Students with disabilities in higher education - perceptions of support needs and received support: a pilot study

Students with disabilities in higher education frequently need support to succeed in their studies. Perceived problems in managing studies and everyday life may be the same for students with different disabilities although the reasons for support may vary between them. In this pilot study, a questionnaire aimed to survey everyday functioning in students with disabilities was tested. Thirty-four students with Asperger syndrome (AS), motor disabilities or deafness/hearing impairments were asked 55 close- and open-ended questions regarding participation restrictions and available support programmes. One aim was to test the usefulness of the questionnaire. Another aim was to identify students’ perceptions of their everyday student-life and the support they are offered, with a special focus on comparing perceptions of needs and support between student with AS and the other student groups. The results indicate the need to plan recruitment of participants carefully and that the questionnaire was useful. The descriptive analyses conducted, indicated that the groups primarily reported the same difficulties, but the open-ended comments indicated that the reasons for the problems vary between the groups. It indicates that likert type responses to questions concerning perceived difficulties need to be supplemented by open-ended questions concerning perceived reasons to problems