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This study aimed to explore how students with attention-deficit-hyperactivity/disorder (ADHD) experience transitioning from postsecondary school to university and what factors aided or hindered this experience. This was to help inform ways to mitigate this group’s susceptibility to poor academic outcomes, including withdrawal from studies, and social and psychological outcomes (DuPaul et al., 2021; Weyandt et al., 2013). Six students with ADHD attending a UK university participated in individual Zoom interviews, lasting 1 hour maximum. Consistent with literature, transitional challenges experienced by all participants included difficulties adjusting socially, balancing study with other aspects and meeting academic demands due to lacking study skills and motivation (Canu et al., 2021; Stamp et al., 2014). Research shows individuals with ADHD can hyper-focus (intense, prolonged task attention) on high-interest tasks, similarly found by some participants in this study finding it beneficial for academic tasks (Madhi et al. 2017). Extending literature, hyper-focusing on study often led participants to neglect self-care or become distracted by other high-interest activities. Further extending literature, some participants experienced social conflict/bullying and felt university staff neglected their emotional adjustment in the transition. More generally, the accessibility and quality of support from academic staff/university services was important for the transition. Barriers included academic adjustments not being put in place, exclusionary academic assessments due to the impact of ADHD symptoms and inexperienced academic mentors from Disabled Student Allowance (DSA). Most participants experienced poor mental health and some deferred/changed university because of transitional challenges, aligning with critics arguing transitions are ongoing (Gale & Parker, 2014). This highlights students with ADHD require continual support throughout university. University staff/services must be proactive in monitoring their wellbeing to help identify and mitigate transitional challenges. This may include encouraging them to use external aids, such as noise cancelling headphones, and to appoint someone to help manage their self-care when hyper-focusing, since some participants perceived these factors as helpful. Universities should provide varied assessment options to cater to the strengths and interests of students with ADHD, minimising negative effects from symptoms/poor motivation. University staff must ensure reasonable adjustments are in place to ease academic adjustment and academic mentors provided by DSA need training to tailor sessions towards the needs of students with ADHD. This study further aligns with the argument that the ability to navigate a transition is influenced by earlier experiences (Gale & Parker, 2014). Most participants perceived lacking skills needed for university was due to not having an earlier ADHD diagnosis and support in place to develop them. Teachers should be trained to recognise ADHD in students and health professionals must exercise caution to prevent misdiagnosis. Two participants diagnosed as a child felt stigmatised by teachers/parents, adversely affecting their self-esteem across many transitional areas. Stigma towards ADHD needs to be addressed and teachers/parents encouraged to promote the self-esteem of children with ADHD. Most participants perceived teachers/parents as providing excessive assistance in schoolwork/daily living tasks, rendering them unprepared for academic and daily living skills at university and therefore should also promote independent practise of these skills. Correspondingly, facilitating factors for the transition centred on gaining knowledge and practicing skills needed for university. Students with ADHD could be encouraged to live independently before university to practise balancing study with other aspects. Social skills should be fostered more in earlier education for children with ADHD, since most participants felt the opposite hindered social adjustment at university. In sum, this study highlights many challenges students with ADHD face when transitioning to university from post-secondary school, implicating the roles of others both before and after commencing university in how they navigate the transition.

This study has several real-word applications. Teacher training to recognise ADHD symptoms in children/adolescents could lead to support initiated before commencing university, enabling strategies to minimise ineffective study skills/poor motivation. This may enhance their academic attainment both in earlier education and when transitioning to university. Further, teachers may be impacted as early support might reduce difficulties such as interrupting others in-class, thus improving their classroom experience. This study could help inform pedagogy in earlier education ensuring balance between assisting children with ADHD and without in schoolwork and independently acquiring these skills. This may help prepare students regarding autonomous learning in meeting academic demands at university, since this is a concern for many students (Trautwein & Bosse, 2017). This study could help inform legislation at schools to encourage good practise fostering social skills in children with ADHD for improved social relationships at schools/universities and to minimise susceptibility to isolation, social conflict/bullying at university. This study could have implications for the parents and their child with ADHD. If parents are educated about the stigma associated with ADHD, it may minimise negative feedback to a child with ADHD which can ease their transition to university and foster a more nurturing parent-child relationship. This research could have implications for university legislation. By utilising a transition as becoming perspective, initiatives to support students’ adjustment could change to reflect the need for proactive, continued support for the well-being of students and susceptible groups including those with ADHD (Gale & Parker, 2014). Transitional issues could then be flagged early enough to minimise this group’s susceptibility to withdrawal from studies and poor academic attainment (DuPaul et al., 2021).