This study investigates the impact of The Personal Strengths Program (PSP) on seven college students with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (LD/ADHD) using a multiple baseline design. Students with LD/ADHD experience increased challenges in school settings and decreased post-secondary outcomes when compared with their peers without disabilities. Research has indicated that students who are able to transition into post-secondary settings successfully often have higher levels of self-determination than those who do not transition as successfully. PSP is grounded in effective teaching practices for students with LD/ADHD, self-determination, and positive psychology. It utilizes guided cognitive strategy instruction to assist students in identifying and using their strengths to achieve their goals related to their academic classes. Results were mixed, but do suggest there is some effect from participating in PSP on self-determination levels. Implications for students with LD/ADHD and researchers conducting intervention studies are discussed.
AlgozzineB.BrowderD.KarvonenM.TestD. W.WoodW. M. (2001). Effects of interventions to promote self-determination for individuals with disabilities. Review of Educational Research, 71, 219–277. doi:10.3102/00346543071002219
2.
AllsoppD. H.MinskoffE. H.BoltL. (2005). Individualized course-specific strategy instruction for college students with learning disabilities and ADHD: Lessons learned from a model demonstration project. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 20, 103–118. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5826.2005.00126.x
3.
AnctilT. M.IshikawaM. E.ScottA. T. (2008). Academic identity development through self-determination: Successful college students with learning disabilities. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 31, 164–174. doi:10.1177/0885728808315331
4.
CametoR.KnokeyA.SanfordC. (2011). Participation in postsecondary education of young adults with learning disabilities: Findings from NLTS2. Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 17(2), 45–53.
5.
ChambersC. R.WehmeyerM. L.SaitoY.LidaK. M.LeeY.SinghV. (2007). Self-determination: What do we know? Where do we go?Exceptionality, 15, 3–15. doi:10.1207/515327035ex1501-2
6.
FarmerJ. L. (2011). The development of The Personal Strengths Intervention (PSI) to improve self-determination and social-emotional levels in postsecondary students with learning disabilities and/or ADHD: A multiple baseline study (Doctoral dissertation). Available in ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 3466210)
7.
HeimanT.PrecelK. (2003). Students with learning disabilities in higher education: Academic strategies profile. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 36, 248–258. doi:10.1177/002221940303600304
KazdinA. E. (2011). Single-case research designs: Methods for clinical and applied settings (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
11.
KonradM.FowlerC. H.WalkerA. R.TestD. W.WoodW. M. (2007). Effects of self-determination interventions on the academic skills of students with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 30, 89–113. doi:10.2307/30035545
12.
KratochwillT. R.HitchcockJ.HornerR. H.LevinJ. R.OdomS. L.RindskopfD. M.ShadishW. R. (2010). Single-case designs technical documentation. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/wwc_scd.pdf
13.
LoeI. M.FeldmanH. M. (2007). Academic and functional outcomes of children with ADHD. Ambulatory Pediatrics, 7, 82–90. doi:10.1016/j.ambp.2006.05.005
14.
MaH. H. (2006). An alternative method for quantitative synthesis of single-subject research: Percentage of data points exceeding the median. Behavior Modification, 30, 598–617. doi:10.1177/0145445504272974
15.
MadausJ. W.Faggella-LubyM. N.DukesL. L.III. (2011). The role of non-academic factors in the academic success of college students with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities: A multidisciplinary Journal, 17(2), 77–82.
16.
MagginD. M.O’KeeffeB. V.JohnsonA. H. (2011). A quantitative synthesis of methodology in the meta-analysis of single-subject research for students with disabilities: 1985-2009. Exceptionality, 19, 109–135. doi:10.1080/09362835.2011.565725
17.
MullC.StilingtonP. L.AlperS. (2001). Postsecondary education for students with learning disabilities: A synthesis of the literature. Exceptional Children, 68(1), 97–118.
18.
ParkerD. R. (2004). Voices of self-determined college students with ADHD: Undergraduates’ perceptions of factors that influence their academic success (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 3156407)
19.
ParkerD. R.BoutelleK. (2009). Executive function coaching for college students with learning disabilities and ADHD: A new approach for fostering self-determination. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 24, 204–215. doi:1111/j.1540-5826.2009.00294.x
20.
ReedM. J.KennettD. J.LewisT.Lund-LucasE.StalbergC.NewholdI. L. (2009). The relative effects of university courses and individualized interventions for students with learning disabilities. Higher Education Research & Development, 28, 385–400. doi:10.1080/07294360903067013
21.
SaldañaJ. (2003). Longitudinal qualitative research: Analyzing change through time. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira.
22.
SaldañaJ. (2009). The coding manual for qualitative researchers. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.
23.
ScruggsT. E.MastropieriM. A. (1998). Summarizing single-subject research: Issues and applications. Behavior Modification, 22, 221–242. doi:1177/01454455980223001
24.
SheskinD. J. (2011). Handbook of parametric and nonparametric statistical procedures (5th ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
25.
SkinnerM. E. (2004). College students with learning disabilities speak out: What it takes to be successful in postsecondary education. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 17(2), 91–104.
26.
SparksR. L.LovettB. J. (2009). College students with learning disabilities diagnoses: Who are they and how do they perform?Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42, 494–510. doi:10.1177/0022219409338746
27.
SwartzS. L.PrevattF.ProctorB. E. (2005). A coaching intervention for college students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Psychology in the Schools, 42, 647–656. doi:10.1002/pits.20101
28.
TraininG.SwansonH. L. (2005). Cognition, metacognition, and achievement of college students with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 28, 261–272. doi:10.2307/4126965
29.
TroianoP. F.LiefeldJ. A.TrachtenbergJ. V. (2010). Academic support and college success for postsecondary students with learning disabilities. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 40(2), 35–44.
30.
WebbK. W.PattersonK. B.SyverudS. M.Seabrooks-BlackmoreJ. J. (2008). Evidenced based practices that promote transition to postsecondary education: Listening to a decade of expert voices. Exceptionality, 16, 192–206. doi:10.1080/09362830802412182
31.
WehmeyerM. L.FieldS. L. (2007). Self-determination: Instructional and assessment strategies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
32.
WeyandtL. L.DuPaulG. (2006). ADHD in college students. Journal of Attention Disorders, 10, 9–19. doi:10.1177/1087054705286061
