Documentation Requirements
Documentation Requirements
Obtaining documentation is the first step in the registration process and we recognize that it can be a challenge to understand and navigate.
This page is designed to support your understanding of:
what documentation to obtain (jump to section);
why we require it (jump to section);
how it will be used to individualize academic accommodations (jump to section); and
what to do if you don't have documentation (jump to section).
Why do I need to provide documentation?
TMU’s Policy 159, which is the policy that guides academic accommodation, requires students seeking disability-related support to provide documentation of their disability. This documentation enables us to better understand the specific needs of each student and to ensure that appropriate accommodations are provided to create an inclusive learning environment.
We want to emphasize that the intention of post-secondary institutions is not to place the burden of proving a disability on the student. Instead, the requirement for documentation is to understand the functional limitations that you experience in an academic setting so that we can understand how your disability impacts how you learn.
Understanding these details helps us create the most appropriate, tailored, and effective accommodation plan with you, while respecting the privacy and dignity of each student registered with AAS.
How does AAS use the documentation?
Academic Accommodations are designed to grant equitable and dignified access to learning environments while upholding academic integrity.
Disability documentation supports academic accommodation planning by:
- Confirming that you are a person with a disability
- Outlining the disability-related functional impacts that you experience in an academic setting
- Supporting accommodations that are requested
Accommodation recommendations in documentation should be reasonable, appropriate for university settings, and include a clear rationale that is linked to disability-related functional limitations. Accommodation recommendations are not automatically applied or guaranteed.
Please be aware that having a disability diagnosis alone does not automatically necessitate accommodation. Accommodations are based on functional impacts that result in barriers to accessing the educational environment. To be considered for accommodations, the disability must have a significant impact on academic functioning.
Documentation relevant to specific disabilities
The type of documentation required is dependent on your diagnosis and we may request more information if needed. All documentation must be completed by a health care provider qualified to make the relevant diagnosis. Please note that AAS does not provide services to diagnose disabilities.
Select the documentation requirement appropriate to your diagnosis and share this information with your healthcare provider who is completing the document.
This includes acquired brain injury, traumatic brain injury, concussion, and post-concussive syndrome.
Required Documentation:
TMU Disability Assessment Form completed by a health care practitioner who is qualified to make a diagnosis; OR
Neuropsychological assessment completed recently (within the last 5 years) using adult measures.
Who can fill out the form?
- Neurologist
- Neuropsychologist
- Psychologist
- Psychiatrist
- Psychological associate
- Family physician
- Specialist physician
- Nurse Practitioner
Required Documentation
Preferably, a psychoeducational assessment completed within the last 5 years using adult measures; OR
TMU Disability Assessment Form completed by a health care practitioner who is qualified to make the diagnosis
ADHD diagnoses made from symptom count-based checklists or rating scales are not sufficient.
Who can fill out the form?
- Registered psychologist
- Psychiatrist
- Family physician with relevant training
- Nurse Practitioner with relevant training
Please note that both psychoeducational assessment and TMU Disability Assessment Form indicating a diagnosis of ADHD/ADD must be based on the following diagnostic criteria. We encourage you to share this information with the healthcare provider who is completing your documentation.
ADHD/ADD Diagnostic Criteria
- Criteria #1: Meet the DSM-5 definition of ADHD/ADD:
- Individual shows a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development; and
- Confirms the student exhibits five (5) or more symptoms of inattention and/or five (5) or more symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity; and
- Confirms that symptoms:
- Were present before 12 years of age;1
- Reduces functioning in two or more areas of life: home, school, work, family and friends, or other activities;
- Cannot be explained by another mental disorder such as mood, anxiety, dissociative or personality disorders.
- Criteria #2: Testing must be comprehensive. In assessing students for ADHD/ADD, qualified clinicians must base their diagnosis, at minimum, on the following:
- A structured diagnostic interview that assesses:
- family history
- relevant development and academic markers
- presence/absence of co-existing disorders (e.g., mood or anxiety disorders, substance use, Neuromedical conditions, symptom exaggeration)
- other conditions or behaviors that can mimic ADHD
- Data from different sources – student, significant other, parents, school records and employment records;
- Confirmation that symptoms were present prior to age 12, even if symptoms were not functionally limiting until adolescence;
- Confirmation that symptoms have been present for at least 6 months;
- Clinical observations of hyperactive behavior, impulsive speech, and/or distractibility;
- Established impairment in one or more life areas, including social, academic or employment settings;
- Accounting for periods when student was symptom free (if applicable);
- Details of ADHD medication use and treatment response (if applicable).
- A structured diagnostic interview that assesses:
- Criteria # 3: The assessment must be completed by a professional who is trained and qualified to make the relevant diagnosis.
*Individuals can exhibit ADHD symptoms in childhood but not be diagnosed until adulthood because of dismissive attitudes or because supportive environments and/or cognitive strengths mitigated childhood symptoms (Mitchell et al., 2019).
Mitchell, J. T., et al. (2019). A qualitative analysis of contextual factors relevant to suspected late-onset ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 25(5), 724–735. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054719837743 (external link) .
Required Documentation
TMU Disability Assessment Form completed by a health care practitioner who is qualified to make a diagnosis; OR
Neuropsychological assessment completed recently using adult measures; OR
Psychoeducational assessment completed recently using adult measures.
Who can fill out the form?
- Registered psychologist
- Psychiatrist
- Family physician
- Nurse Practitioner
Required Documentation
TMU Disability Assessment Form completed by a health care practitioner who is qualified to make a diagnosis
Who can fill out the form?
- Registered psychologist
- Family physician
- Nurse Practitioner
Required Documentation
TMU Disability Assessment Form completed by a health care practitioner who is qualified to make a diagnosis
Who can fill out the form?
- Specialist physician/audiologist
- Family physician
Required Documentation
Psychoeducational assessment completed within the last 5 years using adult measures and must be based on the below diagnostic criteria
Individual Education Plans (IEP) can be submitted as additional documentation, but are not accepted on their own.
Who can fill out the form?
- Registered psychologist
- Psychological associate
Psychoeducational assessment criteria:
- Criteria #1: The assessment must be completed within the past 5-years using adult-based norms.
- Assessments completed with child-based norms or outside of the 5-year time frame will be considered case-by-case for interim support while the student arranges an updated assessment.
- Criteria #2: Provide a clear diagnostic statement.
- The report must have a clear diagnostic statement identifying the student's learning disability. If another diagnosis is applicable, this should also be provided.
- Non-specific terms such as “suggests” or “is indicative of” are not accepted
- Terms such as “attention problems”, “test anxiety/difficulty” are not diagnoses and are not accepted
- Criteria #3: The diagnostic testing must be comprehensive.
- The testing should be comprehensive and no single test should be used in isolation for the purpose of diagnosis.
- The diagnostic testing must address several domains including but not necessarily limited to:
- Aptitude
- Achievement
- Information Processing/Memory
- Social-Emotional Status
- Executive Functioning
- Effort Testing
- Criteria #4: Include all test scores/data.
- Actual standardized test scores and/or percentiles must be provided. Grade and age equivalent scores alone are not acceptable.
- This information helps us in planning an appropriate support plan and reasonable accommodations.
- Criteria #5: Accommodation recommendations are reasonable
- The report must include specific recommendations for academic accommodations and an explanation of why each accommodation is recommended.
- Recommendations should support functional limitations
- Recommended accommodations should be realistic and appropriate for a university setting.
- In addition to the above 5 criteria, AAS follows the recent guidelines for diagnosis and assessment of learning disabilities (external link) , written by the Ontario Psychological Association (updated October 2022).
- Students with psychoeducational reports that fail to meet this criteria may be required to undergo further diagnostic assessment prior to receiving full accommodations.
Required Documentation
TMU Disability Assessment Form completed by a health care practitioner who is qualified to make a diagnosis.
Who can fill out the form?
- Specialist physician (optometrist, ophthalmologist)
- Family physician
Required Documentation
TMU Disability Assessment Form completed by a health care practitioner who is qualified to make a diagnosis
If providing a specific mental health diagnosis:
A clear diagnostic statement and DSM-V code must be provided.
Non-clinical and/or non-specific terms such as “anxiety” or “test anxiety/difficulty” are not diagnoses and are not accepted.
Who can fill out the form?
- Registered psychologist
- Psychiatrist
- Family physician
- Nurse Practitioner
Additional documentation completed by other health care providers (such as therapists and social workers) may be submitted to provide supplemental information regarding your disability, but a formal diagnosis must be provided by the above individuals qualified to make a relevant diagnosis.
Don't have a doctor? Book an in-person appointment with the TMU Medical Centre for a Mental Health Assessment.
Required Documentation
TMU Disability Assessment Form completed by a health care practitioner who is qualified to make a diagnosis
Who can fill out the form?
- Specialist physician
- Family physician
- Nurse Practitioner
Supplemental Documentation
Additional documentation may be submitted to provide more information regarding your disability or accommodation history. The following documentation can be provided as supporting documentation, but does not replace the formal documentation requirements stated above:
- Individual Education Plan (IEP)
- Accommodation Letters/Plans from other post-secondary institutions
- Documentation completed by health-care providers unable to provide a diagnosis including:
- Nurses
- Occupational Therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Psychotherapists and Mental Health Therapists
- Speech-Language Pathologists
- Social Workers and Social Services Workers
OSAP Disability Verification Form (DVF)
If you are a student applying for OSAP, please be aware that OSAP also requires documentation that verifies the presence of a disability - this is called the OSAP Disability Verification Form (DVF).
The OSAP DVF is different from the documentation used to register with AAS. This form does not typically provide enough details to understand your functional limitations in an academic setting and therefore create a comprehensive accommodation plan.
While lacking some of the details we require, an OSAP DVF may provide a starting point for establishing a basic interim accommodation plan while you arrange additional documentation.
OSAP DVF:
Is used to verify your status as a person with a disability for Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) purposes.
Provides eligiblity for some students to receive full time OSAP funding when taking a reduced courseload of 40% or more.
May qualify you for certain funding through the Ontario Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD) and/or the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment – Students with Disabilities (CSG-DSE).
Does not provide enough details about your disability-related impacts in academic environments to create a comprehensive accommodation plan
What if I don't have documentation?
While you must have a documented disability diagnosis in order to register with AAS, we recognize that there may be barriers or delays in obtaining this documentation.
If you are in the process of being assessed and/or meeting with your doctor to complete the appropriate documentation, we suggest starting the registration process by selecting a Registration Option and submitting the relevant intake form. In the intake form, you can let us know that you will be sending us your documentation once received and we will follow up with you.
If you are having trouble obtaining updated documentation but have older/supplemental documentation, we encourage you to provide us with what you have as a starting point and we can work with you to get new documentation if needed.