ATTENTION DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

ADHD/ADD

All qualified Missouri Western State University (MWSU) students must provide appropriate documentation for the diagnosis of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder prior to receiving academic accommodations based upon that disability. Accommodations will be determined on an individual basis.

It is the student’s responsibility to initiate contact with the Office of Disability Services and to provide appropriate documentation of the disability and related functional limitations for which they are requesting accommodations. This process follows the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973*, current case law and is designed to assure that reasonable, appropriate accommodations are provided to all qualified students in a timely manner. A diagnosis of a disorder/condition/syndrome in and of itself does not automatically qualify an individual for accommodations.

All diagnostic evaluation reports submitted as documentation of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder must meet all of the following requirements in order to receive disability related academic accommodations:

1. The diagnostic report must be on official letterhead, typed, signed and dated by qualified professional such as a psychiatrist or licensed psychologist trained in the differential diagnosis of psychological/psychiatric disorders;
2. Diagnostic reports used to determine disability must be less than one year old and address both the current level of functioning and present need for accommodations;
3. Evaluation reports must include a clear statement of the DSM-IV-TR or ICD-10 diagnosis. Not all conditions listed in the DSM-IV-TR or ICD-10 are disabilities or impairments for the purposes of ADA;
4. Include a summary of assessment procedures and test scores used to make the diagnosis;
5. Include test scores that substantiate a significant impairment** to learning/cognitive functioning and academic functioning***;
6. Describe present symptoms and fluctuating conditions/symptoms in relation to the diagnosis; If accommodations are requested based upon multiple diagnoses, documentation of all disabilities for which accommodations are being requested must meet documentation criteria for each disorder.
7. List current medications and dosage, including side effects currently experienced by the student.

*In order to meet the adult criteria of “disability” under these federal laws a person must provide documentation of how their significant impairment “substantially limits” their academic functioning.

** A significant impairment means below average functioning as measured by an objective psychoeducational/neuropsychological/psychological evaluation. An IEP or 504 plan from the public school system is not documentation of a disability for the purposes of providing accommodations at the University level.