Students with learning disabilities/attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in higher education dealing with remote learning: lessons learned from COVID-19 era

Abstract

IntroductionThe current study aimed to examine how students with learning disabilities (LD) and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) adjusted to higher education during the transition to remote learning (RL) in Israel during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThe study involved 621 undergraduate students, 330 of whom participated during the COVID-19 pandemic and 291 before the pandemic. Among these students, 198 had been diagnosed with LD and/or ADHD, while 423 had no reported disabilities (control group).ResultsStudents with LD/ADHD generally had lower adjustment scores during face-to-face learning and RL than the control group. In-depth analyses of four subgroups revealed that students with LD + ADHD reported lower academic, emotional, and institutional adjustments as well as reported lower satisfaction with life during RL than the control group members. ADHD was found to directly predict low satisfaction with life through the mediation of adjustment scores.DiscussionIn conclusion, it is recommended that support be provided to high-risk LD/ADHD populations during a crisis. Furthermore, the implication of this study can inform intervention during emergency times.

Positive Distance Learning Perception, Personal Resources, and Loneliness Among Higher Education Students With ADHD and/or SLD

“…Additionally, students with ADHD/SLD in higher education, who tend to demonstrate lower levels of ASE and SOC and higher levels of loneliness (Ben-Naim et al, 2017; Casali et al, 2024; Laslo-Roth et al, 2022; Mana et al, 2022; Margalit, 2012; Sharabi et al, 2016), it is important to examine the types of support they receive in the context of distance learning. This is true for academic supports such as ongoing communication and direct support from lecturers and techno-pedagogical support as well as emotional support in dealing with the social distancing involved in distance learning (Sarid & Lipka, 2023).…”

“…For students with ADHD and SLD, the immediate transition to distance learning at the outbreak of the pandemic was particularly challenging (Laslo-Roth et al, 2022;Sarid & Lipka, 2023), as they tried to cope with various difficulties in meeting their institutions' academic demands (Canu et al, 2021). In particular, changes to the learning environment during this period were a source of social distress and loneliness for students with ADHD, and they reported more difficulties and negative experiences in distance learning compared to their peers without disabilities (Kalman-Halevi et al, 2023;Laslo-Roth et al, 2022).…”