Information for Diagnosticians

NC State University, Disability Services Office is a unit of the Office For Equal Opportunity and Equity. DSO facilitates and monitors the university's compliance with applicable federal and state laws in regard to non-discrimination of students on the basis of disability. DSO does not evaluate students or determine functioning levels. DSO service providers review documentation to determine if the student is eligible for accommodations and/or services. If eligible based upon the documentation, the service provider meets with the student to determine appropriate accommodations and/or services. If the student is not eligible for academic accommodations and/or services, DSO refers the student to other campus resources.

Eligibility Process

The process of determining legal eligibility for academic accommodations at NC State University is a formal and rigorous one. The eligibility determination is based strictly upon what is documented by the diagnostician. DSO does not use information reported by the student or implied by the diagnosis to determine eligibility. However, DSO service providers use information reported by the student to help determine appropriate accommodations and/or services.

Legal eligibility is an individualized process determined on a case-by-case basis. The eligibility decision made by DSO is specific to NC State University. It does not apply to other colleges, universities, agencies or programs (i.e. social security, vocational rehabilitation, etc.). Additionally, eligibility decisions made by other entities do not determine eligibility at NC State University.

Documentation

Documentation standards may be more stringent than usual clinical practice. DSO does not base eligibility on what could/might occur or often occurs with those that have been given this diagnosis. Documentation must include very specific information regarding the student's actual current functional limitations/restrictions. DSO requests data based evidence such as: medical evaluations, psychoeducational, neuropsychological, norm based behavioral assessments, and other evaluations/assessments that measure how the impairments interfere with the student’s functioning.

Three-Step Inquiry

Documentation must clearly answer the following questions.

Does the student have a physical or mental impairment?

Documentation must be current and include a mental or physical diagnosis made by a qualified diagnostician.

Does the impairment affect a major life activity?

Legal eligibility requires that the physical or mental impairment substantially affects a major life activity.
A major life activity is a basic function of life. Disability laws provide a non-exhaustive list that includes activities such as: breathing, caring for self, hearing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, performing manual tasks, seeing, speaking, walking, and working. Major bodily functions are also included.
Documentation must clearly state which major life activities are affected by the impairment.
If the impairment is episodic or in remission, it must substantially affect a major life activity when active.
If an impairment interferes with only certain functions that are not major life activities, although the student is restricted, the student is not eligible under disability laws. (For example, a student may have test anxiety but the impairment may not affect the major life activity of learning.)

Does the impairment substantially limit the student’s life?

Documentation must state what specific activities the student is unable to perform or is significantly restricted (condition, manner or duration) in performing when compared with an average person in the general population.
Documentation must state the nature and severity (mild, moderate, severe) of the impairment, the duration or expected duration of the impairment, and the permanence or expected long-term impact.
If the impairment significantly restricts a major life activity, the documentation must state the severity level (mild, moderate, severe), frequency (how often) and duration (how long) of the limitation.
If the major life activity of learning is substantially affected, DSO requests data based evidence such as psychoeducational, neuropsychological, or norm-based behavioral assessments that measure how the impairments interfere with cognitive performance. The narrative or report should include all testing results available (including standard scores and subtests) and an explanation of how the test scores were used to arrive at the conclusion that learning (list specific components) is substantially affected.
When determining whether an impairment substantially limits a major life activity corrective measures such as treatment, medication, hearing aids and other methods used to correct or alleviate the physical or mental impairment should not be considered. The only exception is eyeglasses or contacts.

Incomplete Documentation

Missing information delays the eligibility decision and the delay may affect the student’s academic outcome. Academic accommodations and/or services are not retroactive. Diagnosticians can submit new or additional documentation at any time for DSO review.

Thank you for your assistance

DSO appreciates your assistance and apologizes for any inconvenience this process may cause for you. Any expense required for the documentation is the responsibility of the student and prior approval is recommended.