Abstract
The narrative of the students with learning disabilities is that the students with learning disabilities struggle to complete their studies post high school. These students are faced with barriers that make it difficult for them to successfully transition into the tertiary institution and complete their course of study. Thus the purpose of the study was to understand the lived experience of students with learning disabilities during their transition from high school into tertiary institutions. This was a qualitative study where tertiary students with learning disabilities were interviewed to gain understanding of their lived experiences. The purposeful sampling allowed the researcher to gather an in-depth insight of the problems associated to the transition of the learners. The main research question focused on identifying the factors that prohibit the transition from high school into tertiary for students with learning disabilities.
This study discussed: (1) the journey of transition from high school into tertiary from the perspective of students with learning disabilities; (2) factors prohibiting the transition from high school into tertiary; (3) difficulties associated with the transition of students with learning disabilities; (4) students’ perceptions of support needed by students with learning disabilities; and (5) inclusive strategies that foster a smooth transition. There were three themes identified: (1) low self-esteem as a result of learning disability (LD) and experience; (2) increased workload; and (3) inclusion. The results revealed that students with learning disabilities have special academic needs that must be taken into account by tertiary institutions. Support service structures should be put in place and made known to the students prior to entering the tertiary spaces in the institutions to ensure that the students receive the support that they require.
KEYWORDS: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Learning disability (LD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Transition, Learning disability, Tertiary, Inclusion.