Head injury or traumatic brain injury is considered a medical or clinical diagnosis. Individuals qualified to render a diagnosis for these disorders are practitioners who have been trained in the assessment of head injury or traumatic brain injury. Recommended practitioners include: physicians, neurologists, licensed, clinical, rehabilitation and school psychologists; neuropsychologists and psychiatrists. The diagnostician must be an impartial individual who is not a family member of the student.

The following guidelines are provided to assist the Office for Students with Disabilities in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations. Documentation serves as a foundation that legitimizes a student's request for appropriate accommodations. Documentation must include:

1. A clear statement of the head injury or traumatic brain injury and the probable site of lesion.
2. Documentation for eligibility must reflect the current impact the head injury has on the student's functioning (the age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, the current status of the student and the student's request for accommodations).
3. A summary of cognitive and achievement measures used and evaluation results including standardized scores or percentiles used to make the diagnosis.
4. A summary of present residual symptoms which meet the criteria for diagnosis.
5. Medical information relating to student's needs to include the impact of medication on the student's ability to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment.
6. A statement of the functional impact or limitation of the disability on learning or other major life activity and the degree to which it impacts the individual in the learning context for which accommodations are being requested.

Further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required if co-existing learning disabilities or other disabling conditions are indicated. The student and the Office for Students with Disabilities collaboratively determine appropriate accommodations.

The above information should be provided in a typewritten report, signed by the evaluator, on professional letterhead bearing the name, license number and professional credential of the evaluator.

Documentation must also meet the general documentation requirements.

The evaluator may also complete the Medical Disability Documentation Form to provide additional information on physical sequelae of the brain injury and attach any other supporting information (e.g., neurological or psycho-educational test reports, etc.).

Source: The Policy Book, LRP Publications, 2000
7/1/03 vs 1.0

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See Accommodation Procedures.

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Students have the right to choose not to provide documentation of a disability. However, UT Arlington is under no obligation to provide accommodations if students do not identify themselves. If a student discloses a disabling condition to a faculty or staff member, faculty and staff have been asked to refer the student to the appropriate office on campus for verification of disability and determination of appropriate accommodations.

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Typical accommodations for these disabilities are usually provided through our Adaptive Resource Center. They usually consist of but are not limited to longer time for tests (up to double time), and a quiet, reduced-distraction environment. These are issued on an individual basis and must be justified by documentation.

For more information on types of accommodations or suggestions for instructors see the Accommodations FAQ page or the Faculty Guide.

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