An Occupational Therapy-based Supported Education Program for University Students with Various DSM-5 Diagnoses: Program Description and Academic Outcomes

摘要

Background: This article describes and provides academic outcomes for an occupational therapy-based supported education program developed to assist undergraduate students with various DSM-5 diagnoses with the academic, social, and psychological skills important for college. Method: A detailed program description and illustrative example of the intervention is provided. Quantitative designs were used to report retention, graduation, and GPA and to calculate changes in mean cumulative GPA. Results: Of 83 students who started the program, 80 completed at least one semester (96%). Of these 80, 62 (77.5%) continued at the university for a retention rate of 77.5%, and 43 of the 62 have already graduated. Data on retention and graduation for students registered with the office for students with disabilities for the same time, 2008 to 2017, was used for comparative purposes. Although change in GPA was not statistically significant for the overall group of 80 (p ≤. 086, t =-1.744), it was statistically significant for the 62 students who continued at the university (p ≤. 028, t =-2.225) and for a subgroup of students who had a GPA prior to enrollment in the program (n = 31, p ≤ .014, F = 6.194). Conclusion: The program description and outcomes support an OT-based supported education program to assist students with various DSM-5 diagnoses in college.