The California Community College Chancellor's Office has established clear Learning Disability Assessment guidelines for determining a student's eligibility for related accommodations and services.
The DSPS Department establishes and administers the proceedures for ensuring that reasonable accommodations are provided for a student's documented learning disability so that the student has an equal opportunity to participate in San Diego Mesa College's courses, activities, or programs.
The diagnostic information required for the Learning Disability Assessment is confidential. Faculty and staff, for example, have neither the "need to know" nor the right to access diagnostic information regarding a student's disability. Faculty need only know that the accommodations being granted have been verified by the DSPS Department and are necessary to guarantee an equal opportunity for the college student who has a documented Learning Disability.
The required steps for students requesting a Learning Disability Assessment are:
- Submit a completed Mesa College Application.
- Submit a completed Mesa College DSPS Application.
- Verify that you have either attended a DSPS Orientation in person or reviewed the on-line version.
- Request delivery to Mesa DSPS of any previous documentation verifying a learning disability.
- Complete the Learning Disability Intake Interview Packet. This packet is available in the DSPS Office (H202) or as an on-line download on this Web site.
- Submit the completed Intake Interview Packet to the DSPS Department office either in person or by FAX (619-388-2460).
a. Please check that you have reviewed and signed the "Consent to Assess" agreement at the front of the packet.
b. If you received LD related services in high school, please include a copy of that documentation.
At this point you will be assigned a Counselor and given a "Pending Status" at Mesa DSPS - Obtain an ADD Code from your DSPS counselor for DSPS 40, Individual Assessment & Educational Planning listed in the Mesa Class Schedule.This is primarily an individualized, 1/2 unit course in which a formal LD Eligibility Assessment is conducted by a DSPS Learning Disability Specialist.
The DSPS 40 course typically requires:
a. One initial group Intake meeting for orientation and initial achievement skill assessments. (1-1/2 hrs)
b. One or two individual meetings with the LD Specialist for an achievement assessment (2 1/2 hrs)
c. One or two individual meetings with the LD Specialist to complete a cognitive ability assessment (2 1/2 hrs)
d. One individual meeting with the LD Specialist to discuss the results of the LD Eligibility Assessment (1 hr)
e. A "follow-up" meeting with the student's DSPS Counselor is required before receiving services. (1hr) - Sign up for the DSPS 40 initial Group Intake meeting through your DSPS Counselor.
- Register and pay for the DSPS 40 course using Reg-E online registration or Class Talk (619-624-2100). You must be registered in order to attend the Initial Group Intake meeting. If you fail to pay your enrollment fees within the colleges stated time period, the computerized enrollment system will drop you from the course.
- After completing the LD Eligibilty Assessment, you will be referred to a DSPS counselor for a follow-up meeting to either establish an Educational Contract securing related accommodations and services, or to explore other referrals and educational recommendations if you are determined not eligible for LD related services.
Prof. Jill Jansen LD Specialist Counselor,
LD Eligibility Assessment
Email: jjansen@sdccd.edu