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Specific Learning Disability
Disability Verification Requirements
All information submitted to Northern Arizona University’s Disability Resources becomes part of a student’s “educational record” as defined by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
To qualify for Disability Resources as a student with a specific learning disability, the student must submit a current, age-appropriate psychoeducational evaluation. The evaluation must have been individually administered by a trained and qualified (i.e., certified and/or licensed) professional (e.g., psychologist, neuropsychologist, school psychologist, or state certified educational diagnostician) who has had direct experience with adolescents and adults with learning disabilities.
An appropriate psychoeducational evaluation must include comprehensive measures in each of the following areas:
1. Aptitude (the evaluation must contain a complete intellectual assessment, with all subtests and standard scores reported).
Examples of Measures:
• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – III (WAIS-III)
• Stanford-Binet, Fourth Edition (S-B Scales)
• Woodcock-Johnson III – Test of Cognitive Abilities (WJ-III CA)
• Nonverbal assessments (e.g., UNIT, Leiter-R or Raven's Progressive Matrices) are accepted if it can be demonstrated that use of the WAIS-III, S-B Scales or WJ-III CA are contraindicated due to severe language deficits of student or a cultural bias of the instrument rendering it inappropriate for use with this student.
2. Academic achievement (the evaluation must contain a comprehensive achievement battery with all subtests and standard scores reported). The test battery should include current levels of functioning in the relevant areas, such as reading, mathematics, and oral and written expression.
Examples of Measures:
• Woodcock-Johnson III – Test of Achievement
• Wechsler Individual Achievement Test II (WIAT II)
Note: Screening tools such as the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT III) are not considered comprehensive measures of achievement and must be accompanied by a comprehensive measure such as one of those listed above. All instruments selected to measure these areas must be age appropriate.
3. Information processing (the evaluation should assess specific information processing areas such as short and long-term memory, sequential memory, auditory and visual perception/processing, processing speed, executive function, and motor ability).
Examples of Measures:
• Selected subtests of the WAIS III
• Selected subtests on the WJ-III-CA
• WMS III
Diagnostic Report
The diagnostic report must include the following information:
1. Diagnostic interview that addresses relevant historical information including age at initial diagnosis, past and current academic achievement, instructional foundation in area of diagnosis, past performance in areas of difficulty, and history and effectiveness of accommodations used in past educational settings.
2. List of all instruments used in the test battery.
3. Discussion of test behavior and specific test results.
4. DSM IV diagnosis (including all five axes).
5. Diagnostic summary statement with the following information:
a. clear statement that a learning disability does or does not exist, including a rule-out of alternative explanations for the learning problems. Terms such as “appears,” “suggests,” or “probable” in the diagnostic summary statement do not support a conclusive diagnosis.
b. clear statement specifying the substantial limitations to one or more major life activities that are supported by the assessment results.
c. psychometric summary of all scores reported in standard score format.
d. list of professional recommendations for the student in a university setting with an explanation of how the recommendation will compensate for the disability.
6. Signature, printed name, title, certificate or licensure number of test administrator.
Diagnoses of specific learning disabilities that do not contain psychoeducational measures may not be used for determining eligibility for academic accommodations. For example, school plans such as Individualized Education Plans (IEP) or 504 Plans are not adequate documentation; however, they can be included with the required evaluation report. Disability Resources reserves the right to request reassessment when questions regarding previous assessment or previous service provision arise.
*NAU recognizes a diagnosis of specific learning disorcer (SLD) when there is an aptitude-achievement discrepancy of at least one (1) standard deviation with aptitude being greater. The standard error of measurement may be used for either (not both) the aptitude or achievement score in the calculation of the discrepancy. NAU also recognizes a diagnosis of SLD when the diagnosis is determined based on a regression formula.
The information contained in the report will be used to determine eligibility. Appropriate accommodations will be based upon your disability and individual needs.
PLEASE MAIL A PHOTOCOPY, FAX OR SUBMIT IN PERSON YOUR DOCUMENTATION TO:
Disability Resources
Northern Arizona University
P.O. Box 5633
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5633
Fax: 928-523-8747
ACCESSIBILITY