Postsecondary students with disabilities: Predictors of adapation to college

Open Access
- Author:
- Herrick, Samantha Jo
- Graduate Program:
- Counselor Education
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- December 09, 2010
- Committee Members:
- Dr Brandon Hunt, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Dr Brandon Hunt, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
James Taylor Herbert, Committee Member
Dr Spencer G Niles, Committee Member
Edgar Paul Yoder, Committee Member - Keywords:
- perceived stigma
accptance of disability
adaptation to college
college students with disabilities
college
postsecondary - Abstract:
- ABSTRACT This dissertation presents the findings of an on-line survey-based study designed to examine the predictors of adaptation to college for undergraduate students with disabilities. The survey was relayed to participants via the disability support services offices at 16 colleges or universities in the northeast and mid-west United States. The six week survey administration resulted in 145 usable surveys. This empirical study was designed to examine the relationships between the principle independent variables acceptance of disability and perceived stigma on a college campus on adaptation to college. In addition to the principal variables of research interest, a demographic questionnaire was included in the survey to explore participant characteristics and college-related information on adaptation to college. The on-line survey was comprised of four assessments, a demographic questionnaire, the Postsecondary Student Survey of Disability-Related Stigma (PSSDS), the Acceptance of Disability Scale-Revised (ADS-R), and the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ). The results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed two statistically significant relationships. Among participants in the study pool, students with disabilities with higher GPAs had lower levels of adaptation to college and those with a higher level of acceptance of disability were more adapted to college. Lastly, the exploratory test of mediation revealed that the relationship between acceptance of disability and adaptation to college was significantly mediated by perception of stigma on a college campus. The implications for counseling and disability support services personnel training and practice are discussed, and recommendations are made for future research.