Students who require support services, adjustments or accommodations may be asked to provide written evidence of their circumstances from an appropriately qualified independent professional.
Ideally, this documentation should be no more than three years old for young adults (perhaps longer for adults), and more recent if the condition is temporary or fluctuating.
The documentation should clearly identify the health professional and their credentials, be written on letterhead and signed and dated. It should incorporate information about:
- The name, nature and degree of impairment or health condition (physical or psychological)
- The time of onset, expected duration and/or prognosis of the impairment or health condition
- An outline of the limitations and implications arising from the impairment or health condition in relation to post-secondary education and training in general and the student’s proposed course of study in particular
- Teaching, learning and assessment accommodations that have been found to be useful in other educational programs
- Accommodations recommended now and, if different, in the future
- Any other observations the professional thinks relevant.
An example of a Health Practitioner's Report form
Clear and comprehensive documentation confirms eligibility for support and helps to ensure that practitioners have reliable information on which to base their recommendations and accommodations. Documentation may also be obtained from within the institution, community or from the student’s school.
For detailed information about the
documentation of learning disabilities by education psychologists see Opening All Options