Documentation Requirements
Students who request accommodation are required to provide documentation of their disability from a professional who is qualified to diagnose the condition, and to comment on associated difficulties that may arise at the University or while doing course or program related work.
The documentation must state the nature of the disability and its functional implications for university. The documentation should support the accommodations that are being requested. Suggestions for specific forms of accommodation are appreciated. Similarly, it also is helpful for SSD to be notified of situations or activities that could worsen a student's condition.
The type of documentation that students are required to provide for SSD depends on the nature of their disability and the ways in which it affects academic performance.
Physical and Psychological Disabilities
Students who have physical disabilities or psychological disorders should download and print the Medical Documentation Form PDF so that they may ask their health care providers to fill it out.
This form indicates the kind of information that SSD requires. Health care providers may provide information in a letter form instead of completing SSD's form, although we have found that many physicians prefer to fill out the form.
The SSD documentation form also may be used by students who have an Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder that was diagnosed by a physician or psychiatrist.
Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit Disorders
Students who have learning disabilities or attention deficit disorders (ADHD) that were diagnosed by a registered psychologist should provide a psychoeducational assessment report that contains a clear formulation of the disability and the ways in which it affects psychological processes related to learning.
A diagnostic statement must be provided by a registered psychologist or psychological associate or by another professional equally qualified to diagnose LD if the student was not assessed in Ontario.
If you have not undergone a recent and thorough psychoeducational assessment, your SSD counsellor may assist you in arranging for an assessment to take place. The counsellor will let you know whether or not it is possible for SSD to recommend academic accommodation to your instructors, on a temporary basis, while you undergo an assessment.
The identification of a disability in either Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC) records or Individual Educational Plan (IEP) records usually is considered by SSD to be acceptable documentation for the purposes of interim accommodation in your first year if these records are accompanied by a history of using accommodation.
First Year Students
All first year students should also provide a statement prepared by your school (or school board) of accommodations that you used in high school and the rationale for these arrangements. This information may be in your IPRC or IEP documents, or in letters that have been prepared by school officials.
Transfer Students
Students who are transferring from another university or a college should provide a statement prepared by that institution's Office for Services for Students with Disabilities that indicates the accommodations that were available to you and the rationale for these arrangements.
Please note that additional information is sometimes required in order for your counsellor to understand the implications of your disability for academic tasks. Documentation that does not provide sufficient information about your disability may prevent SSD from recommending academic accommodation on your behalf.
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Confidentiality
All information disclosed by students to SDC will be kept confidential. It will not be shared with family, university staff, course instructors, or others without written permission and will not become part of academic records.
Student Development Centre is experienced in working with diverse populations.
