Participation in Postsecondary Education of Young Adults with Learning Disabilities: Findings from NLTS2

Using data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2, this article examines the postsecondary education participation of a nationally representative sample of young adults with learning disabilities who received services in secondary school under IDEA. The following points are discussed: 1) enrollment in postsecondary education and the intensity of enrollment, 2) receipt of accommodations and help with coursework in postsecondary schools, and 3) program completion. Nearly all young adults with learning disabilities benefit from receipt of accommodations during secondary school and many go on to enroll in postsecondary education at rates similar to peers in the general population. However, postsecondary education completion rates lag behind peers in the general population possibly because many of these young adults have not accessed the level of accommodations that they benefitted from during secondary school. The need for self-advocacy education during transition appears to be an important component in improving postsecondary school completion rates.