Time Literacy: Academic Support for Neurodivergent Students in Higher Education

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Time management for neurodivergent students, including those with learning disabilities (LD) and/or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has long been identified as a hurdle impeding college graduation. Building on research in disability studies, mathematics education, higher education, and time management, we propose a framework for time literacy that centralizes and elevates the individual and that individual’s needs in the pursuit of college academics. Our investigation seeks to illuminate sociocultural resources that characterize academic support, including the consequential role of time representations. We present a case study of a specialized academic support program for neurodivergent postsecondary students that has an explicit focus on time management. Through interviews with academic coaches and students (N = 9), we identify four interrelated themes emerging from participants’ descriptions: time representations, routines, efficacy, and identity. We apply such themes to analyze one-on-one sessions over time to illuminate when and how the four themes arise in situ. We frame time literacy as positioning academic success as one component of overall well-being and thriving that leads to balance in personal and academic needs and goals.