Eligibility

To be eligible for testing at an RCLD, a student must be

• currently enrolled in one of the Board of Regents' colleges or universities in Georgia, or
• admitted for enrollment, or 
• undergoing special admissions review.

Students must be referred to a center by the disability services office at their institution. If the disability services representative believes that testing is warranted, the student will be given a referral packet to complete.

Packets

The packet contains both information about the center and several questionnaires that should be filled out by the student. Questionnaires ask about current academic strengths and weaknesses, historical information (e.g., early development, school, medical and work histories), and about past and current behaviors that can affect learning (e.g., trouble paying attention, anxiety, depression). Students may need to consult parents to answer some of the questions about early childhood. The packet also contains questionnaires to be filled out by a person who currently knows the student well, to provide an independent view of the student's functioning. The student will be asked to include transcripts from their current institution and/or previous institutions, a recent hearing screening, samples of their written work, and any previous psychological or medical evaluations related to their learning difficulties.

The student should return the completed packet to the disability services representative, who will check to be sure all the necessary pieces are present but will not read the information. All information sent to a center will be kept strictly confidential. Information about the student will not be released to any person or institution without the student's written permission. The student must also give permission in writing in order to be evaluated and to allow any information about the evaluation process or results to be shared with parents (if 18 years or older). Parents may come to the evaluation feedback session with the student if the student consents to their attendance. After checking to be certain the packet is complete, the disability services coordinator will forward it to the appropriate center.

Appointments

After receiving the packet, the center will contact the student to schedule an appointment, typically within a few weeks, unless there is missing referral information. If important information is missing, the center will contact the student prior to scheduling the appointment, seeking additional information. Time until the next available appointment varies across centers and at different times of the year. If the designated center cannot provide an appointment within one semester, the student may be referred to one of the other centers to receive an earlier appointment, if one is available.

The typical evaluation takes approximately eight hours, usually scheduled over two days. Many students require additional time to complete the testing to fit their work speed and need for breaks, or to gather additional test data to better understand their learning difficulties. The evaluation includes a clinical interview, and a battery of educational, psychological, and cognitive tests to assess a student's intellectual ability, academic achievement in core areas, (i.e., reading, math, and written language), strengths and weaknesses in processing abilities, and emotional state.

After the evaluation is complete, each student is scheduled for an individual feedback session at the center with a licensed psychologist. The session typically lasts from one to two hours. In this session, the psychologist will review the test results, make recommendations for academic accommodations and other support services, and answer any questions. The student may bring anyone to the session. All feedback sessions are audio taped so that the student can take home a recording of the discussion to listen to again, or share with others.

Following the feedback, the student will receive a written report that describes all the tests that were administered and the scores obtained. This report will also document the presence of any disability that warrants academic accommodation and will list appropriate accommodations and other recommendations.  This report will not be shared with anyone else without the student's written permission.

Cost and Forms of Payment

The evaluation currently costs $500 with additional costs covered by funding from the Board of Regents. The student is asked to include a $100 deposit in the packet that is mailed to the center prior to the appointment. The balance of $400 should be paid at the first appointment. The student will not be allowed to continue their evaluation until payment has been received in full.

Methods of payment include:

• cash
• check
• money order
• credit card

Financial aid--the cost of the evaluation can sometimes be included in a student's financial aid package. The center will accept a letter from the institution's financial aid office guaranteeing payment in the following semester, if it is too late to include the funds in the current semester's package.

Insurance--The center does not file for insurance payments, but will provide students with the necessary documentation so that they may file with their insurance carrier after they have made full payment. Full insurance details are provided in the packet in a letter to the student. Students should be aware that many insurance plans will not reimburse them for this type of evaluation.

Third Party Payments (e.g., Department of Rehabilitation Services)--The client must supply the center with an official letter (on letterhead), or a voucher from the third party giving promise of payment and detailed payment information.

Payment arrangements-- Alternate payment arrangements may be made in extenuating circumstances, and must be authorized by the center director. No student who is unable to pay for the evaluation will be refused services if all other payment options have been explored and their unavailability has been clearly documented.