Student Disability Services

Student Eligibility for Services

SDS is the campus office responsible for determining and providing appropriate academic accommodations for students with disabilities. A variety of support services are available to students with certified visual limitations, hearing and communication impairments, learning disabilities, mobility, and other functional limitations.

Documentation for Eligibility

In order for SDS to determine a student's eligibility for services, the following documentation must be provided:

• All students must complete and submit a Student Disability Services Application for Services and a Verification of Disability form. There are two verification forms. If you have a learning disability, ADHD, ABI or psychological disorder, please print the form entitled Disability Verification. Use the Disability Verification (Physical) for all other disabilities. Both Verification of Disability forms contain a section that must be completed by a physician or other appropriate professional.

• Students with hearing impairments must also provide an audiological report completed within one year prior to the date of application to SDSU.

• Students with learning disabilities must also provide appropriate testing documentation:
  
  a) Standard scores or compuscores from the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised, the Woodcock-Johnson III, and/or scores from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III.
  
  b) When available, information provided should include an evaluation/report that indicates a specific diagnosis of disability.
• Students with other disabilities (i.e., AD/HD, psychological, acquired brain injury, etc.) may be requested to submit additional documentation that will assist us in authorizing appropriate services.

Guidelines for Documentation

The following guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that evaluation reports are appropriate to document eligibility:

• Testing must be comprehensive. It is not acceptable to base a diagnosis on only one of several subtests. Minimally, domains to be addressed must include (but are not limited to):

1. Aptitude.
   • In evaluating aptitude, specific areas of information processing, memory, auditory and visual perception/processing, processing speed and reasoning must be assessed.
   • The Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R) or Woodcock-Johnson III: Tests of Cognitive Ability with subtest scores is the preferred instrument OR the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III (WAIS III).
   • The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) is not an acceptable assessment instrument for an adult population.
2. Achievement.
   • Current levels of functioning in reading, mathematics and written language are required.
   • The Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R), Woodcock-Johnson III: Tests of Achievement, or the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test II (WIAT II) are the preferred instruments.
   • The Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) is not a comprehensive measure of achievement and is therefore not suitable as a sole measure of achievement. 

• Testing must be current. Since assessment constitutes the basis for determining reasonable accommodations, it is in a student's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation. In most cases, this means within the past three to five years. This assessment serves as the basis for decision-making about a student's needs for accommodations in a college environment that is academically very competitive.

• Documentation must contain a clear diagnosis of a disability. Individual "learning styles" and "learning differences" in and of themselves do not constitute a learning disability.

• Test scores/data must be included (standard scores). This is important since certain University policies and procedures (e.g. petitioning for permission to substitute courses) require specific data to substantiate eligibility.

• Professionals conducting assessment and rendering diagnoses of learning disabilities must be qualified to do so. Experience working with an adult population is essential. The following professionals would generally be considered qualified to evaluate specific learning disabilities: clinical or educational psychologists, school psychologists, neuropsychologists, learning disabilities specialists, and speech language pathologists. It is not considered appropriate for professionals to evaluate members of their own families.

• Diagnostic reports must include the names and titles of the evaluators as well as the date(s) of testing.

NOTE: The Coordinator of the Learning Disabilities Program is available to consult with diagnosticians regarding any of these items.

All documentation is strictly confidential. Documentation should be directed to:

Student Disability Services
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, California 92182-7417