Understanding the Early Integration Experiences of College Students with Disabilities.

Abstract

This study sought to better understand the early integration experiences of college students with disabilities by examining two research questions: (1) How well do the variables in Tinto’s (1993) classic model of student attrition predict the early integration experiences of college students with disabilities? and (2) How do students with disabilities differ from other students with regards to the variables in Tinto’s model? A series of four multiple regressions was conducted to determine whether social integration, academic integration, institutional satisfaction, and homesick-related distress could be predicted using variables in Tinto’s (1993) model. Results indicated commitment to higher education, perception of on-campus environment, basic academic behaviors, and expected level of involvement in campus organizations allowed for increased predictability compared to pre-entry variables of gender and admissions test scores alone. A series of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests found that students with disabilities did not differ significantly from students who did not report having disabilities in respect to the independent and dependent variables in Tinto’s model. This suggests that the earliest college transition issues for students with disabilities are similar to the issues for other students.