Student Disability Services

Student Disability Services (SDS) provides students with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from programs and services offered at PTC.  The college is committed to providing equal access and opportunity to all students so that each might realize their full potential. We provide appropriate services and accommodations to students with documented disabilities in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act (ADAAA). Confidentiality of a student’s disability records is maintained in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which restricts the college’s release of certain records without the written consent of the student.

Appropriate and reasonable accommodations are available to assist any student who has a documented disability while attending PTC. Students must self-identify as a student with a disability to the SDS counselor and provide appropriate documentation in order to receive accommodations.

Services are available to students who have disabilities including, but not limited to, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD), learning disabilities, chronic medical conditions, psychological disabilities, mobility disabilities, neurological disabilities, orthopedic disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and sensory disabilities (hearing, vision). Services are available for all students attending PTC, including Dual Enrollment, Continuing Education and Technical Education students.

How to Request Accommodations

​Step 1:  Student self-identifies to SDS and completes the Intake Form.

Step 2:  Student provides appropriate documentation. See below for guidelines.

Step 3:  Student and counselor complete the Intake Interview to determine reasonable accommodations.

Step 4:  Accommodation letters are prepared and emailed to instructor(s) and student.

• Each semester, student must complete the Request Accommodation Letter form located on the SDS website page.
• After completing the Request Accommodation Letter form, letters will be emailed directly to instructor(s) and student the first week of class. (Accommodation letters will not be sent if the Request form is not completed)
• Student should discuss accommodation process with instructors each semester.
• Student should notify SDS counselor of any issues or changes needed in accommodations.

Required Documentation  Standard Documentation Form

Students are responsible for supplying recent and appropriate information and documentation to Student Disability Services. Sources of information for determining a disability and accommodations may include the student’s self-report, direct observation and interaction between SDS counselor and the student, and documentation from qualified professionals. Disability documentation might include a letter or medical record from a qualified professional stating the student's disability, functional limitations of the disability and types of accommodations suggested. Documentation from Vocational Rehabilitation, Veterans Administration or other colleges where you have received services may also be used.

Students coming from high school may submit their 504 Plan or IEP along with the Psycho-Educational Evaluation. The Psycho-Educational Evaluation, in particular, will assist the college in determining eligibility for services and will help determine reasonable accommodations in college. Please note: College accommodations may differ from those allowed in high school.

If the submitted documentation is incomplete or does not support your accommodation request, you may be asked to provide additional or updated information. If you do not have documentation, we encourage you to meet with the SDS Counselor to discuss your situation and possible referral for documentation.  Please keep in mind that professionals may suggest accommodations; however, PTC makes the final decision about eligibility and appropriate accommodations.

For more information about documentation requirements for various disabilities, please see below for specific guidelines. Any questions about documentation should be discussed with the SDS Counselor.

Documentation Guidelines by Disability

ADD/ADHD

PTC requires current and comprehensive disability documentation to assess eligibility for disability services and reasonable accommodations for students with ADD/ADHD. The Student Disability Services (SDS) Counselor is available to provide guidance about documentation requirements for students registering with SDS or seeking an evaluation. Please have your health care provider complete the Standard Documentation Form. If preferred, the medical provider can write a letter that addresses the questions on the form and/or provides further detail.  

ADHD documentation must meet the standards below:

• Credentials of the Evaluator
  Disability documentation must be provided by a licensed or credentialed professional with relevant training and experience. The name, title and professional credentials of the evaluator should be clearly stated in the documentation.  Reports should be typed or handwritten legibly, dated and signed. A provider who has a personal relationship with the student may not provide disability documentation.
   
• Current Diagnosis
  Disability documentation must include a current diagnostic statement and should include the current overall level of severity of the condition, along with an assessment of all relevant symptoms.  Accommodations are based on an assessment of the current nature and impact of a disability.
   
• Assessment of Functional Limitations
  Provide a description of current functional limitations that are a direct result of problems with attention, executive functioning, and emotional regulation deficits.
   
• Treatment/Medication and Prognosis
  Provide a description of the efficacy of academic accommodations that have been utilized by the student, and use of medication and therapy to address symptoms and the effectiveness of treatment.
   
• Recommended Accommodations
  It is helpful for the evaluator to recommend accommodations or services in a post-secondary academic setting that will address the functional impact of the condition or its treatment. Accommodation recommendations should be directly connected to the limitations caused by the condition.

Learning Disabilities

PTC requires a current and comprehensive neuro-psychological or psycho-educational evaluation to assess eligibility for disability services and reasonable accommodations for students with learning disabilities. The Student Disability Services (SDS) counselor is available to provide guidance about documentation requirements for students registering with SDS or seeking an evaluation.

Learning disability documentation must meet the standards below.

• Credentials of the Evaluator
  Disability documentation must be provided by an educational, clinical, or neuro-psychologist or other relevant professional with training and expertise in learning disability assessment. The name, title and professional credentials of the evaluator should be clearly stated in the documentation.  Reports should be typed or handwritten legibly, dated and signed. A provider who has a personal relationship with the student may not provide disability documentation.
   
• Current Diagnosis
  Disability documentation must include a current diagnostic statement and should include the current overall level of severity of the condition, along with an assessment of all relevant symptoms.  Accommodations are based on an assessment of the current nature and impact of a disability. An IEP and Psycho-Educational Evaluation from high school may qualify you for basic accommodations such as extra time for testing and low distraction testing area. Please contact SDS to discuss your individual situation.
   
• Assessment of Learning
  Disability documentation must include the relevant areas listed below, using the most recent edition of each instrument and a comparison to the adult norm-referenced group. Include an appendix with all scores obtained during the course of the evaluation, including scaled and percentile scores.
   
  • Aptitude/Cognitive Ability
  • Achievement
  • Cognitive and Information Processing including memory, processing speed and cognitive fluency
     
• Clinical Summary including the following:
  • A demonstration that the evaluator has ruled out alternative explanations for academic problems (because of poor education, poor motivation and/or study skills, emotional problems, attentional problems or cultural/language differences).
  • A description of patterns in the student's cognitive ability, achievement, and information processing that support the diagnosis of a learning disability.
  • Observations of behavior during the evaluation which may have helped to form the diagnostic impression.
     
• Recommended Accommodations
  It is helpful for the evaluator to recommend accommodations or services in a post-secondary academic setting that will address the functional impact of the condition. Accommodation recommendations should be directly connected to the limitations caused by the condition.

Psychological Disabilities

PTC requires current and comprehensive disability documentation to assess eligibility for disability services and reasonable accommodations for students with psychological disabilities. Psychological disabilities includes, but is not limited to anxiety, depression, bipolar, PTSD, etc. Please have your health care provider complete the Standard Documentation Form. If preferred, the medical provider can write a letter that addresses the questions on the form and/or provides further detail.  

Psychological disability documentation must meet the standards below:

• Credentials of the Evaluator
  Disability documentation must be provided by a licensed or credentialed professional with relevant training and experience. The name, title and professional credentials of the evaluator should be clearly stated in the documentation.  Reports should be typed or handwritten legibly, dated and signed. A provider who has a personal relationship with the student may not provide disability documentation.
   
• Current Diagnosis
  Disability documentation must include a current diagnostic statement and should include the current overall level of severity of the condition, along with an assessment of all relevant symptoms.  Accommodations are based on an assessment of the current nature and impact of a disability.
   
• Assessment of Functional Limitations
  Provide a comprehensive description of current functional limitations that are a direct result of the impact of the condition on the student in an academic environment. Consider the severity of the impairment and its symptoms, frequency and expected duration of symptoms and impact on everyday activities.
   
• Treatment/Medication and Prognosis
  Describe the current impact of medication and/or treatment and the anticipated prognosis. Describe the treatment plan. If relevant, provide information about the cyclical or episodic nature of the condition and/or potential triggers that may intensify symptoms.
   
• Recommended Accommodations
  It is helpful for the evaluator to recommend accommodations or services in a post-secondary academic setting that will address the functional impact of the condition or its treatment. Accommodation recommendations should be directly connected to the limitations caused by the condition.

Physical Disabilities and Chronic Medical Conditions

If you have a physical disability or chronic medical condition, please have your health care provider complete the Standard Documentation Form. If preferred, the medical provider can write a letter that addresses the questions on the form and/or provides further detail.  

The medical documentation should: 

• not be completed by a provider that has a personal relationship with the student
• include the current diagnosis
• include the functional limitations and daily impact caused by the disability
• include any medications prescribed and the side effects they may cause in the academic setting
• include recommended accommodation

Sensory Disabilities

Sensory disabilities include visual and hearing disabilities.

If you have a sensory disability, please have the appropriate health care provider complete the Standard Documentation Form. If preferred, the medical provider can write a letter that addresses the questions on the form and/or provides further detail.  

The medical documentation should: 

• not be completed by a provider that has a personal relationship with the student
• include the current diagnosis
• include the functional limitations and daily impact caused by the disability
• include any assistive devices that have been prescribed (i.e. hearing aids, Cochlear™ implants)
• include recommended accommodations

Temporary Disabilities

Services are available for students with temporary disabilities to provide access to academic programs and services. Assistance cannot be provided for tasks of a personal nature, such as typing homework or assisting with personal care.

If you have a temporary disability and need accommodations for your classes, please have your health care provider complete the Standard Documentation Form. If preferred, the medical provider can write a letter that addresses the questions on the form.

The medical documentation should: 

• not be completed by a provider that has a personal relationship with the student
• include the current diagnosis
• include the functional limitations and daily impact caused by the disability
• include any medications prescribed and the side effects they may cause in the academic setting
• include recommended accommodations
• include anticipated length of time services would be required

Classroom and Testing Accommodations

Once documentation is received, the student and counselor meet to discuss reasonable accommodations needed in the classroom or testing environment. These accommodations provide equal educational opportunities to students by minimizing the impact of functional limitations in the academic setting. The accommodation process is an interactive process to understand the student's disability and how the disability may affect the student's educational experience. Please note that some accommodations may take up to two (2) weeks before being available to students.   

Outreach

Consultation and training concerning reasonable accommodations, rights of people with disabilities, sensitivity and awareness, and federal and state laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are provided if needed.

The college makes every effort to ensure access to educational opportunities in its programs. If any of the information on this webpage is not accessible to you based on your disability, please contact: Brenda Dailey, SDS Counselor, Student Success Center 101A, Voice 864-941-8378, Fax 864-941-8768 or dailey.b@ptc.edu.

Other Forms

• Intake Form
• Standard Documentation Form
• Request Accommodation Letter
• Documentation Upload
• Voluntary Accommodation Revocation Form
• Electronic Textbook Request Form
• SDS Handbook