Date
5-20-2026
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Lucinda Spaulding
Keywords
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), delayed diagnosis, females, post-secondary education
Disciplines
Special Education and Teaching
Recommended Citation
Schultz, Sarah A., "The Experiences of Females with ADHD Receiving Their Diagnoses in Post-Secondary School: A Phenomenological Study" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8470.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8470
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the educational experiences of females who received attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses while attending postsecondary schools. The theory guiding this study was Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory. This theory explains the relationship among environmental, internal, and external factors in a person’s motivation. The central research question was: What are the educational experiences of females who received ADHD diagnoses while attending postsecondary schools in the United States? This study used transcendental phenomenology to understand the experiences of females who received delayed ADHD diagnoses while attending postsecondary school. There were 10 participants in the study. This study focused more on the participants as individuals than on their geographic location. The participants were recruited from online social media sources and through snowball sampling. The participants received their diagnoses in the United States while attending postsecondary education. Data collection methods included individual interviews, artifact collection, and journal prompts. Data were analyzed through Epoché, transcendental phenomenological reduction, imaginative variation, and the development of a composite description. Four major themes were developed from the data. These themes were emotions surrounding ADHD, challenges of living with ADHD, changes made once diagnosed with ADHD, and support for symptoms of ADHD. The participants had strong emotional reactions to their diagnoses, ADHD affected their daily lives, they had to make changes to their daily activities to manage ADHD, and they relied heavily on tools and support groups.
