
All new-to-AEO students are strongly encouraged to schedule an access meeting and submit registration materials in advance of each upcoming term so that we have adequate time to provide effective support and timely notification to faculty. Note that accommodations cannot be implemented retroactively, and are implemented only after the request process is complete.
Our office will accept and review documentation at any point during the semester. We reccommend that students begin the process 3-4 weeks before the start of the new term to ensure timely review and delivery.
AEO strives to respect student privacy, especially surrounding diagnostic information, and takes care in staying within legal compliance regarding this information. Please look at our confidentiality section to learn more.
Students registered with AEO are given Faculty Letters to distribute to professors and other teaching staff. These letters document the accommodations the student needs in order to access the course. Additionally, the student’s current Freshman Dean or current Allston Burr Assistant Dean receives a copy of undergraduates' letters. Faculty Letters do not include a student’s disability.
Housing accommodations are assessed on a case-by-case basis through AEO. House Administrators or Resident Deans often are consulted to determine how the reasonable accommodations will be implemented, based on the specific residential environment. While AEO does not relocate students to specific houses based on preference, accessibility of their current placement is reviewed to determine if an in-house or inter-house move is necessary.
You are under no obligation to share your diagnosis with faculty, you need only give your professor or Teaching Fellow your Faculty Letter from AEO stating what you will need for accommodations for the course. If a professor continues to question you about your diagnosis, please refer them to our office and we will remind them of our privacy policy.
Disclosure is always a personal decision. However, you may want to consider practicing a response to inquiries from others that not only conforms to your individual desire for privacy but also provides clarity surrounding your accommodation needs.
Public schools are mandated under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to provide a free and appropriate education to public school students through the provision of special education, which includes individualized instructional modifications and related services. The laws governing special education do not apply to universities or colleges, and are replaced by the Americans with Disabilities Act (as amended in 2008), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Universities and colleges must ensure that an otherwise qualified student does not encounter discrimination due to a disability, and must provide reasonable accommodations that allow the student to fully participate in university programs/classes. In order to receive accommodations in higher education, students have to self-disclose their disabilities. Reasonable accommodations must not alter the fundamental requirements of a course or program. Curriculum modifications and individualized instruction in general are not implemented in higher education.
AEO does not provide evaluations for learning disabilities or ADHD. Students need to submit current and comprehensive evaluations when requesting accommodations.
If you would like information about an off-campus referral, please contact AEO at (617) 496-8707 or aeo@fas.harvard.edu.