Process of Academic Testing

1. Student schedules a one-hour appointment with the Disability Services Coordinator (DSC) by calling 423-236-2574 or by visiting room 308 on the 3 rd floor of Lynn Wood Hall.
2. Student fills out Application for Assessment Services and Release of Information to bring to the appointment with the DSC.
3. Student meets with the DSC for an initial interview during which the application is used as a springboard for discussion.
4. Based on the interview, the DSC will either

   A.	Work with the student to develop or hone academics skills or
   B.	Refer the student to Counseling and Testing (C&T) to begin the actual testing.

5. Once the DSC delivers a referral to C&T, the student contacts that office to set a one-hour initial testing appointment by calling 423-236-2782 or by visiting room 300 on the 3 rd floor of Lynn Wood Hall (just around the corner from DSS).
6. At that appointment, the student will be given several tests and possibly some checklists to fill out. Then, the student will set a follow-up appointment for a time after the tests have been scored and the scores analyzed.
7. At that second appointment, one of three things will occur:
   

   A.	The student is informed that nothing significant has emerged from the testing, so he/she is referred back to DSS for assistance with skills and strategies.
   B.	he tester has seen that an issue is emerging, but the nature of the issue is unclear or is taking an unexpected turn. In this case, a third appointment is scheduled to do additional testing or to obtain additional checklists (e.g. from parents or other observers).
   C.	The tester has observed significant results in a specific direction(s) and is referring the student to an off-campus resource for further testing and possible diagnosis.

8. Students are not limited to using the resource to which C&T refers them. They can choose any off-campus resource they wish, but the resource to which C&T generally refers students has been chosen for a number of reasons:
   

   A.	This professional is licensed to perform psycho-educational evaluations and determine diagnoses of learning disabilities as well as other potential contributing factors.
   B.	The examiner files insurance claims for the client (while many examiners have the client pay them and then file for reimbursement).
   C.	The reports from this examiner contain the types of subjective and objective data that facilitate the determination of the best accommodations for equal access.
   D.	Because of this examiner's long-standing relationship with Southern staff and procedures, the testing done by Southern is integrated into the diagnostic evaluation, reducing the time and expense for the student.