Students with learning disabilities may find the transition to college challenging. Typical concerns for students with learning disabilities may include one or more of the following: slow reading/processing rate; poor memory skills; problems organizing and sequencing ideas; frequent spelling errors; difficulty taking notes; low math reasoning; problems with basic math operations; poor study skills; difficulty organizing‚ planning‚ and completing tasks. With reasonable classroom accommodations and individualized learning strategies‚ students can generally learn to compensate for these problems and manage their academic expectations competently.
It is recommended that students with learning disabilities who are preparing to enter UK register with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) soon after acceptance. The DRC can play a vital role in providing students with information‚ strategies‚ other campus resources‚ and support to improve their efforts in making these transitions and completing their educational degree programs.
A current‚ comprehensive psycho–educational report or other psychological or medical assessment using adult measures and including complete results‚ with full tables of subtests and standard scores‚ is required. Professionals conducting assessments of learning disabilities must be credentialed or licensed psychologists or related professionals and have experience in the assessment of learning disabilities in adolescents and adults. We require this information to be current, preferably not more than three years old. Providing this information and having a history of the disability in elementary or secondary school does not automatically guarantee that one will receive the requested services. The information is evaluated for validity by qualified University personnel with current expertise in LD evaluations and professionally accepted criteria for diagnosing the disability. If one does not have current documentation‚ a testing service is available on campus for a fee. Professionals in the community also provide testing services.
Current documentation should validate the need for services based on the individual’s current level of functioning in the educational setting. A comprehensive assessment battery and the resulting diagnostic report should include a diagnostic interview‚ assessment of aptitude‚ academic achievement‚ information processing‚ and a diagnosis. The psychological and educational assessment report should include a complete profile of test results‚ including subtest scores‚ reported in standard scores. Assessment‚ and any resulting diagnosis‚ should consist of and be based on a comprehensive assessment battery which does not rely on any one test or subtest. Minimally‚ the domains to be addressed must include the following:
Essential components:
- Qualified Evaluator. The documentation should include the name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator, including information about license or certification, typed on letterhead, dated, and signed by the evaluator. Professionals qualified to conduct evaluations include clinical or educational psychologists; school psychologists; neuropsychologists; and some medical doctors with demonstrated training and experience in the assessment of learning disorders in adolescents and adults. Use of diagnostic terminology indicating a diagnosis of a specific learning disorder by someone whose training and experience is not in these fields and who is not qualified to conduct a comprehensive valid intellectual assessment (i.e., IQ measures) is not acceptable.
* NOTE: Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia are medical terms referencing the educational terms Specific Learning Disorder specific to areas of reading, writing, or math. These diagnoses terms may be used interchangeably (i.e., Dyslexia/Learning Disorder in Reading), and these Specific Learning Disorder documentation guidelines apply, in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V).
- Current. Reasonable accommodations and services are based on assessment of the current impact of the student’s disabilities on academic performance. Student needs are best assessed when the student provides recent and appropriate documentation, within a timeframe of at least 16 years of age to determine current impact.
- Description of educational background and relevant developmental history
Psychoeducational evaluation which provides clear evidence of a Specific Learning Disorder based on objective measures demonstrating a substantial limitation to learning. Report is to include:
- Aptitude/Cognitive Ability. A comprehensive valid intellectual assessment reporting all subtests and standard scores. Preferred tests include Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – IV (WAIS-IV) or Woodcock-Johnson-IV Tests of Cognitive Ability. (Brief forms are not intended for diagnosis.)
- Academic Achievement. A comprehensive academic achievement battery which assesses areas of reading, writing, verbal expression, math, and fluency. Preferred tests include Wechsler Individual Achievement Test–III (WIAT-III) or Woodcock-Johnson-IV Tests of Achievement.
- Memory and Information Processing. Evaluation of different cognitive processes are often derived from subtests on cognitive and achievement measures. Tests such as Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning - Second Edition (WRAML-2) or Wechsler Memory Scales IV may be included.
Adapted from Educational Testing Services website www.ets.org/disabilities/documentation : Policy Statement for Documentation of a Learning Disability in Adolescents and Adults, Third Edition 2015, in May 2018. These documentation guidelines have been endorsed by Kentucky Association for Higher Education and Disability, May 2018.