近年來，全球教育政策逐漸朝向融合與平等發展。臺灣身心障礙學生佔高等教育學生總人口1.59%，以學習障礙、自閉症譜系障礙和情緒／行為障礙最普遍。儘管臺灣透過特殊教育法修訂和特殊教育中程計畫實施，逐步邁向融合教育，但外部支持系統仍不足。本研究探討心理韌性在身心障礙學生教育適應過程中的作用，以及如何培養此特質。本研究採多重個案研究法，立意取樣選擇一位患有妥瑞氏症、閱讀障礙等的男性博士生、一位患有肌肉萎縮的男性大學生，及兩位學生的母親。資料收集以半結構式訪談為主。研究發現四個面向：自我心理韌性與賦能、家庭支持系統、教育環境和社會融合，這些面向從個人擴展至社會，形成同心結構，顯示個人與環境因素間相互影響；身心障礙學生的最佳教育適應是以上因素間的複雜互動。研究顯示教育系統和社會雖有進步，但需進一步調整，而身心障礙學生因克服困境而發展出非凡心理韌性，但社會不應視為理所當然；同時，家庭成員間的相互支持呈現雙向動態支持系統，是發展心理韌性重要的因素。未來研究應：(1)發展韌性培養策略；(2)考慮不同障礙類型的獨特挑戰；(3)評估心理韌性培養介入計劃的長期效果。期盼實現融合、平等與高品質教育，幫助身心障礙學生充分發展潛能。

Objectives

In recent years, global education policies have increasingly moved toward more inclusive and equitable approaches. The United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4, emphasize the importance of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, which has profound implications for the educational rights of students with disabilities. In Taiwan, students with disabilities represent 1.59% of the total higher education student population, with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and emotional/behavioral disorders being the most prevalent categories. Through multiple revisions of the Special Education Act and the implementation of special education medium-term plans, Taiwan has been gradually moving toward inclusive education and diversified placement models. However, external support systems alone are insufficient. Students with disabilities often face numerous challenges in their learning processes, and cultivating their internal resilience has become a key issue. Resilience, as an interdisciplinary concept extending from materials science to ecology and psychology, describes the ability of systems or individuals to adapt and recover when facing adversity. In educational settings, resilience manifests as students’ adaptability, positive coping abilities, and self-efficacy. For university students with disabilities, resilience relates not only to academic achievement but also to their overall development and quality of life. Students with resilience can better cope with challenges in learning and life, enhance their self-advocacy abilities, and prepare for future career development. However, existing research has focused primarily on establishing external support systems, with insufficient attention given to cultivating the internal psychological qualities of students with disabilities. Based on this understanding, this study aims to explore the role of resilience in the educational adaptation process of students with disabilities and how to cultivate and strengthen this important quality in higher education environments. Through an in-depth study of the relationship between resilience and optimal educational adaptation, we hope to provide a theoretical foundation for developing more effective educational strategies, thereby enhancing the learning experiences and well-being of students with disabilities. This research is not only significant for special education practices but will also contribute to promoting a more inclusive and equitable higher education environment.

Method

This study applied a multiple-case study approach, and used purposive sampling to select participants who could provide rich and relevant information for the research questions. Two higher education students with disabilities and their primary caregivers (mothers) were selected as research participants: (1) Student A, a male doctoral student with severe Tourette syndrome, reading disabilities, OCD, and anxiety; (2) Student B, a male undergraduate senior with severe muscular atrophy; (3) Student A’s mother; and (4) Student B’s mother. To ensure trustworthiness in this qualitative research, the researcher employed various strategies including credibility (accurately representing participants’ perspectives), transferability (providing detailed contextual information), dependability (maintaining consistency in data collection), and confirmability (ensuring objectivity in conclusions). Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with both students and their mothers, providing triangulation through multiple perspectives.

Results

Based on the research purpose, relevant literature, and interview data, four dimensions of research results were identified: self-psychological resilience and empowerment, family support systems, educational environment, and social integration. These dimensions expand from the individual to the family, then to the school environment, and finally to society, forming a concentric structure that provides a holistic perspective while simultaneously revealing the interactive influence between personal factors and environmental factors. The findings show that the optimal educational adaptation of students with disabilities in higher education can be viewed as a complex interaction between students’ self-psychological resilience and empowerment, family support systems, educational environment, and social integration during this process. The research results are analyzed as follows: (1) Self-Psychological Resilience and Empowerment: Students with disabilities in higher education continue to face challenges in interpersonal relationships, academics, and daily life. However, due to their rich experiences in overcoming obstacles from childhood to adulthood, they have established effective psychological adjustment mechanisms. This enables them to demonstrate good psychological adaptability and a positive problem-solving attitude when facing challenges. Additionally, higher education students with disabilities show mature behavior when confronting upcoming difficulties, displaying proactive and positive characteristics, and engaging in self-advocacy actions. (2) Family Support Systems: The family support system plays a key role in the educational process of students with disabilities, facilitating communication and connections between academics, life, and interpersonal relationships. Primary caregivers (mothers) undergo complex psychological adaptations while playing supportive roles, observing and supporting their children’s growth, and gaining strength from their children. This indicates mutual support between primary caregivers and children in families with disabilities. (3) Educational System Support and Limitations: Students with disabilities pursuing higher education receive significant assistance from university professors, peers, and resource centers, helping them solve academic and life problems. An open, inclusive, and mature environment supports their equal footing in education. However, higher education learning models differ from elementary and secondary education, with reduced peer interaction and increased practical courses, presenting psychological and physical challenges for students with disabilities. (4) Social Integration and Challenges: Due to uncontrollable disruptive behaviors or physical inconveniences, students with disabilities face significant obstacles in developing interpersonal relationships, potentially creating additional pressure and challenges in pursuing higher education and future development. They require special learning methods and tools, which are not commonly found or fully understood in conventional educational systems.

Discussions and suggestions

This study demonstrates that psychological resilience serves as the core internal catalyst enabling students with disabilities to overcome adversity and achieve optimal educational adaptation in higher education. Whether examining doctoral students with Tourette syndrome and reading disabilities or undergraduate students with muscular dystrophy, all participants exhibited high resilience traits—including adaptability to change, capacity to learn from experience, and self-empowerment to transform disability into advocacy. Crucially, this resilience is not innate but dynamically constructed through continuous interaction between challenges and support systems. Family support emerges as the primary external resource for cultivating resilience. Mothers, in particular, function as emotional anchors and resource liaisons, establishing secure psychological foundations through unconditional acceptance, active advocacy, and sustained encouragement. This “family resilience” not only buffers external pressures but also shapes students’ positive beliefs and problem-solving capabilities. The quality of school support systems directly impacts educational adaptation. While Taiwan has progressively advanced inclusive education, significant gaps persist in accessibility infrastructure, curriculum adjustments, assistive technology provision, and teacher training in special education. When institutions provide individualized support, foster inclusive peer networks, and empower student participation in decision-making (such as representation on special education committees), psychological resilience and self-efficacy are substantially enhanced. From the perspective of the social model of disability, authentic educational adaptation requires systemic structural reform. Disability is not an individual deficit but a construct of environmental barriers and social attitudes. True educational equity demands that systems respect diversity, eliminate participation barriers, and maximize every student’s potential. Future research should pursue three directions: developing systematic strategies to strengthen resilience traits; conducting differentiated research across disability types; and implementing longitudinal designs to assess long-term intervention efficacy. Additional empirical studies on family support mechanisms and teacher training are essential to optimizing comprehensive support frameworks, ensuring every student with disabilities can fully realize their potential within inclusive, equitable academic environments.