| Students with learning disabilities are attending colleges and universities in increasing numbers. However, despite this growing prevalence and the legal mandates to serve these students, college programming for these students appears to be lacking. Research in this area has been limited, although most findings point to a need for comprehensive programming directed toward both faculty and students. This study was designed to further assess the apparent needs of these two populations.;Faculty from a community college responded to a survey designed to assess their attitudes toward, knowledge about, and level of comfort providing accommodations for college students with learning disabilities. Student data were obtained from incoming freshmen students, from the same college, who had self-disclosed a learning disability upon admission.;Results indicated that faculty reported generally positive attitudes toward, and a high level of knowledge about, students with learning disabilities. Their reported level of comfort in providing accommodations varied across items. Further analyses indicated that previous interaction with persons known to have a learning disability correlated positively with faculty attitudes. Likewise, knowledge was found to be positively related to those faculty who reported being full-time, higher ranking individuals who worked in Engineering Technologies or Liberal Arts and Sciences Divisions.;Descriptive statistics pertaining to the students revealed that most of them entered college with long histories of having a learning disability, and with strong supporting documentation. Male subjects outnumbered females almost two to one, and most students had difficulty in the area of reading. Students' responses to the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised and Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Scale for Adults were unremarkable, with respect to psychiatric symptomatology or responsibility assumed for achievement, respectively. Like faculty, their reported levels of comfort requesting accommodations varied across items. Only one variable, individual time spent with the LD Specialist, was significantly related to academic performance.;Results from this study are discussed with respect to previous research findings. Similarities and differences between faculty and students, with respect to reported comfort with accommodations, are discussed. Limitations of the study, as well as implications for future research and practice are also discussed. |
