The following guidelines related to documentation of a learning disability have been adopted by California State University, Northridge. These guidelines are based on best practices in the field.
Students with Disabilities Resources will only accept documentation provided by an appropriate professional. The documentation must be on letterhead, and contain the clinician's name, information about license or certification, phone number, address, signature and the date of the report. Professionals who would generally be considered qualified include: clinical or educational psychologists, school psychologists, neuropsychologists, learning disabilities specialists, and medical doctors with training and experience in the assessment of learning disabilities.
Documentation must include the results of a diagnostic interveiw, an assessment of aptitude, academic achievement, and information processing as well as a diagnosis with functional limitations. Documentation must be current (generally completed within the last five years for adults).
The diagnostic interview must include a description of the presenting problem as well as a written summary of developmental, medical, educational, family, and social histories.
Assessment must be comprehensive and include a test from each category.
Specific achievement tests such as the Nelson-Denny Reading Skills Test, Stanford Diagnostic Mathematics Test, Test of Written Language - 3 (TOWL-3) and Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests - Revised may also be included when interpreted along side other diagnostic information. The WRAT 3 is not acceptable as a sole measure of achievement.
The following would be considered acceptable:
The diagnostic report must: