CCBC Catonsville: Disability Support Services K-200 (443) 840-5617 (V/TTY)
CCBC Dundalk: Disability Support Services A-100 (443) 840-3774 or (443) 840-3529 (TTY)
CCBC Essex: Disability Support Services A-210 (443) 840-1741 or (443) 840-1601 (TTY)
The following guidelines are provided so that CCBC, through the disability support office on each campus can respond appropriately to the individual needs of the student. Each office will determine eligibility for reasonable accommodations based on the content of the documentation submitted by the student. The disability support office reserves the right to request additional documentation, and/or an update of documentation previously submitted and may request the written consent of the student to contact his/her health professional to discuss information contained in the documentation.
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR DOCUMENTATION OF A DISABILITY
The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) with campuses at Catonsville, Dundalk, and Essex, is committed to the philosophy of nondiscrimination for individuals with disabilities and ensures that all programs and activities of the College are in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. In order to fully evaluate requests for reasonable accommodations or auxiliary aids in the college environment, CCBC requires proper documentation of the disability, including an evaluation by an appropriate professional describing the current impact of the disability as it relates to the college environment. It is the student’s responsibility to provide this documentation to the appropriate Disability Support Services’ office, where it will be kept in a confidential file.
For individuals who have recently received services from a public school system, necessary information would most likely be contained in the most recent psychological and educational evaluations.
While documentation may meet CCBC’s requirements to support accommodations, the student should be prepared to provide additional and/or more current documentation when transferring to a 4 year institution or when requesting accommodations for any standardized tests required for professional or career certifications such as the TEAS, NCLEX, PRAXIS, CDL, etc.
CCBC recognizes that the specific elements and format of the evaluations will vary. These guidelines are intended to assist students and professionals as they provide information that supports appropriate and reasonable accommodations. Any questions regarding these guidelines may be directed to the appropriate office noted above.
Guidelines for documenting an Autism Spectrum Disorder:
A psycho-educational evaluation that provides a diagnosis of a cognitive disability must be submitted. A statement indicating the current status and impact of the disability in an academic setting should be included. If another diagnosis is applicable (e.g., ADD/HD), mood disorder), it should be stated.
The recency of the documentation is dependent on the nature/stability of the disability. Documentation must reflect the current array of symptoms/features and level of functioning; if the documentation does not, students may be required to submit up-dated information and/or documentation.
The evaluation must be performed by a certified/licensed professional. The evaluator's name, title, and professional credentials and affiliation should be provided.
The evaluation should be based on a comprehensive assessment battery:
1. Aptitude: Average broad cognitive functioning must be demonstrated on an individually administered intelligence test based on adult norms, such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R or WAIS-IV), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC—R or WISC-IV), or Woodcock Johnson (WJ-R) Cognitive Battery. Subscales/subtests scores should be listed.
2. Academic Achievement: A comprehensive academic achievement battery, such as WJ-R, must document achievement deficits relative to potential. The battery should include current levels of academic functioning in relevant areas, such as reading (comprehension, decoding), oral and written language, and mathematics. Standard scores, grade levels, and percentages for subtests administered should be stated.
3. Information Processing: Specific areas of information processing (e.g., short- and long-term memory, abstract reasoning) should be assessed.
4. Social-Emotional Assessment: To provide information needed to establish appropriate services, a social-emotional assessment, using formal assessment instruments and/or clinical interview, should be conducted.
5. Clinical Summary: A diagnostic summary should present a diagnosis of a cognitive disability; provide impressions of the testing situation; interpret the testing data; indicate how patterns in cognitive ability, achievement, and information processing reflect the disability; and recommend specific accommodations based on disability-related deficits.
A supporting letter may be submitted by a certified / licensed professional or practitioner in addition to the assessment to support reasonable accommodations.
It is recommended that documentation of a disability should be submitted to the appropriate Disability Support Services Office prior to the first appointment.
