Neurological Disorders

Professionals conducting the assessment, rendering a diagnosis, and providing recommendations for reasonable accommodations must be qualified to do so (e.g., licensed physician, neurologist, neuropsychologist). 

Neurological Disorders Verification Form (PDF; opens in new window)

Neurological disorders are numerous and refer to impairment of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles. Examples of neurological disorders include, but are not limited to: cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, sleep disorders, stroke, or traumatic brain injury. Documentation submitted in relation to a neurological disorder must state a student’s current functional limitations and may require periodic updates if there are changes in the student’s functioning. The nature of the specific neurological disorder and its impact on the student should be reflected in the documentation submitted to SDR by addressing the following:

• Evidence of current neurological impairment, including presenting symptoms and their duration and severity

• Symptoms of neurological disorder must interfere with or reduce the quality of functioning in the educational environment and possibly home, social, work, or other setting

• Symptoms and functional impairment attributed to the neurological disorder should be determined through the administration of a neurological diagnostic test and/or a neuropsychological evaluation that includes an assessment of multiple neurocognitive and emotional functions (e.g., intellectual functions; academic skills; receptive and expressive language skills; attention; learning and memory; visuospatial abilities; executive functioning, problem-solving, and reasoning; sensorimotor skills; social-emotional functioning)

• Symptoms of neurological disorder cannot be attributed to or better explained by another diagnosis, including but not limited to learning disability or mood disorder

• Individual’s history relevant to current neurological impairment, which may include developmental, familial, medical, pharmacological, psychological, or psychosocial histories

• Symptoms of neurological disorder and associated functional limitations in the academic environment and possibly other settings should warrant reasonable accommodations, which are presented in terms of a summary and recommendations (i.e., symptom and suggested reasonable accommodation to mitigate symptom)