  - memory (auditory and visual; short-term and long-term)
  - executive functions including, processing speed, attention, and auditory processing
- a clear unequivocal diagnosis of a learning disability based on DSM criteria with diagnostic code and discussions of ruling out alternate explanations and co-morbid diagnoses
- an interpretation of test scores leading to the diagnosis
- a description of the current treatments used to ameliorate the impact of the LD
- a description of the current functional limitations of the individual in an academic environment — the ways that diagnosed LD currently substantially limits the student's learning
- Appropriate and specific recommendations for an academic environment including:
  - Detailed explanation as to why each accommodation I recommended must be provided
  - Correlation to functional limitations previously described
- a presentation of all test scores including all raw, broad, standard scores, and percentile ranks
Supporting Documentation. While required, the report of the qualified evaluator is by no means the only documentation we can use to better understand and accommodate the student with a LD. Other helpful documents are:
- records of accommodation on standardized tests such as SAT or ACT,
- high school 504 plans or IEPs,
- previous psycho-educational evaluations, report cards, transcripts, and teacher, tutor, or employer reports. Disability Support Services (DSS) reserves the right to access student transcripts (e.g. classes taken and grades earned as MSU Texas) for evaluation purposes.