Learning Disability and ADHD Assessment
What's New at the Counseling Center
Counseling Center
LD/ADHD Assessment Procedures
Sections
The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) has created a Parent Advocacy Brief entitled "Transition to College: Strategic Planning to Ensure Success for Students With Learning Disabilities." This document contains essential information for both parents and students about the different legal and pragmatic issues affecting students' with learning disabilities transition from secondary school to a college/university. Much of this information is also relevant for individuals with ADHD. To read the NCLD's Parent Advocacy Brief, please click here.
All SIUC students are eligible for testing at SIUC's Counseling Center.
The first step in obtaining any of the Counseling Center's ongoing services is to schedule a paperwork appointment. This scheduled appointment typically takes about one hour, and involves the completion of several agency forms and questionnaires. When you arrive for this appointment, you will also be given several documents describing important Counseling Center policies, and important information about the agency's assessment procedures.
Please bring any/all previous records and documentation of your learning disability/ADHD with you to your paperwork appointment. Also, please bring copies only of the following: 1.) any/all transcripts of your college work; 2.) any/all high school transcripts; 3.) any/all available grade reports from middle school and elementary school; and 4.) any/all copies of previous evaluations, IEPs, rrelevant medical records, etc. These records are a very important part of your evaluation and, in most cases, your evaluation cannot be completed without them.
After completing your paperwork appointment, you will be scheduled to complete the second step in obtaining any of the Counseling Center's ongoing services: an intake interview (see below). Make certain you inform the receptionist that you are here for learning disability/ADHD assessment, so that your intake will be scheduled with the appropriate person. Give your copies of the paperwork listed above to the receptionist so that they can put that information in your file.
To schedule a paperwork appointment, contact the Counseling Center at 453-5371, or come to our office located at the Student Health Center, Room 253. You will be asked to speak with a counselor prior to making the appointment. Be certain to tell the counselor that you are seeking LD/ADHD testing.
The second step in obtaining any of the Counseling Center's ongoing services is to schedule an intake interview after completing your paperwork appointment. Unlike the paperwork appointment, the intake interview for assessment services typically takes about ninety minutes. For scheduling reasons, it is essential that students arrive on time for their intake interview. Students arriving late for their intake may be required to reschedule their appointment. During the interview, you will be asked many questions about your current academic performance, your academic history, and your personal life. This information, in addition to the information provided from your paperwork appointment, is necessary to determine whether to continue with a formal evaluation. If testing is warranted, you will be placed on the wait list and scheduled for an evaluation at the earliest possible time. If you were referred by SIUC's Office of Disability Support Services (DSS), they may have opened a temporary file for you and may be providing you with limited services. If they haven't and you need help, let your intake clinician know so that we can help you with this.
If testing is warranted, you will be scheduled for evaluation at the earliest possible time. Be mindful that the demand for this service is very high, and we have a limited number of clinicians providing this service. Although every effort is made to schedule your testing in a timely fashion, you may experience significant wait time before you can be tested. The more flexibility you have in your schedule, the more likely it is we will be able to schedule your testing sooner.
Available testing times also vary depending upon counselors' schedules. Some counselors can schedule your testing for one entire day, while others will need to meet with you for a few hours on separate days.
Depending upon each student's unique characteristics, a formal assessment may include tests of intelligence, achievement (reading, writing, math, oral language), memory, information processing, study skills, and emotional functioning. Testing typically takes at least 6 to 8 hours to complete, but can take longer. After you have completed the formal testing, it will be at least several weeks before the results are ready. Once the assessment report has been written, you will be contacted to schedule a feedback session (see below).
This is the final step in your assessment process at the Counseling Center. At this scheduled meeting, your counselor will provide you with a written report of your assessment results, and discuss those results with you. This discussion will include: 1.) a summary of the main findings of your evaluation; 2.) any relevant diagnostic information; 3.) specific recommendations based on relevant diagnostic information; and 4.) an opportunity to have your questions answered.
Click here to go a description of the Counseling Center's ADHD Support Group.
Click here to go to our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Click here to return to Learning Disability & ADHD Assessment main page.
Click here to go to Counseling Center's home page.
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