Additional Documentation Guidelines for Learning Disabilities

The process of diagnosing and determining functional limitations of a learning disability is highly individualized. As a result, the following guidelines are provided to help assure a comprehensive assessment of a learning disability. These guidelines are a supplement to the general University of Minnesota Guidelines for Providing Documentation of Disability. Please note that an IEP or 504 plan do not constitute adequate documentation, but may be submitted in addition to an assessment report.

A comprehensive learning disability assessment includes:

• Reason for referral



• Background information



• Behavioral observations



• Assessment of academic and intellectual functioning



• Clinical/interpretive summary



• Clear statement of diagnosis

In addition, a comprehensive learning disability report:

• Utilizes test instruments that are standardized, reliable, and valid for use with an adult population. Informal methods can be used in addition to the standardized methods. Standard scores and percentiles should be reported for all normed measures.



• Provides specific test results or clinical observations to support any suggested academic accommodations.



• Cites clear and specific evidence as to the existence of a learning disability.



• Describes the substantial limitations to learning or to other major life activities.



• Rules out or discusses potential factors related to academic difficulty such as cultural/language barriers, inadequate instruction, poor motivation, poor study skills, emotional issues, attention issues, or other disability conditions.