Documentation Guidelines

Documentation Guidelines Overview

This document is intended to provide a general understanding of the documentation that is necessary to validate a disability and the need for appropriate accommodations at the post-secondary level.

Students should be sure that:

• The professional's diagnosis (including DSM V diagnosis), evaluation, recommendations and other information are typed on the professional's letterhead. The information should include the name, title, dates of treatment, signature, license number and/or certification number.
• The professional providing the documentation has the necessary qualifications to diagnose and treat the student for the specific disability.
• The diagnosis of the disability is clearly stated, explained, and specific.
• Documentation should not be more than three to five years old.
• Documentation prepared by professionals must provide a diagnosis of the medical/mental health condition, explain any functional limitations the condition will impose for the student in a postsecondary academic setting and provide recommendations for reasonable accommodations.

Transfer Students: In addition to the documentation you provide, you are also encouraged to send a letter from the Institution you previously attended that includes the timeframe in which you were provided services and the accommodations used. A student is responsible for providing documentation that supports his/her request for accommodations. It is important that the documentation clearly establishes that the student has a disability as defined by federal regulations and that the documentation clearly supports the individual's request for accommodations.

Please note: IEPs and Section 504 Plans may be useful but are not sufficient to substantiate eligibility for accommodations. All information provided by the student will be shared with others at the College only on a “need-to-know” basis and otherwise will be kept strictly confidential unless disclosure is authorized by the student or required by law.

All documentation should be submitted to:

Dean College
Office of Accessibility Services
99 Main Street
Franklin MA, 02038

Phone (508) 541-1942
Fax (508) 541-1829
Email: accessibility@dean.edu