Learning Disabilities and Higher Education Access

Ana Maria Pazos-Rego

Statistical data produced by HEATH Resource Center (1999) demonstrates that there has been a steady increase in the number of students with learning disabilities (LDs) attending postsecondary institutions. However, research suggests that the academic and social challenges they face in colleges and universities may be enough to discourage them from completing their education. Researchers have identified specific circumstances that help to explain this phenomenon: (1) the complex transition from the secondary to the postsecondary setting, (2) pessimistic attitudes of faculty and staff toward individuals with learning disabilities, and (3) the lack of experience of students with LDs in self-advocacy. This entry examines these problems. The fundamental differences between high school and college make the adaptation of freshmen with learning disabilities to the postsecondary institution very complicated. Many times, students with LDs arrive at their college or university expecting no change from their high school experience. What they find is that ...

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