Disability and Accessibility Services
Non-Visible Cognitive Factors (including LD and AD/HD)

In order to apply for academic accommodations and/or services, Skidmore students with accessibility needs due to learning disabilities (LD), Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), and other non-visible cognitive diagnoses are asked to provide appropriate documentation to the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities. Since not all students with these diagnoses need accommodations at the college level, 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 types of documentation requested:

A psychological testing evaluation: The closer your report comes to the following criteria, the more likely it is to provide an accurate picture to accompany your request.

• Psychological testing evaluations must be done by professionals who are licensed or certified to diagnose and evaluate the particular diagnoses in question. This will most often be a licensed psychologist or a certified school psychologist, although some states also provide other certifications of the ability to conduct a testing evaluation. The professional's state credentials should be clearly identified on the report.

• The evaluation must have been done no more than three (3) years earlier than entry into college, if the student requests accommodations during the first regular academic year, and no more than four (4) years earlier than the month in which accommodations are requested, if the student's request comes at a later point in time.

• If you were regularly taking medication at the time that the evaluation was done and will be taking medication for the same reason while at Skidmore, the test results will only be considered representative of your functioning if you were taking the medication as prescribed throughout the evaluation period. The evaluator should specify the use or non-use of medication in the report.

• The report of the evaluation must provide a diagnosis, all subtest scores, and appropriate summary scores on cognitive and academic tests administered (expressed as age-based standard scores and/or percentiles; if that norm group is not available, as is the case for the Nelson-Denny Reading Test, the choice of alternative(s) must be clearly indicated and discussed).

• Due to the nature of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test, it is most helpful if evaluators provide additional qualitative information such as the following (for both standard and extended time): number of items correct and number answered; amount of extended time actually used (if less than that allowed), any important pattern according to such test features as difficulty level of passage or type of item. Since the Reading Rate measure is taken only from the first minute of this test, it does not always reflect the pace of reading across the entire Comprehension section and will not be taken as a measure of reading speed without additional support.

• The evaluator must provide recommendations for the college setting, each recommendation being tied clearly and specifically to the evaluation findings.

• At least two areas of functioning – intellectual and academic - must be evaluated in a comprehensive manner. Given the importance of written composition skills and reading of extended passages in college, those types of tasks must be included. According to accepted best practices for testing evaluations, conclusions must be based on more than one score contrast. In addition, screening tests of academic skills, such as the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-3) may be included only as supplementary measures.

• Neuropsychological functioning (e.g., specific evaluation of auditory and visual memory, organizational strategies, attention/concentration) should be included as necessary to provide evidence for the diagnosis and the recommended accommodations. However, a recommendation for extended time on tests needs to be supported by evidence from timed tests in academic skill areas. Similarly, recommendations for accommodations related to lengthier writing tasks need to be linked to the findings from that type of task.

• Since emotional factors can lead to or exacerbate difficulties with attention/concentration and other aspects of learning, at least some evaluation of this aspect of the student's functioning needs to be included. Depending on the student, testing in the area of emotional functioning may or may not need to be comprehensive. Evaluation conclusions should include mention of the possible role of psychological factors.

• Qualitative information is almost always useful; it is sometimes essential in clarifying the diagnostic picture and the need for accommodations. This is particularly true in cases where scores are significantly different but the magnitude of the difference is not at all unusual in the general population.

Supporting documentation:

• If the student had a 504 plan or an IEP during high school, send a copy of the most recent plan should be sent (This applies only to entering first-year students).
  
• If the student received any accommodations on the SAT or ACT, include a copy of that authorization letter (only entering first-year students).
  
• If there is any other documentation that supports the accommodation request and/or indicates how the Coordinator can guide the student's success at Skidmore, include that as well.
  

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