ERIC Number: EJ1308646
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2379-7762
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Available Date: N/A
Do Neurodivergent College Students Forge a Disability Identity? A Snapshot and Implications
Shmulsky, Solvegi; Gobbo, Ken; Donahue, Andy; Klucken, Frank
Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, v34 n1 p53-63 Spr 2021
The neurodiversity paradigm is a social justice concept that reframes neurologically based conditions including autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities, as beneficial forms of diversity. A question arising from this framework is the degree to which people forge neurodiversity identities based in self-acceptance. Little is known about identity formation for groups whose disabilities are impacting yet often hidden. To answer this question, we surveyed 92 college students, who attended a postsecondary institution that exclusively serves individuals with the diagnosis of autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, or a mix of conditions, to determine whether they incorporated neurodivergence into a sense of self. Based on responses to the Disability Identity Development Scale (Gibson, 2006), all participants had developed disability identities. Practical implications for disability services, faculty, staff, and institutions are discussed.
Descriptors: College Students, Students with Disabilities, Identification (Psychology), Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Learning Disabilities, Self Concept, Wellness
Association on Higher Education and Disability. 8015 West Kenton Circle Suite 230, Huntersville, NC 28078. Tel: 704-947-7779; Fax: 704-948-7779; e-mail: JPED@ahead.org; Web site: https://www.ahead.org/professional-resources/publications/jped
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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