Efforts to Develop a First Year Educational Program that Contributes to the Success of Students with Developmental Disorders

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the importance of an educational program for first year students with developmental disorders. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 5 students with developmental disorders who were expecting to graduate from university. Interview questions included 1) Use of the support center for students with disabilities, 2) Process of registering for classes including the people or systems to help planning and support registration, 3) Keeping in good physical condition, 4) People and organizations students can approach for advice, and 5) Self-awareness. The researchers interviewed these students before they entered university and shortly before graduation to examine their views on these aspects. The results showed the “degree of importance they felt before entering university” was low on each item and they had only vague ideas on university life. Qualitative interview analyses revealed 12 categories and 35 narratives. On the other hand, “Importance of these items on looking back on university life” scored high, extracting 12 categories and 38 narratives with the qualitative analyses. These results enable us to ascertain the needs of students with developmental issues before and after they enter university. The study shows these aspects can be actively used to develop a future program.