Learning disabilities and ADHD are among the most common disabilities reported by college students.  Research shows that students with LD/ADHD are less likely to graduate compared to students without LD/ADHD. In contrast, college students with LD/ADHD who are successful in college share a cluster of characteristics such as self-knowledge, self-awareness, self-regulations, self-advocacy and goal setting. These characteristics are part of a larger construct called self-determination. Data drawn from a longitudinal study pointed to the direct relationship among self-determination, self-concept and academic achievement. 

In other words, the self-determined student has a greater potential not only stay in school and have higher academic performance but also to graduate. 

Self-determination can be learned even if you have ADHD.

How do you get this self-determination stuff? Are you born with it? Can you get it by eating right? The good news is that self-determination can be learned which leads us to the next question. How can we teach college students to embrace self-determined behaviors? Here is some more good news, studies have shown that coaching is effective in promoting self-determined behavior in students with LD/ADHD.

Coaching helps you learn self-determination even if you have ADHD.

Coaching offers a framework of support to develop skills, strategies and beliefs essential to overcoming learning challenges. Coaching has been effective in helping develop self-efficacy and study skills among college students with LD and ADHD.

Coaching has been found to improve retention and graduation rates among college students without learning disabilities. Two researchers, Bettinger and Baker studied the use of mentors and coaches  with 13,555 students across eight different colleges.  After 18-24 months of receiving coaching/mentoring, the coached students were 3-4 percentage points more likely to stay in school. In addition, coached students had a four-percentage-point higher graduation rate than un-coached students after 4 years. This is the largest randomized experimental empirical research on the effects of coaching and college students at the time.

Other research has illustrated influence of coaching in the growth in three areas related to academic success:  students’ learning strategies, self-regulation and academic proficiency.

Here are your three main takeaways:

1. Self-determination has been positively linked with academic success (as well as other life success).
2. Self-determination can be learned.
3. Coaching is an effective way for students to learn self-determination.

Self determination leads to academic success even if you have ADHD.