Head Injury or Traumatic Brain Injury is considered a medical or clinical diagnosis. Individuals qualified to render a diagnosis for these disorders are practitioners who have been trained in the assessment of Head Injury or Traumatic Brain Injury. Recommended practitioners may include physicians; neurologists; licensed clinical, rehabilitation and school psychologists; neuropsychologists and psychiatrists. The diagnostician should be an impartial individual who is not a family member.

The following guidelines are provided to assist the Disability Services Director in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations. Documentation serves as a foundation that legitimizes a student’s request for appropriate accommodations. Recommended documentation includes:

1. A clear statement of the head injury or traumatic brain injury and the probable site of lesion;
2. Documentation for eligibility should be current, preferably within the last three years; (the age of acceptable documentation is dependant upon the disabling condition, the current status of the student and the student’s specific request for accommodations);
3. A summary of cognitive and achievement measures used and evaluation results including standardized scores or percentiles used to make the diagnosis;
4. A summary of present residual symptoms which meet the criteria for diagnosis;
5. Medical information relating to student’s needs to include the impact of medication on the student’s ability to meet the demands of the post-secondary environment.

Further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required if co-existing learning disabilities or other disabling conditions are indicated. The student and the UM-Helena Disability Services Director collaboratively determine appropriate accommodations.