Disability Specific Guidelines for Obtaining Documentation
Guidelines for Obtaining Medical Documentation for Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Please share the following information with your medical provider, as it may assist him or her in providing the information needed to determine your individual accommodations.
Physicians, including otorhinolaryngologists and otologists are qualified to provide diagnosis and treatment of hearing disorders. Audiologists may also provide current audiograms. The diagnostician must be an impartial individual who is not a family member of the student.
The following guidelines are provided to assist the service provider in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations. Documentation serves as the foundation that legitimizes a student's request for appropriate accommodations. Recommended types of documentation include:
- A clear statement of Deafness or hearing loss, with an audiogram that reflects the current impact the Deafness or hearing loss has on the student's functioning, (the age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, the student's request for accommodations, and the current status of the student).
- A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis and a narrative summary of evaluation results, if appropriate.
- Medical information relating to the student's needs, and the status of the individual's hearing (static or changing), and its impact on the demands of the academic program.
- A statement regarding the use of hearing aids (if appropriate).
- A statement of the functional impact or limitations of the disability on learning or other major life activities and the degree to which it impacts the individual in the learning context for which accommodations are being requested.
Further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required if co-existing learning disabilities or other disabling conditions are indicated. The student and the ADA Center at Idaho State University collaboratively determine appropriate accommodations.