The role of attention problems in predicting applying to college among high school girls with disabilities

Abstract

Students with disabilities have higher rates of attention problems than those without disabilities. This can impede their academic success and postsecondary transition, but these effects have not been well-studied. Understanding these effects is especially critical among high school girls with disabilities who additionally experience significant other barriers to college enrolment. Using longitudinal data from 366 high school girls with disabilities, we examined whether attention problems predicted a lower likelihood of applying to college, and whether this effect was mediated by academic difficulties. We also tested whether attention problems moderated the effect of students’ future aspirations on the likelihood of applying to college. Consistent with our predictions, attention problems were associated with a lower likelihood of applying to college. The individual paths through academic difficulties were significant, but the bootstrap estimation of the indirect effect was not significant. Attention problems did not moderate the effect of future aspirations. Attention training interventions have the potential to improve postsecondary educational outcomes.

Keywords:

• Attention problems
• students with disabilities
• academic difficulties
• applying to college
• future aspirations

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Institute for Education Sciences (IES), US Department of Education, through grant R324A170148. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the IES or the U.S. Department of Education. The authors report there are no competing interests to declare. The raw data and materials used in this manuscript are available for restricted-use through ICPSR (ICPSR-124181).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).