Documentation Guidelines

The diagnostic documentation required for services varies according to the type and severity of the disability.

Report – Generally speaking, a psychological evaluation report from a private psychologist OR a re-evaluation report from a school psychologist is required to confirm the presence of a learning disability, traumatic brain injury, emotional impairment, other health impairment, and/or Autism Spectrum.

Documentation from any other treating professional, including medical doctors/physicians, therapists, counselors, and medical specialists, may be sufficient in the form of a letter.

Letter – A letter that is typed on professional letterhead and signed by the appropriately credentialed professional, must contain all of the following:

1. Diagnosis
2. History of the condition
3. Current treatment regimen, including medication
4. Impact of the disability on the individual student in a learning environment
5. Recommended accommodations as indicated by the professional for the student in a post-secondary academic setting

If there is a particular emergency protocol, this MUST be outlined in a separate, typed and signed document.

Documentation can be uploaded with the Accommodation Request Form. Documentation can also be faxed to the Director’s attention at 717-477-4094, sent as an e-mail attachment to oar@ship.edu, or mailed to Office of Accessibility, Resources Mowrey Hall 252, 1871 Old Main Dr., Shippensburg, PA 17257.

Disability Verification Form – If submitting a Disability Verification Form, it must be completed and signed by a licensed healthcare professional. When other sufficient documentation is available, this form is not required. It is available as a tool to facilitate the gathering of information.

Upon receipt of documentation, an e-mail containing further directions will be sent to the student’s Ship e-mail address.

Important Notes regarding Documentation

The Office of Accessibility Resources will review and consider all pieces of documentation submitted. Comprehensive documentation assists our office in understanding how the disability impacts the student in an academic setting and the student’s needs in relation to the accommodations requested.

The eligibility determination process is not a same-day process. Documentation will be reviewed by office staff in order of receipt. Freshmen and new students are strongly encouraged to request accommodations as early as possible prior to attending Shippensburg University. Current students may request accommodations at any time but are encouraged to make their requests for accommodations as soon as they become aware of their need for accommodations.

Accommodations in higher education environments may be different from secondary education (i.e., high school) environments. Although the documentation types mentioned above can provide us with the information necessary, we are not able to utilize the same accommodations in all cases.

All accommodations will be discussed during the intake meeting and provided on a case-by-case basis.