Adjustment to college with regard to some characteristics of students with disabilities

Abstract

It is indisputable that higher education plays an important role in the professional and personal development of people with disabilities and their social inclusion. Although the rate of students with disabilities is rising, their academic success is lower compared to students without disabilities. It depends on a number of demographic characteristics, as well as those associated with disabilities. The aim of this study was to explore the students with disabilities' adjustment to higher education and its predictors: age and gender of students with disabilities, mothers' academic education, social status, the degree of independence in everyday life, experience of disability and family support during the study. The convenience sample of 64 students with disabilities from the two largest universities in Croatia and two in Serbia was included The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) was used, and good psychometric characteristics were confirmed on this sample. Students with disabilities are academically and socially adapted to the study similarly to their peers without disabilities, and they show lower levels of emotional adaptation, particularly female students. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the lower chronological age of students with disabilities and mothers' non-academic education predict better academic adaptation. The variables associated with the specific implications of disability on studying do not explain the academic, but emotional and social adaptation. On the top of higher social status of the families, students who see disability as an obstacle to studying are better emotionally and socially adapted If they believe that family support is essential during their study, they will demonstrate a weaker emotional and better social adaptation to college. In conclusion, due to the requirements and constraints associated with disabilities affecting the lower level of emotional adaptation, psychosocial support in higher education should be focused on strengthening the emotional capacity of students with disabilities.