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Getting Started

Welcome! If you have a disability or suspect you may have one, we can help.

Registering with Our Office

If you have documentation of a disability, please complete the following steps:

  1. Complete and submit our Student Service Request Form (PDF).
  2. Submit documentation of your condition to Student Accessibility Services (SAS) or via FAX 603-646-3727. One way of doing this is asking your current provider to complete our SAS Verification Form (fillable if downloaded PDF) or SAS Verification Form (Word). This form is not needed if you are submitting a psychoeducational evaluation report. See the next section for additional information regarding documentation.
  3. Within one week of completing steps 1 and 2, an SAS representative will contact you to schedule a meeting to discuss academic adjustments and services or to request additional information. (If you believe both steps have been completed and more than one week has passed, email us or call 603-646-9900.)

PLEASE NOTE: You should plan for the process of registering with SAS or renewing accommodations requiring updated documentation to take at least one week from the time you have completed step 2 above. If further documentation is needed, the process will take longer.

Services will vary from student to student. We need to be able to substantiate how each service is needed to achieve equal opportunity and how it relates to your disability. The most important factors are your experience, documentation, and the legitimate requirements and standards of classes, programs, and activities for which our services are authorized.

Which documentation should I provide?

If applicable, please share any records of accommodations received in K-12 (e.g., Individualized Educational Plan [IEP], Section 504 plan, or Summary of Performance). Records of accommodation(s) granted on SAT, ACT, AP or Regent's exam(s) are also helpful.

SAS will also typically need additional documentation. For conditions such as learning disabilities, ADHD, autism spectrum, or auditory processing disorder, please submit your current (within 5 years) neuropsychological, psychoeducational, speech-language, or audiological evaluation reports, along with any test score summaries. These reports usually take the place of the verification form.

For other conditions, relevant medical or treatment records from your current provider(s) are helpful, or they can be summarized in our SAS Verification Form (PDF). If your condition is variable in nature, this information should be less than one year old. SAS wants to be in the most informed position possible to work with you to determine what adjustments and services will support you in receiving equitable access to your Dartmouth experience.

If you did not receive accommodations in K-12 or do not have a report or other records regarding your condition, please ask your provider to complete our SAS Verification Form (PDF) on your behalf.

Not sure if you have a disability?

Very bright individuals – such as those accepted for selective schools like Dartmouth College – can have a cognitive disorder (such as a learning disability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or psychological disorder) that goes undetected through high school. Moreover, the age of onset for a number of psychological conditions is not until late adolescence, so a student may first begin experiencing a disability while at Dartmouth.

Next steps:

  • If your concern is primarily an inability to sustain attention or focus and you want to be screened for attention-deficit disorder, contact the Counseling Center. The Counseling Center is also the best avenue for support with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. Moreover, if you engage in treatment with the Counseling Center (or see a private mental health professional) your provider may be able to submit documentation that qualifies you for services and support through SAS.
  • If your concern is related to a learning disability such as dyslexia or have concerns about your processing speed, you can schedule a brief screening with a representative from the Academic Skills Center. The Academic Skills Center may also be able to provide strategies that will help immediately.
  • If you wonder if a medical condition you are experiencing may qualify as a disability, contact the Dartmouth College Health Service, who, like the Counseling Center, may be in a position to provide you with documentation for registering with SAS.

If none of these routes feel quite right and/or you would still like speak with someone from SAS, please email us or call 646-9900.