- Early group: 19% of student registered early first semester freshman year. 
- Later freshman group: 26% sought services later in their first semester or in the second semester.
- Late group: 55% of students sought assistance from the office of disability services after their freshman year.

University of Notre Dame

Interviews were conducted among 42 students with learning disabilities (LD), which involved asking about their reasons for and for not seeking services and their experiences underlying their transition into college.

Methods for Researching Reasons University Students with a Learning Disability Wait to Seek Disability Services

Lightner, K. L., Kipps-Vaughan, D., Schulte, T., & Trice, A. D. (2012). Reasons University Students with a Learning Disability Wait to Seek Disability Services. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 25(2), 145–159. 

Reasons University Students with a Learning Disability Wait to Seek Disability Services

Data on Time when Initial Contact was Made with the Office for Disability Studies

Reasons for initial contact with ODS mainly surrounded academic problems. Students that made later contact with ODS often after failing grade in a critical course for their major, an overall low GPA, a difficulty in completing assignments within the time limits, and other GPA-related activity concerns. Students that made early contact stated they did so due to prior arrangements by others and for a desire for accommodations. Majority of students also indicated the involvements of others (parents, faculty members, partners, friends, etc.) in their decision to seek services More than one reason was stated for not making initial contact with ODS.

Data on Reasons for Initial Contact with ODS

- Interviewees asked what they know about IEPs and the legal difference between IEP services and those provided under Section 504 and the ADA. 
- All but two understood what IEP was, but going from the early to the later groups, students were less able to recall having attended IEP meetings
- With the exception of one student, none were able to explain the legal differences between the services. Though, all were aware for more general info, such as that IEPs were not available in college.

Assessment of Knowledge of IEPs

- Students educated on the range of services offered by ODS: Informing and mobilizing parents to connect with ODS, given that they are highly influential towards their children when it comes to establish such contact
- High school counselors urging contact with ODS prior to the beginning of classes given students’ concerns on time constraints
- ODS should find more effective ways to reach students (“out compete” other services and programs that also vying for students’ attentions) when they first arrive on campus
- Call for more deliberate transition programming into college and decreased assumption that such students only need help with transition to work from high school
- Inclusion of students in IEP meetings
- Postsecondary staff informing high school staff on resources offered to students
- Increased communication  between high school staff and local ODS offices

Lightner, et. al.: Suggestions and Implication for Practice

The study was conducted at a single institution with a fairly competitive admission and existing academic support services, so it is not representative of other populations. The study used a small sample size, not including students with LD that didn’t seek services. Its use of constructive narratives are informative but not necessarily helpful for programmatic changes. There is an overall lack of longitudinal data on the perceived benefit of students connecting with disability services.

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