Improving Study Outcomes for College Students With Executive Functioning Challenges

Over the past decade, there has been an increase in postsecondary programs seeking to meet the needs of students with high incidence disabilities (e.g., learning disability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]). Many of these students experience difficulties with executive functioning, that is, effectively applying problem-based strategies to set and obtain goals. There is limited research to enhance academic performance and retain this population throughout their college experience. This study investigated the use of a task analysis and goal setting intervention for improving the study skills and overall task completion by three college students with executive functioning challenges. Results demonstrated a functional relation between the intervention and dependent variables. Suggestions for future research and implications for practice are discussed.