Welcome to the Landmark College Institute for Research and Training (LCIRT) blog — the mission of this blog is to provide an avenue of communication between LCIRT and educators/professionals interested in the latest research, resources, and news related to learning differences.
Although it took almost two years from initial proposal to publication, we now contemplate with satisfaction and some pride From Disability to Diversity: College Success for Students with Learning Disabilities, ADHD, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. It encompasses many of the ideas that make Landmark College an exceptional learning environment for students who learn differently, but adapts them for application at colleges that are not specialized. We wanted to “provide useful information for those working in postsecondary contexts who are not yet experts in supporting these students,” as well as a layperson’s overview of recent advances in neuro-cognitive research and social justice advocacy that undergird the approaches we promote.
One explanation for why students with learning disabilities are not successfully completing postsecondary programs is that they are not disclosing their disability to their college or university, and, therefore, are not eligible for disability-related accommodations. In fact, only 24% of students with LD inform their college or university of their disability. With this in mind, Landmark College’s Lead Education Specialist Dr. Adam Lalor and his colleagues conducted an analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2) to better understand the effect of support use on the college persistence and completion of all students with LD — those who disclose their LD to their college or university and those who do not disclose.
by Ibrahim Dahlstrom-Hakki, Ph.D.
Director
Landmark College Institute for Research and Training
All too often, students with disabilities’ engagement in research is…
by Manju Banerjee, Ph.D.
Vice President for Educational Research and Innovation
Landmark College
NOTE: Components of this article are also being published as part…
Guest post by Alicia Keating ‘17, LCIRT Research Assistant
The prevalence of learning disabilities and ADHD at the post-secondary level has been on the rise since around 1990, growing 18% between 1990 and 2005 (Cortiella & Horowitz, 2014 p. 29). This increase in the population of LD/ADHD students at the post-secondary level has led to a demand for better accommodations and systems in place to properly accommodate these students. The population growth has been accompanied by a rise in negative stereotypes surrounding students with LD/ADHD.
