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ERIC Number: EJ1399912
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1937-6928
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Doctoral Students with LD and/or ADHD: Decision to Disclose and/or Request Accommodations
Darby, Alexa
Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, v21 n2 p195-210 2023
More students with disabilities are entering doctoral programs now than ever before (Welding, 2023). The processes these students must undertake to disclose their disability and request accommodations are complex. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors associated with doctoral students with learning disabilities (LD) and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) disclosing to the university disability resources office, their instructors, and their faculty advisors. Twenty-one doctoral students with LD and/or ADHD participated in one-hour semi-structured Zoom interviews. The students were asked to describe their experiences in their doctoral program and their rationale for disclosure or nondisclosure and requesting or not requesting accommodations. Findings showed that doctoral students with LD and/or ADHD decide on disclosing their disability and requesting an accommodation when the need outweighs the risk. Doctoral students with LD and/or ADHD disclosed when they needed accommodations in their courses, on comprehensive exams, or for writing research papers and/or their dissertation. Seven students disclosed to their disability resources office to request accommodations in their coursework. The areas in which participants needed the most support were writing research papers and their dissertation. Eighteen of the 21 participants went to their advisor for this support. Those who did not disclose made this choice due to not needing support or fear of how they would be perceived. This research supports Boggs' (2021), Devol's (2022), and Tamjeed et al.'s (2021) findings that doctoral students with disabilities have unique needs that need to be further examined.
Learning Disabilities Worldwide, Inc. P.O. Box 142, Weston, MA 02493. Tel: 781-890-5399; Fax: 781-890-0555; Web site: http://www.ldw-ldcj.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A