Student Accommodations & Testing

Non-apparent Cognitive Disabilities

A note for parents and students:

Below is a short explanation regarding the documentation requirements for non-apparent cognitive disabilities, such as learning disabilities, psychological disabilities, and attention deficit disorder (ADD):

The documentation requirements that may postsecondary institutions have for learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder are often quite different from those required by the K-12 system. Postsecondary institutions need a clear statement of disability and its current effect on the student in an educational setting. Starting college is a good time to obtain a clear, comprehensive, current, and age-appropriate diagnostic report. You may want to request such an evaluation through your school during your senior year of high school.

In order for the Office of Student Accommodations & Testing (OSAT) to require an instructor to allow a student to have an academic variance (such as extended test times), which is not given to other students, we must have up-to-date information regarding a student's disability. We are often asked to verify an accommodations request for national standardized tests, such as the PPST, GRE, LSAT, or the NTE. These agencies have very specific requirements for what constitutes a disability (i.e. a condition that substantially limits a major life activity). We cannot verify these requests without the proper documentation in our files.

To that end, we suggest that you start this documentation process as soon as possible, so if any re-testing is necessary, there will be ample time to complete the process before high school graduation. A good starting point is to complete the WSU Documentation of Learning Disabilities Form, completed by a person qualified to diagnose a learning disability or ADD.

If you have questions regarding this explanation, contact the Office of Student Accommodations & Testing by emailing OSAT@wichita.edu or calling (316) 978-3309.