Feasibility of electronic peer mentoring for transition-age youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Project Teens making Environment and Activity Modifications.

BACKGROUND: There is a need for mentoring interventions in which transition-age youth and young adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) participate as both mentors and mentees. Project TEAM (Teens making Environment and Activity Modifications) is a problem-solving intervention that includes an electronic peer-mentoring component. METHODS: Forty-two mentees and nine mentors with I/DD participated. The present authors analysed recorded peer-mentoring calls and field notes for mentee engagement, mentor achievement of objectives and supports needed to implement peer mentoring. RESULTS: Overall, mentees attended 87% of scheduled calls and actively engaged during 94% of call objectives. Across all mentoring dyads, mentors achieved 87% of objectives and there was a significant relationship between the use of supports (mentoring script, direct supervision) and fidelity. CONCLUSIONS: Transition-age mentees with I/DD can engage in electronic peer mentoring to further practice problem-solving skills. Mentors with I/DD can implement electronic peer mentoring when trained personnel provide supports and individualized job accommodations.

The nature, perception, and impact of e-mentoring on post-professional occupational therapy doctoral students.

This retrospective study employed a descriptive, quantitative design to investigate the nature, perception, and impact of the e-mentoring experiences of 29 graduates of an online post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program. Study results highlight positive features of electronic mentoring (e-mentoring); how multi-modal e-mentoring supports the accessibility needs of participants; and students' preferences to engage in real-time e-mentoring communication by web camera or telephone, supplemented with e-mail. E-mentoring positively impacted the professional development of participants during and after the online OTD program. As online education continues to grow, a better understanding of e-mentoring will assist in providing exemplary education to meet the needs of adult learners.

Faculty Mentors' Perspectives on E-Mentoring Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral Students.

E-mentoring is a viable option for mentoring students in occupational therapy educational programs. The objective of this study was to investigate faculty perspectives of faculty-to-student e-mentoring in an online post-professional doctor of occupational therapy program. In a retrospective mixed-method design, nine faculty members described features and outcomes of e-mentoring 48 doctoral students. Online survey results were analysed quantitatively for descriptive statistics; transcripts from structured interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results showed that successful, satisfactory e-mentoring is student-centered, flexible, frequent, academically and psychosocially supportive; faculty members must be skilled in adapting e-mentoring to the needs and objectives of each mentee; e-mentoring provides opportunities for faculty members and students to achieve academic and professional objectives and growth. The findings suggest that implementation of e-mentoring may be a useful model in other occupational therapy programs. There is a need for future studies with broader participant pool, observable measures of e-mentoring, standardized measures of satisfaction and success and comparison between e-mentoring with and without web camera. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Exploring the Self-Disclosure Process in Peer Mentoring Relationships for Transition-Age Youth With Developmental Disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the self-disclosure process in regard to connection development and relationship quality in peer mentoring relationships between transition-age youth (ages 15-20) and young adults (ages 18-36) with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Self-disclosure is defined as "the disclosure of inner feelings and experiences to another person" that "fosters liking, caring, and trust, thereby facilitating the deepening of close relationships" ( Reis & Shaver, 1988 , p. 372). Nine peer mentoring dyads with varied interpersonal connections were purposefully selected from a larger intervention study. Recorded mentoring conversations were analyzed for self-disclosure content and peer mentor response. The findings demonstrated trends related to connection development and differences across degree of connection. In relationships with stronger connections, there was a higher quantity of self-disclosure and more frequent disclosure of emotions, and peer mentors responded more frequently with advice and reciprocated self-disclosure. Implications of findings for promoting higher-quality peer mentoring relationships are discussed.