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Appropriate Documentation To ensure the provision of reasonable and appropriate services for students with disabilities at PSC, a qualified professional (e.g. licensed psychologist and/or a team of professionals) must provide current and comprehensive documentation of the student's disability. The Center for Accommodative Services has adopted Guidelines for Documenting a Disability(PDF) for students with a learning disability, attention deficit disorders, and psychological disorders. Please refer to these for further information. The college's guidelines are based on those developed by the Association on Higher Education and Disabilities.
Documentation must be sent in written form to the Center for Accommodative Services. To release documentation of a disability to the Center for Accommodative Services, you must request that your school or other agency forward current testing results and recommendations to the Center for Accommodative Services. This must be done in writing, and a Release of Confidential Information must accompany documentation for it to be accessible to Center For Accommodative Services personnel. Many students release this information at Orientation when they meet with the learning specialist.
A postsecondary student with no previous documentation may wish to determine whether a learning disability does or does not exist. At Paul Smith's College, the process begins with an interview with the Director of Student Development to evaluate the individual’s situation and rule out symptoms which masquerade as learning disabilities. If necessary, a referral will be made to the Center for Accommodative Services where the individual meets with a learning specialist to share information about their academic past and to set up accommodations on a pre-referral basis. After certain measures have been tried and the student wishes to continue with the evaluation process, the student will be referred to a qualified professional to complete the required testing.
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School of Natural Resources Management and Ecology
