Transitioning to Postsecondary Education: Perspectives of Multilingual College Students With Disabilities

• In Event: Transitioning to Adulthood: Socialization, Employment, and Postsecondary Education

Abstract

Students dually identified as English learners with disabilities may experience difficulties during the transition from high school into college and through degree completion. We investigated the transition experiences of eight college students who were dually identified in high school in a large city in the Northeastern U.S. Based on a preliminary analysis of three interviews for each participant, we identified supports leading to college enrollment, barriers to transition success, and strategies and services that have sustained their continued enrollment. Student strengths included self-advocacy and self-determination, while barriers included inaccessibility on campus. Students highlighted helpful bridge programs in high school that prepared them for the academic rigor of college, and all received accommodations from disability services at their postsecondary institution.

Authors

• Rachel Elizabeth Traxler, New York University

• Audrey A. Trainor, New York University

• Yu-Lun Chen, New York University

• Lilly Padia, New York University

• Lindsay Romano, New York University

• Lynn A. Newman, SRI International