Investigating the relationship between study-related factors and neurodivergent traits in undergraduate university students: an exploratory study

Neurodivergent university students are more likely to experience academic stress and have lower attainment. Various factors have been shown to predict performance in neurotypical populations but there has been limited research into how these factors relate to neurodivergent traits and whether they predict performance in neurodivergent students. This exploratory cross-sectional study explored the relationship between traits associated with ADHD, autism and dyslexia and several study-related factors: academic adjustment, achievement orientation, study engagement, time management, effort reward imbalance and general health and wellbeing as well as whether these factors could predict performance in 277 undergraduate university students with a diagnosis of ADHD, autism and/or dyslexia. Significant inverse associations were found between autism and ADHD traits and wellbeing. Additionally, those with higher ADHD traits showed poorer academic adjustment and time management and a higher effort reward ratio. Regression analyses revealed that the main predictor of academic performance was academic adjustment. Taken together, this suggests that neurodivergence is not a direct determinant of academic performance, but rather as a factor that shapes students’ academic trajectories indirectly through its impact on adjustment, skills, motivation, and psychological experience. This highlights the importance of targeting modifiable academic and contextual factors when designing interventions to support neurodivergent students.