Abstract
College students with LD or ADHD face challenges related to managing evolving everyday life demands and LD- or ADHD-related symptomatology. This analysis delineates topics discussed in psychoeducational groups and the ways in which participants personalized the knowledge gained. Findings elucidate ways that personalized knowledge potentiates occupational performance for young people with LD or ADHD transitioning to adult roles.
Primary Author and Speaker: Consuelo Kreider
Additional Authors and Speakers: Sharon Medina, Mackenzi Slamka, Jianne Apostol
College students with learning disabilities (LD) and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD) face challenges to managing academics, social, and life demands, as well as challenges to learning how to manage LD/ADHD symptomatology. Students with LD/ADHD experience executive function difficulties that can impact their participation in daily life tasks that extend beyond academic tasks. For successful management of LD/ADHD-related difficulties, students must have the essential skills needed to manage symptoms and access supports. The purpose of this research is to identify the knowledge needs of undergraduates with LD/ADHD for supporting their occupational performance as emerging adults through college pathways. Qualitative analysis was used to assess the knowledge needs of undergraduates with LD/ADHD who were enrolled in a larger study that tested campus-based supports for students with LD/ADHD. Participants were 52 undergraduate students that met as a cohort to engage in disability-related psychoeducational group meetings followed by focused discussion. Undergraduate students were recruited by the campus disability office via flyers, listservs, email, and word of mouth. Undergraduates were eligible to participate if they were registered with the campus disability office for LD/ADHD-related needs and available to participate in study activities for up to four (non-summer) academic semesters. A continuous improvement approach was used to enable ongoing evaluation of factors affecting psychoeducational material; as such, participant feedback informed the refinement of content. Data were transcripts and educational content delivered within undergraduate group meetings (n = 30). Meetings occurred three to four times a semester from 2013-2017. Thematic analysis was utilized to identify salient informational topics and to examine the participants’ application of psychoeducational content in everyday life contexts. Rigor was enhanced by researchers’ attendance of group meetings and consensus of findings across team members. Findings delineate knowledge needs, types, and specific topical content that were salient to study participants. Three conceptual themes emerged to include (1) areas of knowledge needs, (2) how the knowledge was applied, and (3) ways to balance the multifaceted roles associated with young adulthood. Areas of knowledge needs entailed the understanding of LD/ADHD symptomatology and potential triggers, strategies for managing health and wellness, skills and actions for everyday advocacy, and skills for navigating supports. How the knowledge was applied included personalizing the psychoeducational content to create actionable LD/ADHD-related knowledge which informed participants’ use of skills and strategies in everyday contexts. Lastly, ways to balance the multifaceted roles associated with young adulthood describes strategies discovered and utilized by the participants to manage the multiple roles that they identified with as a college student with LD/ADHD. Overall, this analysis describes the ways in which personalized educational content can support students while in this transitional period of life. Study findings speak to the importance of helping young people create personalized understanding of their disability and related symptomatology needed to potentiate occupational performance and support participation. Findings are important for guiding the development of psychoeducational interventions for transition-age youth with LD/ADHD. The provision of instructive education in combination with strategy and skill development may be considered in occupational therapy interventions targeted at supporting students with LD/ADHD transitioning to adult roles.
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