USI » Counseling Center » Disability Qualifications

Disability Qualifications

Disability documentation must adequately verify the nature and extent of a student's disability in accordance with current professional standards and techniques, and must clearly identify the student's current functional limitations in order to substantiate the need for specific accommodations. To qualify to use the disability resources in the Counseling Center as well as to obtain our endorsement for in-class accommodations from professors, students are asked to submit a disability verification form including either a comprehensive testing report or a recent diagnostic narrative from a licensed clinical professional familiar with the history and functional implications of the impairment. Please consult the following checklist prior to submitting your documentation.

Documentation must be completed by an appropriately licensed or credentialed professional with relevant experience and no personal relationship to the student's family.
Documentation must include the appropriate USI disability verification form with the professional's signature and license number. (SEE NOTE BELOW)
Documentation must include a description of the diagnostic criteria, evaluation methods and procedures used to document the stated disability, and must include a thorough clinical interview. No specific tests are required to be administered, however, all tests must be appropriate for use in adults. A detailed diagnostic narrative may be substituted for formal testing, when appropriate.
When indicated, the complete testing report or diagnostic narrative should be included when submitting the form, or the eligibility decision may be delayed.
Documentation must include a clear diagnostic statement of the condition.
Documentation must be comprehensive and reasonably recent enough to clearly identify current and specific functional limitations, when compared to the average college student and within a postsecondary educational setting.
Recommendations for specific accommodations must reasonably relate to specific symptoms of the disability.
Documentation should include educational (accommodation) and medical (medication) histories relevant to the disability including a discussion of effectiveness, in order to determine to most appropriate and effective accommodations.

NOTE: If students believe the documentation they already have clearly identifies their current functional limitations in a postsecondary educational setting and adequately addresses the questions on the disability verification form, they may request in writing that the form be waived in the eligibility process.

Contact the Counseling Center at 812-464-1961 if you have questions or concerns about your documentation or the appropriate disability form for your situation, or if you need assistance in completing the registration process.