Coping strategies used by university students with disability: a systematic review

Cogent Education ISSN: 2331-186X (Online) Journal homepage: www.tandfonline.com/journals/oaed20 Coping strategies used by university students with disability: a systematic review Rafael Carballo & Therese M. Cumming To cite this article: Rafael Carballo & Therese M. Cumming (2025) Coping strategies used by university students with disability: a systematic review, Cogent Education, 12:1, 2512695, DOI: 10.1080/2331186X.2025.2512695 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2512695 © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Published online: 04 Jun 2025. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 144 View related articles View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=oaed20 INCLUSIVE & SPECIAL EDUCATION | REVIEW ARTICLE Coping strategies used by university students with disability: a systematic review Rafael Carballo a and Therese M. Cumming b a Department of Didactics and Educational Organisation, University of Seville, Seville, Spain; b School of Education, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia ABSTRACT There are currently a large number of studies that focus on analysing the difficulties encountered by students with disability at university. However, there is a need for more knowledge about the coping strategies that students find helpful and how universities can promote and support their use. This systematic review analyses the scientific literature on coping strategies used by university students with disability during their academic careers. The review analyses 17 studies that included a total of 674 students with disability as participants and analysed their coping strategies. The results of the analysis of these studies compiled the different types of coping strategies that participants used to successfully complete their studies. In addition, recommendations are drawn for Higher Education institutions to improve the academic experience of students with disability through the promotion and support of these strategies. The results of this study highlight the reality of the hardships experienced by university students when having to make certain efforts due to their disability, as well as the need for institutions to offer greater support to facilitate their university experience. ARTICLE HISTORY Received 31 October 2024 Revised 15 May 2025 Accepted 23 May 2025 KEYWORDS Students with disabilities; higher education; coping strategies; recommendations; systematic review SUBJECTS Disability Studies; Higher Education; Inclusion and Special Educational Needs; Disability 1. Introduction The number of students with disability enrolled in universities has increased globally. For example, in Australia, the proportion of domestic undergraduate students with disability has more than doubled, from 46,493 in 2012 to 116,422 in 2023. This represents a substantial increase in the proportion of the student body, with students with disability increasing from 5% to 10.6% over that same span (Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education & Training [ADCET], 2024). Similar numbers can be found globally, for example in the United Kingdom, the number of students with known disability has experienced a 47% increase since 2014–2023 (House of Commons Library, 2024). Students with disability make up approximately 19% of the student body in universities in the United States of America (De Brey et al., 2021). While these trends indicate a positive movement towards greater inclusion and support for students with disability in these countries, challenges remain in ensuring that these students receive the supports they need to succeed (Elbeheri et al., 2020). 1.1. Barriers to inclusion Despite the significant increases in enrolment of students with disability in tertiary education, educational attainment for this population is still lower than that of students without disability. In 2018, only 17% of people with disability over 20 held at least a bachelor’s degree, while for their nondisabled peers, the number increased to 35% (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], 2024). This could be due to the barriers students with disability encounter at university, including physical accessibility CONTACT Rafael Carballo [email protected] Department of Didactics and Educational Organisation, University of Seville, Pirotecnia Street, 41013, Seville, Spain ß2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent. COGENT EDUCATION 2025, VOL. 12, NO. 1, 2512695 https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2512695 issues, technology accessibility issues, lack of appropriate accommodations and support in their coursework, administrative challenges, and social stigmas (Dumitru, 2023;P  erez-Jorge et al. 2021; Shpigelman et al., 2022). While there are ongoing efforts to improve accessibility and support for students with disability enrolled in Higher Education (HE), students must often rely on their own coping skills to ensure their success (Carballo et al., 2024; Mana et al., 2022). 1.2. Coping strategies Algorani and Gupta (2023) define coping as, ‘the thoughts and behaviours mobilized to manage internal and external stressful situations. It is a term used distinctively for conscious and voluntary mobilization of acts, different from ‘defence mechanisms’that are subconscious or unconscious adaptive responses, both of which aim to reduce or tolerate stress’. They go on to classify coping into reactive coping, which happens after a stressor occurs, and proactive coping, which has the aim of neutralising future stressors. Coping is typically grouped into four categories: (a) problem-focused, (b) emotion-focused, (c) meaningfocused, and (d) social coping (support-seeking) (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2004). When a student is activating problem-focused coping, they are taking direct steps to solve whatever problem is causing them stress. This could take the form of creating and seeking out information, creating an action plan, and taking steps to change the situation. Closely related is emotion-focused coping, where the individual is aiming to manage the emotional distress caused by the situation. This could include seeking emotional support, practicing relaxation methods, and participating in activities that reduce stress. Meaning-focused coping involves finding meaning or purpose in the situation that is causing stress. This can include philosophical approaches where the student finds meaning or purpose in the stressful situation (‘making lemonade’, a reason for everything), finding personal growth opportunities or connecting with one’s values and beliefs. Lastly, social coping includes seeking support from others, such as talking to family or friends, joining support groups, or seeking out professional help to gain different perspectives on the situation (Algorani & Gupta, 2023). 1.3. University supports One of the answers to ensuring that all students, including those with disability, have access to teaching and learning is to design courses and their associated lectures, tutorials, and assessments using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The three pillars of UDL are: providing students with multiple means of representation, expression, and action/expression (Center for Applied Special Technology [CAST], 2024). Cumming and Rose (2022) found that HE students were more satisfied with courses that utilized UDL, as it helped to clarify course content and increased their feelings of engagement and capacity to participate in their courses. In effect, by incorporating the principles of UDL in their courses, instructors were supporting their students with disability to strengthen their coping skills. Overall, the situation for students with disability in HE has improved, although challenges remain. Universities are increasingly providing support services, such as disability advisors, assistive technologies, mentors, and individualised learning plans (Carballo et al., 2024; Hillier et al., 2019;P  erez-Jorge, Ari~ noMateo, et al., 2021). However, the effectiveness and availability of these services can vary widely among institutions, and students must disclose that they have a disability, in order to receive services (Perera et al., 2021). Instructor perceptions and knowledge about students with disability also affects whether courses are delivered inclusively (Lipka et al., 2020;P  erez-Jorge, Rodr ıguez-Jim enez, et al., 2021). There are also ongoing efforts to improve policies and practices to support students with disability (Cumming & Rose, 2022), including better data collection and reporting, as well as initiatives to create more inclusive learning environments (Cumming et al., 2023). An overall picture of the coping skills that students with disability are effectively using to support their own learning can assist these efforts and hopefully advance efforts to make university studies more accessible. When designing this systematic review, we started from the premise that students with disabilities use different types of coping strategies to successfully complete their university studies, in response to different difficulties that arise from university systems that are not fully inclusive. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review was to provide empirical knowledge about effective coping strategies used by 2 R. CARBALLO AND T. M. CUMMING university students with disabilities to overcome barriers and achieve academic success, and to provide recommendations for universities to enhance the development of these strategies and create more inclusive environments. Taking into account the diversity of strategies used by students, and the fact that there are no precedents of other systematic reviews on this topic, this work fills a gap in the literature by analysing, unifying, and discussing the results from a variety of studies in a single study. 2. Method In order to carry out this systematic review, we followed the following sequence: first, we conducted an analysis of the literature on coping strategies in university students with disability to find out whether there are any previous systematic reviews on the subject. In this case, and as indicated above, we found none. Subsequently, we were able to formulate our research questions to delimit the search and the objective of the review. In this way, both authors defined the search descriptors and selected the databases in which to conduct the search. We then developed the inclusion and exclusion criteria that would guide the search. The first author organised the sequence of work, and conducted the search in the different databases. Once duplicates were excluded, the review of the articles was carried out by both authors. The search and selection of papers followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement (Page et al., 2021)(Figure 1). Once the search and selection of studies had been carried out, data extraction was performed on those articles selected for inclusion in the systematic review. In the final phase, an analysis of the data answering the research questions was performed using a system of categories and codes created inductively. 2.1. Research questions This systematic review aimed to answer two research questions: 1. What coping strategies do students with disabilities use to overcome difficulties in their university studies? With this research question we aimed to find out about the coping strategies that students with disability use to face challenges and difficulties while studying at university. To answer it, we systematically located and analysed studies that were centred on exploring of these types of strategies used by university students with any type of disability. 2. How can the academic experience and success of students with disabilities be improved by fostering coping strategies? The second question sought to identify strategies, actions, and policies that impact the development of personal and coping strategies that help to improve the academic experience of students with disability at university. In doing so, we sought to identify recommendations for the improvement of coping strategies by HE institutions. In addition, we sought to identify instances reported in the articles in which students with disabilities shared their own coping strategies, in order to ensure that the suggestions for improvement emerged from the academic experience of students with disabilities. 2.2. Exploration and database search We used three international databases to carry out the search. These were chosen because they are the most widely used internationally, especially in the field of educational sciences: Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Web of Science (WoS), and Scopus. By using these three databases, we ensured that we met the criteria of sufficiency and quality of the literature reviewed and included in the review. The descriptors used are shown in Figure 2. The descriptors ‘disability’and ‘coping’were used in all searches, while the educational level that this review focused on included different keywords in order to conduct a comprehensive search covering the different nomenclatures used to refer to HE (university; college; higher education; tertiary education; and postsecondary education). The descriptor ‘coping’covered results from articles that included the concepts ‘coping’and ‘coping strategies’. COGENT EDUCATION 3 The first author was in charge of searching the different databases, creating a document with the search results including titles, authors, and abstracts. He also counted and eliminated duplicate papers. The search for articles was conducted in May 2024. The three databases were searched using the Figure 1. Article flow diagram. Figure 2. Search descriptors. 4 R. CARBALLO AND T. M. CUMMING descriptors’title, abstract, and key words. For the search in ERIC, we used the filter function to specify peer-reviewed articles, obtaining a total of 141 results. In WoS, we searched for articles in the areas of psychology, education, educational research, and behavioural sciences, resulting in 471 articles. Finally, a search was carried out in Scopus for articles in the areas of social sciences, psychology, and neuroscience, with a total of 181 articles. The total number of publications obtained was 793. Of these, 115 duplicate articles were eliminated, resulting in a total of 678 publications. 2.3. Inclusion and exclusion criteria To obtain data that would specifically answer the research questions, we included a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria that would determine the selection of articles to be included in the review. These criteria were defined by the two authors. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are shown in Table 1. The titles and abstracts of the 678 publications were read against these criteria during the month of June 2024. As a result, 605 studies were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria, under the clear agreement of the two authors. Subsequently, the full texts of the remaining 73 articles were read by both authors to determine which articles fully met the inclusion criteria. All disagreements between the authors were resolved through discussion. The disagreements laid mainly in the main objective and results of the articles, and it was finally decided to eliminate those articles in which coping strategies constituted a minimal part of the studies and did not provide specific information related to the research questions. This resulted in excluding a further 56 articles, leaving 17 papers included for analysis in this systematic review. The selection of these articles was based on meeting all the inclusion criteria, valuing the results of articles that provided relevant, useful, and sufficient information on coping strategies used by university students with disabilities, as well as recommendations and proposals for improvement based on their academic experiences. 2.4. Trustworthiness & validity In order to include each of the 17 articles, the two authors had to agree on which articles fully met the inclusion criteria. In addition, the methodological quality of the chosen texts was assessed through the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme [CASP], 2018). For the assessment of the articles through CASP, we used two of the CASP checklists available: one for qualitative studies (10 items) and one for quantitative Table 1. Inclusion and exclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria Exclusion criteria Population University students with disabilities, either alone or together with other members of the university community or families. Studies that do not include university students with disabilities. Focus of the article Studies focusing on/ containing analyses of coping strategies of university students with disabilities during their studies. Studies that include an analysis of the relationship between academic success and coping strategies. Studies including recommendations to enhance coping strategies for students with disabilities. Studies where coping strategies in students with disabilities is not the main topic. Studies undertaken at educational stages other than university. Studies focusing on special programs for peoples with disabilities (e.g. educational programs for intellectual disabilities). Clinical studies outside the field of education looking at coping strategies in other fields (e.g. pain coping). Type of publication Peer-reviewed journal articles. Primary empirical studies. Full text available. Articles published anytime. Non-peer-reviewed studies. Documents other than articles (books and chapters, conferences, thesis …). Secondary studies (e.g. theoretical studies). No full text available. Study design Studies of any type of design (quantitative, qualitative, mixed) with a full description of the method. Studies with ill-specified or incomplete research designs. Language Full texts published in English or Spanish. Full texts published in any language other than English or Spanish. COGENT EDUCATION 5 studies (11 items). The CASP checklists include three sections with different items: (A) Are the results of the study valid? (B) What are the results? (C) Will the results help locally? Prior to the assessment of the articles, a minimum level of positive items was set for each article to be included in the systematic review: 8/10 for qualitative studies and 9/11 for quantitative studies. This analysis confirmed that all 17 articles met the quality criteria and were included for analysis in this systematic review. 2.5. Data extraction and analysis The first step of the data analysis was data extraction of the characteristics of the studies. To accomplish this, a table was completed with the characteristics of the articles: authors and title, year of publication, country, participants, method and objectives (Appendix 1). This table allowed for a comparison of the studies and a general description of the different types of research carried out in relation to the subject of analysis. Each of the authors was responsible for extracting these data from half of the articles, and then they met and cross-checked the results. Subsequently, in the second phase of analysis, both authors developed a system of categories and codes inductively from reading the articles (Table 2). In this way, codes emerged from multiple readings. This system was used for the data analysis of each of the articles. Each of the authors categorised the information from all the articles independently. In this process, new codes emerged. The two analyses were compared and discussed by the two authors, unifying them and resulting in the final analysis system and categorisation. The analysis of the results was completed in August 2024. 3. Results 3.1. Data description Firstly, we present a description of the characteristics of the studies developed in the articles analysed. While the literature we examined was international, the majority of studies took place in the USA (8/17). The rest of the studies each took place in a different country: Canada, UK, Hong Kong, Spain, Germany, Finland, Israel, Turkey, and Ecuador. Of all the articles, 16 were published in English, and only one in Spanish. The participants in all studies were university students with some type of disability. The number of student participants included in each study ranged from 2 (Connor, 2013) to 153 (Suri a-Mart ınez & Table 2. System of categories and codes. Category Code Sub-code 1. Coping Strategies 1.1. Learning strategies Study strategies Management strategies 1.2. Resources and materials Technology support Visual support Sound/acoustic support 1.3. Social relationships and seeking support Relatives Friends Peers Faculty members University services Professionals outside the university 1.4. Skills / personal characteristics Resilience Behavioural strategies Hobbies and Leisure activities 2. Recommendations for improvement 2.1. Training programs for students with disabilities Training in coping strategies Counselling programs Need for improvement 2.2. Professionals and services for students University services for students with disabilities Academic advisers Online counselling 2.3. Social relations and awareness Encouraging social inclusion Disability awareness programmes Welcome actions 2.4. Faculty training Legislation Inclusive educational strategies and disability Universal design 6 R. CARBALLO AND T. M. CUMMING Ortigosa-Quiles, 2022). One of the studies (Heiman & Kariv, 2004) also included 146 students without disability. In total, 674 students with disability participated in the studies analysed. In terms of type of disability, the majority of studies (n¼8) included students with learning disabilities (LD) (199 students). One study focused on students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (68 students); one on students with physical impairments (70 students); one focused on students with autism (18 students); and one study included students with mental health problems (6 students). Finally, five articles included students with different types of disability (313 students). Finally, in relation to research methodology, the dominant approach was qualitative research (13/17). Quantitative methodology was used less (4/17), and no studies used mixed methods. 3.2. Coping strategies 3.2.1. Strategies to enhance learning This systematic review aimed to discover the most common strategies that students with disability used to successfully complete university studies and cope with difficulties. In terms of study strategies, the studies (n¼6) referred to: (a) study skills, (b) management strategies, (c) cognitive strategies, (d) compensation strategies, (e) learning strategies, (f) executive functions, (g) risk analysis, and (h) problemsolving. These strategies took the form of actions such as creating their own materials, using mind maps, using imagination and creativity, using visual aids to improve comprehension and retention, or reading aloud. These strategies were very varied, through which students aimed to improve their learning in an autonomous way. Management strategies were of particular relevance. In many studies (n¼9) students explicitly referred to such strategies. The most common were time-management strategies, followed by routine maintenance and self-discipline, personal scheduling, and relaxation strategies to make the best use of time and to cope successfully with tests. In Lo and Yuen (2017) study, students with LD indicated that they developed these strategies themselves, as no instructor ever taught them organisational strategies. Furthermore, the same study suggested that students with autism desired clearer and more structured external organisation. However, in Meister’s(1998) study, the students appreciated the opportunity to organise themselves and to be independent. In any case, a common finding was that students with disability required good organisation and time management. 3.2.2. Use of resources and materials Difficulty accessing materials emerged as a key element, as students with disabilities encountered multiple difficulties in accessing information, using course content, and/or managing their learning. Therefore, students took the initiative to seek alternatives in an autonomous way to overcome these obstacles. The use of digital resources and materials to access material appropriately was a strategy some had to put in place to achieve adequate learning and performance. In several studies (n¼7), students highlighted the importance of using digital technology and materials. The most commonly used technological resources were computers, voice recorders, and assistive technologies. These resources enabled learners to obtain different types of support. In some cases (n¼5) students used them for visual support, for example, systems for organising notes, software for accessing texts, subtitles in videos, or note-taking services. Other studies referred to resources for sound/acoustic support (n¼5), such as recording classes, text readers, audiobooks, sound amplification aids, and speech-to-text software. These materials mainly enabled students to overcome sensory difficulties, although in the case of students with LD, functions in word processing software like ‘cut and paste’ and spellcheck were of fundamental help (Lo & Yuen, 2017). However, not all materials were technology-related, as other materials such as index cards, post-it notes, and highlighters also served as study aids for students with LD (Richardson, 2021). 3.2.3. Social relations and help-seeking Students also identified seeking external help and support as a coping strategy. Richardson (2021) noted that asking for help was one of the most frequently cited strategies in his study with students with LD. In Kaminski et al. (2006) study, social support also emerged as fundamental for students with ADHD. COGENT EDUCATION 7 These external agents acted as study aids and emotional support. In six of the studies, students identified family members as a key support. Barga (1996) indicated that the most recurrent support for students with LD was their mother, while others with autism referred to both parents (Lei & Russell, 2021), and the family in general (Lo & Yuen, 2017; Wolfner et al., 2023). The articles reviewed also named friends (n¼5), partners (n¼2), and classmates (n¼7) as key people. Social connections at university also emerged as an important part of university life for students with autism and mental health disabilities (Lei & Russell, 2021; Singh & MacDonald, 2022), so seeking support from classmates was a common strategy. In addition to social support, students referred to the resources offered by the university as a fundamental source of support. To this end, the strategies were based on seeking this support through faculty members (n¼8) or other services and professionals at the university (n¼9). Some studies (Connor, 2012; Vaccaro et al., 2019) indicated that students were proactive in disclosing their disability, which was necessary when requesting accommodations and obtaining the necessary supports (Connor, 2012,2013; Kaminski et al., 2006; Richardson, 2021; Vaccaro et al., 2019). Some common accommodations offered by faculty members and the university were: taking exams in private, recorded lectures, extended time to complete tests and tasks, quiet spaces, interpreters, writing/tutoring support, and/or assisted technology. In the case of the participants in Wolfner et al. (2023) study, the most commonly used strategy was seeking out professional help, which included personnel from outside the university such as counsellors, therapists, and other support services. However, Suri aMart ınez and Ortigosa-Quiles (2022) concluded that support-based coping strategies were not as widely used, suggesting a deficiency in social support networks. 3.2.4. Personal skills and characteristics Students developed emotional management strategies in order to continue with their studies and not drop out. Resilience emerged as a capability in several studies (n¼5). Resilience was defined as the ability to be able to cope with difficulties. In the case of these students, it emerged as a fundamental ability to face academic challenges and continue towards a goal (Gonz alez-Romero et al., 2023; Richarson, 2021; Vaccaro et al., 2019). The study by Gonz alez-Romero et al. (2023) defined it as ‘a voluntary measure of prevention against any eventuality’. Other studies (n¼8) revealed behavioural strategies that helped students overcome difficulties. In Connor (2012), students with LD spoke of self-directed actions such as proactivity, while Lei and Russell (2021) showed self-control as a characteristic state in students with autism, rather than a trait. Students with LD in Richarson’s (2021) work highlighted persistence as a common attribute, while students with different disabilities in Gonz alez-Romero et al. (2023) study emphasised self-regulation, in order to be orderly and methodical and to perform activities in a controlled manner. Another recurrent idea in the students’discourses was the importance of being motivated to learn (Gonz alez-Romero et al., 2023), and positive thinking and optimism (n¼5). In this sense, students indicated that viewing disability as a positive aspect of self is a factor of great importance in all aspects of their lives (Vaccaro et al., 2019). Finally, students in five studies indicated that having hobbies and recreational activities were strategies that helped them in their academic life. Some hobbies doubling as coping mechanisms were: physical exercise (Kaminski et al., 2006; Reis et al., 1997; Vaccaro et al., 2019;; Wolfner et al., 2023), healthy eating, yoga, meditation, volunteering (Vaccaro et al., 2019), reading, watching movies and TV, video games, listening and playing music, writing, and social media (Wolfner et al., 2023). 3.3. Coping strategies to improve academic experience and success 3.3.1. Training students with disability To answer the second research question, we aimed to find out what recommendations for improving the university experience of students with disability could be gleaned from the studies analysed. Several studies (n¼7) included training programmes in strategies and skills for students with disabilities. KocaAtabey et al. (2011), in their study with students with physical disabilities, stated that counselling programmes for training in coping strategies for problem solving helped to combat helplessness and enhance growth. Lei and Russell (2021) recommended focusing on self-advocacy to help students with 8 R. CARBALLO AND T. M. CUMMING Suri a-Mart ınez, R., & Ortigosa-Quiles, J. M. (2022). Profiles of coping styles and relationship with academic performance of university students with disability. Behavioral Psychology,30(3), 727–742. https://doi.org/10.51668/bp. 8322308n Vaccaro, A., Moore, A., Kimball, E., Troiano, P. F., & Newman, B. M. (2019). Not gonna hold me back: Coping and resilience in students with disabilities. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice,56(2), 181–193. https://doi. org/10.1080/19496591.2018.1506793 Wise, M. L., Wise, B. L., & Jones, S. (2022). Beating the odds: How six post-secondary learners overcame common challenges of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals,22(3), 177–200. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1353969 Wolfner, C., Ott, C., Upshaw, K., Stowe, A., Schwiebert, L., & Lanzi, R. G. (2023). Coping strategies and help-seeking behaviors of college students and postdoctoral fellows with disabilities or pre-existing conditions during COVID19. Disabilities,3(1), 62–86. https://doi.org/10.3390/disability3010006 COGENT EDUCATION 15 Author/s and title Year of publication Country Participants Method/instruments Objective/s Barga, N. K. Students with learning disabilities in education: Managing a disability. 1996 USA 9 students with learning disabilities Qualitative/ reviewing academic records, interviews and classroom observations To describe how students who were identified with learning disabilities at different points in their lives manage their disabilities in education. To examine the factors contributing to the academic success of students with learning disabilities. Connor, D. J. Actively navigating the transition into college: narratives of students with learning disabilities. 2012 USA 3 students with learning disabilities Qualitative/ individual interviews To investigate the ways that students with LD strategize to successfully negotiate the academic, social, and personal/ emotional realms through their first year of college. Connor, D. J. Sink or Swim: Managing the Academic Transition to College for Students with Learning Disabilities. 2013 USA 2 students with learning disabilities Qualitative/ individual interviews To know the ways in which students with learning disabilities (LD) successfully selfmanage the academic demands placed upon them when transitioning into college. Gonz alez-Romero L. M., Burgos, D. J., Rivera, D. A., & Torres, J. E. Resilience capacity in students with disabilities at the university level. 2023 Ecuador 10 university students with disabilities Qualitative / interview To interpret the resilience of students with disabilities at university. Heiman, T., & Kariv, D. Coping experience among students in higher education. 2004 Israel 276 students: 130 with learning disabilities; 146 without learning disabilities Quantitative/ Likert scales To examine the coping strategies among 130 undergraduate college and university students with learning disabilities (LD) and 146 students without learning disabilities (NLD). Kaminski, P. L., Turnock, P. M., Ros en, L. A., & Laster, S. A. Predictors of academic success among college students with attention disorders. 2006 USA 68 college students diagnosed with ADHD. Quantitative/ Likert scales To identify factors associated with academic success among a sample of college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Particular interest were students’resources for coping with stress and their descriptions of strategies used to manage their ADHD symptoms. Koca-Atabey, M., Karanci, A. N., Dirik, G., & Aydemir, D. Psychological wellbeing of Turkish university students with physical impairments: An evaluation within the stress-vulnerability paradigm. 2011 Turkey 70 disabled university students with physical impairments Quantitative/ Likert scales To Investigate the psychological wellbeing of disabled Turkish university students by examining influences on stress-related growth and psychological distress. Lei, J., & Russell, A. Understanding the role of self-determination in shaping university experiences for autistic and typically developing students in the United Kingdom. 2021 UK 18 university students with autism. Qualitative/ individual interviews To investigate autistic students’reflections on the extent to which they shaped their university experiences through selfdetermination. (continued) Appendix A1. Articles includes in the systematic review 16 R. CARBALLO AND T. M. CUMMING Continued. Author/s and title Year of publication Country Participants Method/instruments Objective/s Lo, C. C., & Yuen, M. Succeeding against the odds Observations on coping by three intellectually very able university students with specific learning difficulties in Hong Kong. 2017 Hong Kong 3 intellectually very able university students with specific learning difficulties Qualitative/ Life story method To investigate and analyze university graduates’self-appraisal of difficulties at different stages, how gradually developed and used coping and advancement strategies. Meister, J. J. Study Conditions and Behavioral Patterns of Students with Disabilities in German Universities. 1998 Germany 63 university students with different disabilities (visual, hearing and physical). Qualitative/ interviews To find out how students cope with their disability. Pirttimaa, R., Takala, M., & Ladonlahti, T. Students in higher education with reading and writing difficulties. 2015 Finland 10 university students with reading and writing difficulties. Qualitative/ interviews To explore adult students’descriptions and understandings of their reading and writing difficulties, and to describe the ways they are copying with them. Reis, S. M., Neu, T. W., & McGuire, J. M. Case Studies of High-Ability Students with Learning Disabilities Who Have Achieved. 1997 USA 12 university students with learning disabilities Qualitative / interviews To investigate participant’s perceptions and experiences which are in turn related to the individual’s external behavior, in this instance, overcoming the obstacle of the learning disability. Richardson, G. Dyslexia in Higher Education. 2021 USA 30 students with learning disabilities Qualitative / criticalethnographic research To explore the subjective experiences of postsecondary students with dyslexic traits. Singh, R. C. B., & MacDonald, J. E. Students with mental health (dis)Abilities’storied experiences within distance education. 2022 Canada 6 social work distance students with mental health disabilities Qualitative / narrative autoethnography To research addressing the overall experiences of Canadian distance education social work students with mental health (dis)Abilities. Suri a, R., & Ortigosa, J.M. Profiles of Coping Styles and Relationship with Academic Performance of University Students with Disability. 2022 Spain 153 university students with disabilities Quantitative/ Likert scales To identify the existence of profiles of coping styles based on the most used coping strategies. Vaccaro, A., Moore, A., Kimball, E., Troiano, P. F., & Newman, B. M. “Not Gonna Hold Me Back”: Coping and Resilience in Students with Disabilities. 2018 USA 59 university students with diverse disabilities Qualitative / interview To analyze coping strategies and long-term resilience for university students with disabilities. Wolfner, C., Ott, C., Upshaw, K., Stowe, A., Schwiebert, L., & Lanzi, R. G. Coping Strategies and Help-Seeking Behaviors of College Students and Postdoctoral Fellows with Disabilities or Pre-Existing Conditions during COVID-19. 2023 USA 28 students with disabilities Qualitative / Interviews To explore the coping strategies and helpseeking behaviors of college students and postdoctoral fellows with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. COGENT EDUCATION 17