What the student must do:
MHGS would like to assist students concerning any disabilities for which they are eligible to receive accommodations in order that they get the most from their MHGS experience. Students seeking support services should report their assistance request to the Registrar. All requests for such assistance are reviewed on the basis of a formal diagnosis of a disability [including (ADD) attention deficit disorder & (AD/HD) attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder].  Students are required to submit documentation to verify eligibility. The cost and responsibility for providing this professional evaluation shall be borne by the student. To document his/her need for accommodations and services, this evaluation should meet the following requirements:

1. A professional [e.g. licensed psychologist, psychiatrist or physician] qualified to diagnose specific disabilities should prepare the report submitted by the student. Experience in evaluation of adults is essential. Testing must be current. In most cases, this means that the testing should have been conducted within three years of the student’s initial request for disability-related services at the graduate school.

2. The documentation should demonstrate that the student has a disability in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA] and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Requests that are not supported by proper documentation will not be approved.

3. The report should be on professional letterhead, signed by the individual making the diagnosis, and include the following information:
a. Length of time the diagnostician has treated the student and the last date of contact;
b. Instruments, procedures and data sources utilized in the diagnostic process;
c. Current symptoms that satisfy the DSM-IV or DSM-IV-TR criteria;
d. Treatment being used;
e. How this disorder impacts the student in the postsecondary environment;
f. Diagnostician’s name, title, license number, address and phone number; and

4. There must be clear and specific evidence and identification of the student’s disabilities. Individual learning or processing differences do not, by themselves, constitute a learning disability. Comprehensive assessment includes [a] educational history [b] behavioral observations [c] clearly specified and described intra-cognitive and/or cognitive-achievement discrepancies and [d] recommendations for academic accommodations based on the assessment findings.

5. All documentation shall remain in a private confidential file. MHGS reserves the right to consult with diagnosticians as needed.

What the institution must do:
Once documentation of a disability has been received and verified by the Academic  Office, an individual response to support the student is determined depending on the nature of the disability and availability of resources.  The individual response plan is based on dialog between the student and the Registrar at least four weeks prior to the beginning of the term.  The plan will be communicated to the faculty member(s) as necessary. Common support services utilized by students at MHGS include but are not limited to: 

Academic Office
* Private settings with limited distractions for testing.
* Additional time allowed for individuals during test taking.
* Permission to audiotape class sessions.

Instructors
* Class outlines provided on disk prior to the beginning of each class.
* Strategy for allowing for student participation in class.
* Oral exams in place of written tests.
* Alternative assignments explored.

Student Leadership
* Tutoring assistance.
* Class notes provided.
* Assistance in locating required reading text on tape.

If there are questions regarding this policy, please contact the Registrar.