Documentation should include a comprehensive psychoeducational assessment or neuropsychological assessment completed by a qualified practitioner, customarily a licensed psychologist or neuropsychologist. This assessment should be signed, dated, and completed on official letterhead.
ADHD documentation must include the following components:
- Diagnostic Interview, offering a description of the problem(s) reported by the student; the student’s developmental, medical, and psychological histories; family history; and, as appropriate, a discussion of dual diagnosis. The student’s academic and educational history should also be discussed.
- Assessment, demonstrating that the diagnosis is based on a comprehensive review that does not rely on any one test or subtest. Evidence of a substantial limitation to learning or other aspects of academic performance must be apparent. The domains to be assessed should include:
- Aptitude, measured using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) or an equivalent tool
- Academic Achievement, measured using a comprehensive battery, often the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, that assesses academic functioning and fluency in relevant areas such as reading, mathematics, and oral and written language
- Information Processing, measured by assessing short and long-term memory, sequential memory, auditory and visual processing, processing speed, executive functioning, and motor ability
- Test Scores, provided for all measures, and valid for use with an adolescent or adult population
- Specific Diagnosis, using current DSM terminology
- Clinical Summary, containing the following components: an interpretation of the test findings that lead to the diagnosis; a description of the effects of that diagnosis on the student’s academic performance; recommendations for specific accommodations with a clear justification for how those accommodations will mediate academic performance difficulties
Please note that DSS does not endorse unlimited absences or unlimited extended time as appropriate accommodations.
You are encouraged to submit any prior assessments or evaluative reports together with your current documentation.