The present study examined adjustment to higher education among students with disabilities from a multifaceted perspective (academic, social, emotional, institutional) immediately following their first year of study and onward, with three primary objectives. First, we examined whether students with no disabilities adjust better to higher education than do students with disabilities (mental, physical, sensory, ADHD/LD). Second, we examined differences among the specific disability groups in adjustment to higher education overall and in specific subscales. Finally, we examined the unique pattern of adjustment in each disability group, and sought to determine whether the groups differed with respect to this pattern. Of the 469 students who participated in the study, 234 had disabilities (mental disabilities, sensory, ADHD/LD, physical) and 235 were matched controls. The results indicated that students with disabilities as a whole reported lower adjustment than did controls. A close examination of the differences between the disability groups in the four subscales demonstrated unique adjustment challenges for each of them. The findings demonstrate the importance of specifically examining each disability group, to learn about needs and support.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.