Disability and Accessibility Services
Traumatic Brain Injury

In order to apply for academic accommodations and/or services, Skidmore students with traumatic brain injury are asked to provide appropriate documentation to the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities. Since not all students who had this diagnosis at one point in time need accommodations after the recovery period, the information provided should demonstrate convincingly that the diagnosed condition will have a significant, negative impact on the student's functioning in the college setting unless accommodations and/or services are given to improve educational access.

Following are the two pieces of documentation requested:

Report of a psychological testing evaluation: The testing evaluation needs to be recent enough to reflect current functioning. The testing professional in most cases will be a neuropsychologist and must in all cases be a licensed psychologist. Since head injuries have a different presentation and course from significant but non-traumatic cognitive factors, this report should meet most but not necessarily all of the requirements for testing documentation detailed in Documentation and Process for Academic Accommodations/Services: Non-visible cognitive factors .

Written letters from currently involved medical professionals: Letters should be sent by all medical professionals, including any mental health providers, currently or most recently involved in the student's treatment. These professionals must be licensed or certified by the state where they are practicing and qualified to diagnose and/or treat individuals with the student's diagnoses.

Please copy the following information and give it to the medical professionals who will write letters for the student.

Each letter needs to:

• indicate when the professional started working with the student and how often appointments have occurred, on average, over the past year
  
• state the student's diagnoses and indicate when they were given
  
• describe the student's current functioning with respect to specific symptoms and how severe they are
  
• list current medications (name, daily dose, and starting dates) and/or any other current treatments or medical devices used, along with a statement about how helpful each of these is to the student
  
• refer to specific aspects of current functioning and symptom severity when stating recommendations for accommodations /services in the college setting
  
• give an estimated prognosis
  
• make recommendations regarding medical treatment (and any other treatment) for the student during the first year of college
  
• include any other information that you believe would be of use to the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities in guiding this student to be successful in college.

Mail the letters, the application for accommodations, and any other documentation requested to:

Coordinator for Students with Disabilities
Office of Student Academic Services
Starbuck Center, 102E
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-1632