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Author ORCID Identifier

0009-0001-3434-3998

Abstract

The number of third-level Irish students diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is increasing. Yet there is limited research documenting the lived experience of ADHD students in Ireland. This article aims to document the student voice of Irish third-level students diagnosed with ADHD and to explore their ADHD-related difficulties, as well as their suggestions for more supportive and inclusive university practices. The research used a two-stage qualitative design involving seven individual semi-structured online interviews, followed by one member checking via group online interview. There were seven participants, aged 19–28, from six different higher education institutions in Ireland, including two male, four female and one non-binary. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling, and data analysis was completed using reflexive thematic analysis. Participants reported difficulty with task initiation, academic engagement and friendship maintenance, and felt ADHD negatively impacted their wellbeing in the higher-education environment. They felt it would be helpful if they had smaller, more interactive classes, flexible deadlines, choice of assessment format and were facilitated in finding friends who also have ADHD. These findings have implications for inclusive practice across higher education in Ireland and elsewhere, as well as contributing to the literature surrounding universal design for learning and neurodiversity.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

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