Executive Functioning Difficulties in Autistic and ADHD Students in Postsecondary Education : A Systematic Review

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Campbell, Irina and Alliot, Aime (2026) Executive Functioning Difficulties in Autistic and ADHD Students in Postsecondary Education : A Systematic Review. Other. Open Science Framework (OSF), Washington, DC. (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/NEPQA)

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Abstract

An increasing number of neurodiverse students with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are enrolling in postsecondary education; nonetheless, dropout rates remain elevated, and overall academic achievement continues to be lower than that of neurotypical students. These students typically experience executive functioning deficits, which are likely to contribute to poorer postsecondary outcomes; however, the direct impact of these deficits remains poorly understood. This lack of understanding can disadvantage neurodiverse students in environments where mainstream education is less accessible or effective. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review is to examine and compare executive functioning difficulties experienced by autistic and ADHD students in postsecondary education, and to assess how these difficulties relate to academic engagement, performance, and retention. This systematic review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for reporting (Page et al., 2020), and critical appraisal of all studies will be conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework to assess study quality. Screening will be limited to studies from peer-reviewed electronic databases, excluding dissertations, and only English-language publications from the past ten years will be considered. Data will be analysed using a narrative synthesis, and ethical approval will not be required for this research project. The systematic review is expected to be published in relevant peer-reviewed journals to inform the development of targeted academic support strategies.

ORCID iDs

Campbell, Irina ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0730-213X and Alliot, Aime;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)