THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER AND LEARNING DISABILITES

Richman, Erica Lynn

Download PDF

Request Version for Screen Reader

Last Modified

March 21, 2019

Creator

Richman, Erica Lynn
- Affiliation: School of Social Work

Abstract

The importance of graduating from college is well documented but unfortunately, students with ADHD, LD, or both often face considerable challenges while pursuing their undergraduate degrees. Both research and literature in this area are scarce. This work helps fill this gap and increase understanding of ADHD and LD students in college. Paper one contains an extensive review of the literature and social policies which are used to examine the complexities surrounding the academic success of this vulnerable and growing group. Paper one also describes mandated and optional intervention strategies that support these students, and evaluates the evidence base for six frequently used optional interventions. Paper two describes the characteristics, diagnoses, service use patterns, and academic success of students approved for ADHD and or LD services at one large public university. Using regression analyses, it examines the relationships among those variables. Paper three uses propensity score matching and a survival analysis to compare the academic success of students eligible to use ADHD /LD support services with a large control sample. Results of paper one indicate that the field of disability services is moving toward greater reliance on evidence based practice, but the current level of evidence remains inadequate. Overall there was a mix of results some supports were tested and validated among students with ADHD/LD, some require more research but showed great promise and still some require substantially more research to determine their effectiveness Paper two yielded many important outcomes, among the most salient were that ADHD/LD students take longer to graduate than the average student, and the difference is significantly greater for students who only use accommodations. Also, most students who register for services do actually take advantage of them, but those who never return are no worse off academically. Further, students who had more service contacts were more likely to have higher GPAs. Paper three confirms that ADHD and/or LD students experience less academic success than the average student. They are less likely to graduate, take longer to do so, and as compared with nondisabled peers, they have lower GPAs and higher rates of withdrawals, ineligibilities, and course underloads.

Date of publication