3.3.1 Regents’ Centers for Learning Disorders

(Last Modified February 27, 2025)   Report a broken link

Last reviewed: March 2021

Learning Disorders include Learning Disabilities, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Acquired Brain Injury, and Psychological Disorders as described in Appendix E. The Board of Regents of the USG has established the following three centers for the provision of assessment, resources, and research related to students who have learning disorders that impact academic, cognitive and/or behavioral/emotional functioning.

• Regents’ Center for Learning Disorders at Georgia Southern University
• Regents’ Center for Learning Disorders at Georgia State University
• Regents’ Center for Learning Disorders at The University of Georgia

Each Regents’ Center for Learning Disorders (RCLD) is responsible for serving designated colleges and universities (referring institutions) within a geographic region. The host institution serves as fiscal agent for each RCLD. See Appendix F for a list of RCLDs and their assigned institutions.

Purpose of the RCLDs

The RCLDs serve and protect the University System of Georgia, its institutions, and its students with disabilities by employing a common set of guidelines, methods, and costs for disability assessment, services, training, and research.

The RCLDs provide the following services:

• Comprehensive standardized assessments for students with learning disorders
• Review of documentation submitted by referring institutions in support of student requests for accommodations
• Recommendations regarding appropriate accommodations and services
• Assistance to students, faculty, administrators, and community agencies related to postsecondary disability services through outreach, education, consultation, and program development
• Clinical training opportunities in graduate level psychology, education, and related programs
• Research focusing on assessment and accommodation of students with disabilities in postsecondary settings

In addition to their primary mission of serving students enrolled in USG institutions, the Centers may be authorized to serve other groups of students. Current information on the availability of services for non-USG students can be obtained by contacting each RCLD directly.

Organizational Structure

The RCLDs consist of professionals who are specialists in the assessment of adults and in evaluation of disabilities that impair learning. Each RCLD has, at the minimum, the following personnel:

• Director. The director is responsible for overseeing the daily operation of the RCLD and for carrying out USG policy regarding student disabilities. The Academic Vice President of the host institution is the supervisor of record.

• Psychologist. The licensed psychologist oversees the evaluation process, including training, interviewing, scheduling, testing, staffing, and report writing. The psychologist ensures that the professional and ethical standards of the American Psychological Association are followed.

• Liaison. The liaison promotes and maintains contact between the referring institutions and each RCLD, assists in the referral and feedback process for RCLD evaluations and RCLD review of documentation of disability, assists referring institutions in the development of policies and procedures to serve students with disabilities on their campuses, and provides community outreach and education to support the mission of the RCLD.

• Other qualified personnel are involved directly in interviewing, testing, and writing reports for students who are evaluated in the RCLDs.

USG Accommodations for Students With Learning Disorders

In order to ensure consistency throughout the USG, all RCLDs use the same general evaluation procedures, test battery and report format. This common evaluation methodology ensures that all USG institutions employ the same definition and evaluation model.

Evaluations performed by external professionals or organizations will be reviewed using the same methodology as if the evaluation was conducted by an RCLD.

USG system-level accommodations needed in the following areas must be reviewed and recommended by an RCLD. Students with learning disorders who are requesting system-level accommodations must contact the disability services professional at the enrolling institution to submit documentation for RCLD review. The system-level accommodations are listed below:

1. Core Curriculum Quantitative Outcomes (Learning Goal A2, 3 semester hours required) – Substitution of Core Math Course requirement. See Section 3.3.6 Core Mathematics Course Substitutions

2. Admissions - Substitution of the Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) Foreign Language requirement. See Section 3.3.3, Admission Considerations

3. Learning Support - Testing accommodations for the Next-Generation Accuplacer placement test. See Section 3.3.5, Learning Support Considerations.

Each USG institution is responsible for providing approved accommodations or modifications, including assistive technologies. The RCLDs and the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation (CIDI) are available to assist institutions with arranging for these accommodations.

Only accommodations recommended by an RCLD can follow a student transferring between USG institutions.

Outside Evaluations

Referring institutions must have institutional policies and procedures for reviewing documentation of disabilities that is not based on an evaluation conducted by an RCLD. Institutional policies and procedures must be consistent with BoR policy.

Referring institutions are encouraged to consult with the RCLD as needed when making decisions about eligibility and reasonable accommodations based on documentation from sources outside of the RCLD. Referring institutions may also elect to send outside documentation for review to the appropriate RCLD under other circumstances.

Accommodations recommended from an RCLD documentation review can follow the student across USG institutions.

Referral for Evaluations

Referring institutions are required to submit a referral packet containing the following items to the appropriate RCLD to initiate the evaluation process:

• Information letter and checklist completed by the Disability Service Provider (DSP)
• Questionnaire on academic strengths and weaknesses, historical information, and behaviors that can affect learning (completed by the student)
• Questionnaire on student’s functioning ability (completed by a person who knows the student well and can provide an independent view)
• Academic transcripts from current and/or previous institutions
• Recent vision and hearing sensory screenings
• Samples of written work
• Copies of previous medical or psychological evaluations related to learning difficulties

The DSP at the referring institution is responsible for coordinating the completion of the referral packet and communicating with the RCLD regarding the student’s referral, evaluation, and accommodations. For more information regarding disability documentation, see Appendix D and Appendix E

Evaluation Considerations

1. Professional Standards and Confidentiality

   • American Psychological Association ethical standards are upheld.
   • Information gathered before, during, and after an evaluation will be kept strictly confidential.
   • Information will not be released to any person or institution without written permission of the student.
   • The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) provide additional guidelines on right of access and disclosure of protected information.
     
     

2. Liability Issues

   • Neither the referring institutions nor the RCLDs are liable for students while they are traveling to and from the RCLDs for the evaluation.
   • A contact person at the referring institution must be designated for emergency purposes while the student is on the RCLD campus.
   • RCLDs require liability insurance coverage for all RCLD personnel involved in the evaluation process. This liability coverage is necessary to meet the standards of professional practice as outlined in State Licensing Law.
     
     

3. Cost of Evaluations

   • Students are assessed a $500 fee for each evaluation (subject to annual review).
   • Payment schedules may vary across RCLDs.
   • Evaluation scholarships may be available at individual RCLDs and/or referring institutions.
   • Students may contact their local Georgia Department of Labor, Rehabilitation Services to determine if they qualify for services, which may include funding to offset evaluation costs.
     
     

4. Appeals Procedure

   Students wishing to dispute a decision of an RCLD with regard to eligibility for accommodations may appeal by submitting a request for independent review of their documentation by the directors of the other two RCLDs.
   

   The request must meet the following conditions:

   • Specify the issue(s) of disagreement in writing
   • Be submitted to the DSP at the student’s home institution
   • Be initiated within 30 days of receiving the disputed decision

   
   A student wishing to appeal the decision of the independent review may appeal to the President of the home institution. The President’s decision is final. The Board of Regents does not hear appeals for eligibility for accommodation.

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