Documentation Guidelines for Physical Disabilities
Physical Disabilities are grouped into five categories according to the affected organ or body system:
- Neurological
- Musculoskeletal
- Visual
- Auditory
- Miscellaneous (diabetes, asthma, Crohn’s disease, etc.)
Functional impairment may include mobility, manual dexterity, information retrieval, communication, and endurance.
Documentation for a physical disability must be on letterhead from a qualified professional and/or treating physician, who has NO personal relationship with the individual being evaluated, and must have been written within the past 12 months. Documentation should include:
- History of the disorder including onset, severity, consistency, and pervasiveness
- Diagnosis of the disability
- Listing and results of tests used to support current diagnosis
- A description of the current functional limitations presented by the student in an academic environment (may include mobility, manual dexterity, information retrieval, communication, and endurance
- Medications (if any) currently prescribed and/or used to treat the disability, with potential side effects of the medication
- Recommendations for academic accommodations thought to aid the student in compensation, including assistive devices and/or adaptive technology, and why recommended
- Signature of the qualified professional/treating physician including professional credentials and date on which the diagnostic statement was written