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> Office of Disability, Re-Entry and Veteran Services > Disabled Student Services
MSU Disability Documentation Requirements
Communication Disorder
A thorough speech-language assessment which reflects the current impact of the identified impairment on academic performance must be completed by a licensed or certified speech-language professional, and a report based upon that assessment must be submitted to:
Disabled Student Services
P.O. Box 173960
Bozeman, MT 59717 - 3960
Phone: (406)994-2824, Fax: (406)994-3943, TTY: (406)994-6701
The report must be on letterhead. It must be typed, signed, dated and it must include the clinician's area of professional licensure and license number.
Section I - Required Documentation |
DIAGNOSTIC REPORT - The written diagnostic report must include the following:
- a written summary of the student's relevant educational, medical, and family histories;
- the full results of intelligence testing and a battery of tests that measure both receptive and expressive language development; the names of the tests administered and standard and/or percentile scores (standard scores are preferred) for all normed measures (all subtests scores must be reported);
- a full analysis-interpretation of test performance,
It is essential that the clinician submit all objective findings available concerning the client's condition, even if they relate to another disorder or establish that the client has a different condition
- a full description of the functional limitations experienced by the client as a result of the diagnosed communication disorder;
- a clear statement diagnosing a full-fledged DSM IV communication disorder;
- a history of past accommodations and the effectiveness of those accommodations;
- a list of recommended accommodations and a rationale, based upon objective evidence, such as specific test results or clinical observation, for any recommended accommodations.
Section II - Recommended Documentation |
It is recommended that copies of high school and college transcripts, 504 plans, and IEP's be included with documentation.
Section III - Eligibility for Accommodations and Services |
Though each case is dealt with on its own merits, eligibility for disability accommodations and services typically requires that the student present the following evidence:
- There is clear evidence of a properly diagnosed and reported communication disorder.
- The student has at least average intellectual ability, and a learning difficulty is caused by the communication disorder
- School performance has been substantially and chronically (i.e., throughout the student's schooling) limited as a result of the diagnosed impairment. A "substantial limitation" is defined as performance below that of the average1 person in the general population.
It is important to remember that a communication disorder diagnosis is relevant to determining whether an individual has an impairment; however, a diagnosis my be insufficient to determine if the individual has a disability. It is possible, therefore, for a student with a diagnosed communication disorder not to be eligible for accommodations at a college or university. This sometimes happens when the student's learning hasn't been substantially limited by the diagnosed impairment.
1The "average person" standard is the yardstick used by federal regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Department of Justice and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to determine whether or not an impairment is severe enough to constitute a disability.
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