Documentation Guidelines

Accommodation Documentation

Learning and Accessibility Services (LAS) strives to provide effective access to students who encounter disability-related barriers in various campus settings. Because different environments can present different challenges, LAS works with students individually, on a case-by-case basis, to determine and implement appropriate accommodations as needed.

Our approach is holistic. When reviewing requests, LAS relies on a combination of the following:

• Student self-report: Your own description of your condition, how it impacts you, and the barriers you’ve encountered.
• Documentation from professionals: When available, information from qualified medical, mental health, or educational professionals helps clarify diagnosis, history, and current impacts.
• Collaborative consultation: With your permission, we may consult with faculty or staff to understand classroom or program-specific demands, especially when needed to determine whether an accommodation is reasonable and effective. Occasionally, we may need to consult with your medical or mental health providers to better understand the need for specific accommodations. 

Purpose of Documentation

While an Initial Accommodation Request and subsequent Welcome Meeting will generate much of the necessary information for providing accommodations, third-party documentation may be needed for the following purposes:

• Verify the existence of a disability as defined by the ADA
• Connect a disability to specific barriers
• Determine whether specific accommodations are warranted to address disability-related barriers to access

The documentation process is not intended to be burdensome, cumbersome, time-consuming, nor to discourage students with disabilities from seeking accommodations and protections. Instead, documentation supports a student’s narrative of disability-related barriers and allows LAS to best support the needs of all Wheaton College students.

Defining Key Terms

Disability: The ADA defines disability as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities, a record of such an impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment” (cite). Disability does not always result in barriers to access, so the process of determining individualized accommodations requires an understanding of how a condition impacts a student.

Accommodation: The term accommodation refers to changes or supports put in place to remove barriers and ensure equal access for students with disabilities. This can include adjustments to policies or procedures, the use of assistive technology or support services, and modifications to the learning or living environment. Housing accommodations provide equal opportunity to utilize campus housing, while academic accommodations provide equal access to education.

Recommendations for Documentation

The following documents can be helpful in establishing the connection between disability-related barriers and the accommodations you may need:

• Psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluations, especially for learning or cognitive-related accommodations
• IEPs or 504 Plans from previous schools
• Letters from treating providers, especially those that outline current impacts and relevant accommodation recommendations

*Documentation is required for all students seeking certain housing accommodations and is addressed in detail below.

Documentation must be current and relevant meaning that the information still applies to you today. The most useful documentation is specific and speaks to how a disability impacts day-to-day academic or campus life (such as reading, test-taking, housing access, or mobility). In some cases, historical information may be sufficient to describe how a condition continues to impact a student under present circumstances. Please note that LAS policies may differ from those of external organizations, such as standardized testing agencies (e.g., ETS, AAMC, LSAC), which may have specific guidelines requiring recent documentation.

Documentation that recommends specific accommodations are still subject to review by LAS staff and our professional expertise. At times providers may be using generic lists of accommodations that may not all apply to you or perhaps their recommendation are not taking into account the higher education context. Accommodations/supports meant to enhance academic success, rather than ensure access, may fall outside the scope of ADA accommodations or what LAS will approve. In those cases, we will often recommend other strategies, supports, or resources. 

Please note that documentation submitted to LAS needs to be in English. Please contact LAS if you experience barriers in getting documents translated into English.

Housing Accommodations

Typically, it is most informative to have a letter on letterhead from a health provider or therapist who you have an established relationship with (i.e. have seen 3+ times). The letter would ideally contain: 

• Confirmation of diagnosis
• How long the provider has been seeing you
• Any disability-related barriers/effects
• How those disability-related barriers affect you in your housing situation
• Explain the connection between your disability and your housing accommodation request
• What impacts you experience without this accommodation (severity/length)
• Identify when this accommodation is needed and for how long
• Be on office letterhead and include health provider's license number

Considering a Diagnostic Evaluation?

Some students pursue psychological or neuropsychological evaluations to better understand their learning, attention, or mental health needs and to explore whether disability-related accommodations may be appropriate. Others may already have a diagnosis and are looking to update their documentation or gather support for a specific type of accommodation (academic, housing, etc.).

While not required for all accommodations, this kind of testing can offer helpful insights into how a condition may be impacting your college experience.

What to Know Before You Begin

• LAS does not diagnose conditions or provide psychoeducational or psychological evaluations.
  
• We do not require specific tests or assessments. However, documentation that offers a comprehensive understanding of your condition is often the most helpful. Findings should include how a condition affects you in academic or residential settings.
  
• If you're considering getting evaluated, we encourage you to work with a qualified provider (e.g., psychologist, neuropsychologist, or psychiatrist) who has experience working with college students and understands the purpose of the assessment.
  

What an Evaluation Might Include

A comprehensive evaluation may assess areas such as:

• Aptitude: Cognitive or intellectual functioning
• Achievement: Academic skills (e.g., reading, writing, math) and learning disabilities
• Executive functioning: Attention, focus, planning, organizing, working memory, inhibition, self regulation, etc.
• Memory
• Visuomotor skills
• Emotional and psychological well-being
• Personality features
  

Some evaluations may result in a diagnosis, such as ADHD, autism, a learning disability, or a mental health condition. Others may focus on identifying strengths and areas of challenge without assigning a formal label.

If You’re Seeking a Diagnosis

We understand that not everyone arrives at college with a clear diagnosis or prior support. If you're exploring the possibility that you may have a disability:

• Start by meeting with an LAS staff member. You do not need a diagnosis to begin the conversation.
  
• If appropriate, we can talk with you about whether formal testing may be a helpful next step.
  
• We can also suggest questions to ask a potential provider, and what kinds of reports are generally most useful in a college setting.
  

Documentation for Accommodation Purposes

If you decide to get an evaluation, and you’re hoping to use the results to support an accommodation request, keep these tips in mind:

• Evaluations should describe how your condition affects your current functioning, especially in academic or residential settings.
  
• Reports should connect the diagnosis (if applicable) to functional limitations, and ideally include recommendations for support.
  
• Documentation should come from a qualified professional and be written on official letterhead or in formal report format.
• Please note that documentation submitted to LAS needs to be in English. Contact us if you encounter barriers to getting documents translated.

Final Reminders

• You do not need to wait for a formal diagnosis or a full evaluation to meet with LAS.
  
• We use a combination of your self-report, any relevant documentation, and collaborative consultation with campus partners (when needed) to determine reasonable accommodations.
  
• We are here to support you in identifying and reducing disability-related barriers, not to make the process overwhelming or difficult.
  
  

Don’t Wait to Connect with LAS

You are encouraged to meet with LAS even if you are unsure whether your documentation meets our needs. Our staff will work with you to determine if more documentation is necessary and guide you through the next steps.

Meeting with us does not depend on submitting complete documentation in advance. While some accommodations may require more detailed information before approval, we want to start by learning about you.

If you have questions about documentation, accommodations, or testing, reach out. We’re here to help!