For a printer friendly version, click here.
Psychological Disabilities
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, the student must submit a current assessment. The assessment must have been conducted within the last 12 months by the certified or licensed professional (e.g., a psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor, neuropsychologist, school psychologist, or social worker) who diagnosed or evaluated the disability. The report must be typed on letterhead, dated and signed, and contain the dates of assessment as well as:
CLINICAL INTERVIEW
• History of psychological problems (e.g., family history, date of onset, previous hospitalizations).
• Duration of symptoms.
• Severity of symptoms (e.g., relationship problems, loss of employment).
ASSESSMENT
• Procedures used to determine the diagnosis (MMPI-2, clinical interview, observations, etc.).
• Discussion of assessment results.
SUMMARY
• A clear statement that a disability exists. Terms such as "appears" or "seems" are not sufficient.
• A clear statement specifying the substantial limitation to one or more major life activities. If the limitation is in learning (e.g., reading, mathematics and written expression) an appropriate psychoeducational evaluation must be administered to document aptitude/achievement discrepancies. Limitations must be supported by the history and diagnosis.
• A clear statement of how the disorder or medications impact the person's functioning in an academic setting (e.g., decreased concentration, poor short-term memory, poor anger control, limited social skills).
• Diagnosis: DSM-IV five axes diagnostic statement including Global Assessment of Functioning (terms such as "R/O" or "deferred" do not support a conclusive diagnosis).
• Recommendations: List of professional recommendations for the student in a university setting with an explanation of how the recommendations will compensate for the disability.*
PSYCHOMETRIC SUMMARY (as appropriate)
• All subtest scores must be reported.
• All scores must be reported in standard score format.
• Must include professional’s name, title, certification or license number.
• Must be signed by the professional.
*If the limitations are in learning (e.g., reading, math, written language, etc.) an appropriate psychoeducational evaluation must be administered to document any of these disabilities.
The information contained in the report will be used to determine eligibility. Appropriate accommodations will be based upon your disability and individual needs.
**Please keep in mind it may take 6 to 8 weeks to review and/or process documentation, so it’s a good idea to get your documentation to Disability Resources as soon as possible.
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