Case Studies of Postsecondary College Students with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to (a) identify educational counseling interventions and accommodations that learning disabled (LD) postsecondary students received that contributed to their academic success and (b) identify barriers and issues that LD students experienced in accessing services.

Ten postsecondary students were identified and classified as LD that had attended a community college in Northern Virginia and volunteered to participate in this study. Out of the ten, two students were selected for this research study. These students were interviewed using a two-part questionnaire (Appendix C). The questionnaire included significant factors and variables frequently associated with postsecondary success. Questions in part I of the Questionnaire pertained to the LD student's profile (e.g., medical and social history, employment, volunteer work, hobbies, education including special education experiences, language therapy, and assessments). Questions in part II consisted of the recommended support services identified in the literature (e.g., disability awareness, accommodations, self-advocacy skills, academic remediation, parent and counselor advocacy, computer technology, career counseling, transition services, and rehabilitation counseling) often delivered to LD students. Psychological and educational assessments were also obtained, reviewed, and coded. The interviews were tape recorded in order to assure concise descriptive information from the student's own "personal" past and current educational experiences. Each student reported that they had received a great deal of assistance by another individual who had been most instrumental in helping them over come their postsecondary academic barriers. These individuals were also interviewed. The interviews were transcribed, and the data collected were coded. Two in-depth comprehensive case studies were developed by reviewing and recording data from the interviews, psychological assessments, and educational records. All narrative material was subsequently analyzed by coding procedures used in grounded theory.