A workshop to enhance study skills and to help promote the academic success of students with learning disabilities.

Premise: A workshop directed to students with learning disabilities was realized as part of the “Orientation and needs analysis desk” of the Disability Sector of the University of Salerno. Objective: To promote the academic success of students with learning difficulties, facilitating a proactive and strategic approach to the study, by enhancing the metacognitive and functional aspects of learning and reflecting on the emotional-motivational ones. Participants: 6 students with learning disabilities, attending various courses of studies at University of Salerno. Tools: AMOS-Ability and motivation to study test (De Beni et. Al, 2014; 2015), administered to typically developing students. Methodology: The test was administered at arrival (pre-lab). The protocol is made up of the questionnaires from the AMOS test: - QAS on the approach to the study; - QC on Beliefs, relatively to intelligence, motivational system and personality; - QAR on levels of Anxiety and resilience, compared to academic life. Results: The QAS highlights in students an approach to study characterized by “low” ability of self-assessment (level range 3.2 to 3.4) and organization (<3.1); “very low” ability of processing (<2.7) and strategies (<3); metacognitive sensitivity is better, that is, knowing how to think and wonder about the functioning of your own mind and how the study develops. In most cases, it appears to be “high” (3.6-4), or “sufficient” (3-3.5). The QC revealed that the majority of respondents have a theory of intelligence, for the purpose of the study, which tends to be “incremental” (34-42). The QAR reveals “high” (14-17), and “very high” (>17) scores of anxiety in relation to examinations; in addition, the score of resilience compared to the potential difficulties is generally “very low” (<21). The workshop is ongoing and a pre-planned re-test phase will help us understand whether (and how) there has been a change in the surveyed areas.