Guidelines for Communication and Speech

Communication and Speech

A specific speech disability must currently substantially limit some major life activity, including learning, to support eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Documentation must, therefore, support this eligibility as well as any requests for reasonable accommodations. The following guidelines describe the necessary components of acceptable documentation for students with speech disabilities. Students are encouraged to provide their clinicians with a copy of these guidelines.

Speech Disability

Students requesting accommodations on the basis of a speech/language disability must provide documentation consisting of:

• A clearly written statement of the disability diagnosed by a qualified professional trained in this area (e.g.' physician, speech/language pathologist, neurologist, etc.); and
• A summary of the various evaluation tools used in determining the specific disability; and
• A summary of present symptoms and how these symptoms affect the student's functioning, specifically in relation to the post-secondary environment; and
• Current documentation is preferred.