Approximately 100 postsecondary institutional guidelines were evaluated, with five topics targeted for review: currency of the testing, examiner qualifications, required diagnostic areas, required or suggested tests, and unaccepted tests. A summary of the compiled data follows:
Ninety-six percent of the respondents indicated that an office of disability services makes final decisions regarding eligibility, and 53% used their professional judgment when making decisions.
Forty-five percent considered testing to be "current" if it were 3 years old or less; 3% if 5 years old or less; and 17% if it were "recent."
Seventy-five percent of the postsecondary service providers relied on recommendations for the requested accommodations and the reasonableness of the requests; 67% when making their decisions.
Sixty-seven percent suggested specific tests that they consider acceptable for documenting an LD. Having advance knowledge of which institutions preferred which tests may help guide evaluation teams in their choice of instruments.
Twenty-five percent used some form of discrepancy model to document an LD.
Seventy percent used the ADA and Section 504 language to guide their documentation decisions; 30% used the former AHEAD guidelines (determined by AHEAD in 2003 to no longer provide appropriate guidance), and 14% used statewide guidelines.
Thirty-nine percent used the IEP/504 Plan when considering eligibility and requests for accommodations, but do not consider them sufficient in making eligibility and accommodation decisions.
Forty-two percent required adult-normed assessments.