| PALS Documentation |
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Students seeking support services from PALS on the basis of a diagnosed specific learning disability are required to submit documentation to verify eligibility. The following guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that evaluation reports are appropriate to document eligibility. The Director of PALS is available to consult with diagnosticians regarding any of these guidelines. 1. Testing must be comprehensive. It is not acceptable to administer only one test for the purpose of diagnosis. Minimally, domains to be addressed must include (but are not limited to): a. Aptitude. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) with subtest scores is the preferred instrument. b. Achievement. Current levels of functioning in reading, mathematics, and written language are required. The preferred instruments are either the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-educational Battery-Revised: Test of Achievement, or the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test. The Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised is NOT a comprehensive measure of achievement and therefore is not suitable. c. Information Processing. Specific areas of information processing (e.g., short and long term memory; sequential memory; auditory and visual perception/processing; processing speed) must be assessed. Use of subtests from the WAIS-R or the Woodcock-Johnson tests of Cognitive Ability is acceptable. 2. Testing must be current. To meet the requirements under Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act, testing cannot be more than three years old when a student will be entering the PALS program. Since assessment constitutes the basis for determining reasonable accommodations, it is definitely in a student's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation to serve as the basis for decision making about the student's needs for accommodations in a college environment, which is academically very competitive. |
