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Chapter 11
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-2551-6.ch011
ABSTRACT
Students with learning disabilities are the fastest growing at-risk population transitioning to higher
education institutions. This chapter explores the academic adjustment issues students with learning dis-
abilities experience in their transition to the college environment. Their experiences are explored and
reported through the context of student development theory of marginalization. The chapter discusses
students’ access and adjustment to the campus culture and how this experience infuences their identity
development.
INTRODUCTION
There is an increase in students with learning disabilities’ enrollment in colleges and universities in the
United States (Agarwal, Calvo, & Kumar, 2014; Grant, 2011; Herbert et al., 2014; Hollins & Foley,
2013). A student with a learning disability is defined as having one or more of the following conditions:
“a specific learning disability, a visual handicap, hard of hearing, deafness, a speech disability, an ortho-
pedic handicap, or a health impairment” (U.S. Department of Education, 2013). Learning disabilities are
intrinsic to the student and may continue throughout their life span. Even though students with learning
disabilities continually enroll in colleges and universities, they generally have trouble successfully as-
similating in the college environment, persevering and graduating. Students with learning disabilities
might meet general university admissions requirements and many colleges and universities do provide a
number of services to support their persistence. However, this population will still possibly experience a
variety of academic and social challenges while in the college culture. In addition to diagnosed learning
Marginality and Mattering:
The Experiences of Students With Learning
Disabilities on the College Campus
Wanda Hadley
Western Michigan University, USA
Jennifer Hsu
Grand Valley State University, USA
Mark Antony Addison
Western Michigan University, USA
Donna Talbot
Western Michigan University, USA