Hadley, W. M. (2009). The transition and adjustment of first-year students with specific learning disabilities: A longitudinal study . Journal of College Orientation and Transition , 17 (1). https://doi.org/10.24926/jcotr.v17i1.2711

Accommodations were not specified at the outset of this investigation. The postsecondary education experiences of students with learning disabilities were investigated longitudinally, across their transition from high school throughout their four years of postsecondary education; details related to academic services specific to accommodations were emphasized in the Findings section.

Ten postsecondary students with learning disabilities—particularly dyslexia and/or reading problems—participated during their transition from high school and throughout their postsecondary education; seven students provided data in all four years of data collection. Participants attended a private, selective, four-year college in a midwestern state (U.S.). Of the 10 students, eight identified as female and two identified as male. The postsecondary institution's population was also described, including that 100 students were identified with learning disabilities when the study began.

Data that were collected were: student artifacts (e.g., class schedules, copies of written assignments), audio recordings of yearly focus group interviews, and audio recordings of yearly individual interview sessions. Participants were asked about (a) the academic experiences that challenged them related to their dyslexia or reading problems, (b) their adjustment process to postsecondary-level academic work, (c) the services needed to meet academic requirements, (d) their perceptions of themselves as postsecondary students, (e) their interactions with faculty and classmates, (f) their development of career plans, and (g) the influences of their beliefs and values on their goals and career plans.