Help-Seeking Patterns in College Students with Disabilities

Research consistently shows that college students who take advantage of supports and accommodations perform better academically. The literature is not clear, however, on whether college students with disabilities seek help more or less frequently than their peers without disabilities. One major form of help is consulting with professors outside of the classroom. This study recruited faculty members across disciplines at a small liberal arts college and asked them to record all student office visits for the second half of a semester. Working in conjunction with the office of disability support services, help-seeking data were tabulated for students with and without disabilities and compared by subject area. Results show that students with disabilities sought help (i.e., met with professors) at rates similar to those of their peers without disabilities. (Contains 2 tables.)