Figuring it out together: developing a mentorship program with autistic college and high school students

• In Event: Cultivating Inclusive Futures: College, Career, and Community Engagement for Students with Disabilities

Abstract

[Program] pairs autistic college mentors with autistic high school mentees to create interest-based projects and share knowledge about the transition from high school to college. Mentors and mentees completed a pre-post self-determination inventory (SDI) and pre-post interviews. Mentors also completed a pre-post disability identity development scale (DIDS). Survey analyses revealed increases in one aspect of self-determination, belief, in mentees but no significant improvements for mentors. Interview analyses revealed five themes in mentors’ and mentees’ descriptions of their experiences: shared experience, mutual understanding, belongingness, self-advocacy and identity development. Over this summer, mentors substantially revised hypotheses and measures for next year.

Authors

• Dora Dufie Onwumere, New York University

• Wendy B. Martin, Education Development Center, Inc.

• Wesley Alberts, New York University

• Olivia Lyra Barrow, Guttman Community College

• Lela Fluker, College of Staten Island

• Brian Myers, New York University

• Kenny Velez, College of Staten Island

• Nicole Wang, New York University

• Andrew Yan, New York University

• Ariana Riccio Arista, Education Development Center, Inc.

• Samantha Tumolo, Education Development Center, Inc.

• Rita Strickland Caragliano, College of Staten Island

• Louis Rotondo, College of Staten Island

• Kristen Gillespie-Lynch, College of Staten Island - CUNY

• Kristie Patten, New York University