(Dis)Ability-informed Mentors Support Occupational Performance for College Students with Learning Disabilities and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders through Problem Solving and a Focus on Strengths.
Consuelo M Kreider, Sharon Medina, Hannah M Koedam
PMID 34305266WHAT IT FOUND
Mentors with disability knowledge co-created strategies with students, moving beyond academics to cover executive function, adult life skills, and stress.
This holistic support helped students manage LD/ADHD challenges across social and daily contexts, not just in class.
Key findings
01Mentors and students co-created strategies for problem-solving across academics, daily life, career, and social situations, rather than focusing solely on academic enculturation.
02Supports for executive functioning included six sub-themes: big picture thinking, breaking things down, LD/ADHD-specific coping, organization, stress management, and time management.
03Mentors provided guidance on adult life skills such as communication, employment, finances, and balancing responsibilities, which were less directly tied to disability symptoms but critical for transition.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This was a post-hoc analysis of data collected for program monitoring, not a study designed to test the efficacy of mentorship. The themes may not represent the full range of problem-solving needs. The study did not measure outcomes or effectiveness, only the types of support provided. Participants were recruited from a single university with a pro-mentorship culture, which may limit generalizability.
Declared interests
Authors report no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this as evidence that mentorship improves student outcomes. This study describes what mentors did and the themes of their support, but it did not measure whether these supports actually led to better grades, retention, or well-being.