Documentation Guidelines for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

In order to be considered a valid measure of functioning, all assessments must be provided by a licensed professional qualified to make the evaluation. This can include a developmental pediatrician, a developmental medical doctor, or a neuropsychiatrist/psychologist. An assessment from a general practitioner typically does not suffice.

Documentation serves as the foundation that legitimizes a student's request for appropriate accommodations. Documentation must be current. Because the provision of all reasonable accommodations and services are based upon an assessment of the current impact of the student’s disabilities on his/her academic performance, it is in a student’s best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation. Documentation should be no more than 3 years old. Recommended documentation should be typed on official letterhead and include:

1. A specific diagnosis resulting from a comprehensive neuropsychological examination. This should not merely refer to symptoms and should correspond to a specific DSM-V category.
2. A current evaluation of social/emotional functioning, by a separate evaluator if this information is not contained in the neuropsychological evaluation
3. A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis and a summary of evaluation results, including standardized scores:
   1. Aptitude: The Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale Revised (WAIS-R) with subtest scores is the preferred instrument. The Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery Revised: Tests of Cognitive Ability or the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition is acceptable.
   2. Achievement: Assessment of academic ability in the areas of reading, writing, and math is required. Suggested instruments include the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery Revised: Tests of Achievement; the Stanford Test of Academic Skills (TASK), or other specific achievement tests such as the Test of Written Language-2 (TOWL), the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests Revised, or the Stanford Diagnostic Mathematics Test. The Wide Range Achievement Test is not a comprehensive measure of achievement and therefore is not suitable as a sole measure of achievement.
   3. Information processing: Specific areas of information processing (e.g., short- and long-term memory, sequential memory, auditory and visual perception/processing, and processing speed) must be assessed. Use of the subtests from the WAIS-R or the Woodcock Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability is acceptable.
4. A statement of the functional impact or limitations 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