Information for parents

Starting college is a big transition for students—and for parents. You can help your young adult make this transition successfully by encouraging independent living skills while she is still in high school.

For example, if your student has a disability, be sure she knows how to take charge of all aspects of her disability, such as knowing how to schedule and keep appointments, understanding when and how to take medications, knowing the name of her disability and how to describe its impact in an academic environment, and how to work with others to arrange for accommodations. Help your young adult develop successful self-advocacy skills.

Documentation

To receive disability-related accommodations at the University of Minnesota, students must identify themselves to DS as having a disability and provide adequate documentation of the disabling condition. Documentation must provide a diagnosis of the student’s condition and explain how it “substantially limits” one or more major life activities.

Documentation needs to come from an appropriately licensed professional. It must be recent, and it must adequately explain how the condition impacts the way the student functions in a university environment. The information must be clear and detailed because it will be used to determine the accommodations the student will receive. It is important to keep in mind that DS recommends accommodations only for disabilities that you identify for us by providing documentation.

Your student’s disability specialist will explain what documentation is necessary for his or her disability. Most health care professionals provide documentation letters at no charge, but if yours does not, you are responsible for the cost of documentation. If DS requires a second opinion, the University will be responsible for the cost of that documentation. Please talk with the disability specialist if you have questions.