Mediation Effects of Academic Advising Behaviors for First-Year Students with Learning Disabilities and Mental Health Disorders

Using survey data from 6,242 first-year students with disabilities that completed the National Survey of Student Engagement and the academic advising topical module, the purpose of the current study was to explore the aspects of academic advising behaviors that mediated overall self-reported grades and student engagement. Findings indicate academic advising is positively related to grades and engagement among students with disabilities; however, some advising practices were more beneficial for students with certain disabilities than others.