Hadley, W. M. (2007). The necessity of academic accommodations for first-year college students with learning disabilities . Journal of College Admission , 195 , 9–13. https://www.nacacnet.org/resources/newsroom/journal-of-college-admission/

This journal was also available from ERIC database: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ783943

Accommodations were not specified. Instead, the experiences of students with learning disabilities as they transitioned from high school to postsecondary institutions were examined. The importance of extra time, writing assistance, notetakers, and access to class notes were mentioned.

Ten students with learning disabilities from a private, selective, four-year postsecondary institution in the midwest (U.S.) participated. Participants represented all of the academic units on campus, including arts, sciences, business, education, and engineering.

Students participated in focus groups, semi-structured individual interviews, and shared artifacts. The initial focus group took place after the participants had completed their first semester of coursework at the institution. The types of academic challenges that students with dyslexia or reading problems experienced as they transitioned from K-12 to higher education, how they adjusted to academic expectations and responsibilities, and the services they needed to meet the new academic requirements were investigated.

The continued use of academic services was necessary in students’ transition from high school to postsecondary education. A limited number of support services were available, and students were critical of the level of accommodations available to them. College writing expectations were challenging, and students sought support for writing assignments by requesting extra time, writing assistance, and assistance from note-takers. All students regularly used extra time for testing, and one student felt that without extra time, he would likely fail half of his classes. Students appreciated having all support services on their campus located in the same place for easy access.