TY - GEN
T1 - (ABSTRACT) FCS Undergraduates Perceptions on Training to be Mentors of Adults with I/DD
AU - Richard, Courtney
AU - Gibbs, Chante
AU - SanDiego, Lauren
AU - Colleran, Heather
AU - Williams-Wheeler, Meeshay
AU - Hopfer, Elizabeth N
AU - Dixon, Devona L
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - FCS Undergraduates Perceptions on Training to be Mentors of Adults with I/DDCourtney Richard, Research Assistant; Chante Gibbs, Research Assistant; Lauren San Diego, RDN; HeatherColleran (Co-PI), PhD; Meeshay Williams-Wheeler (Co-PI), PhD; Elizabeth Newcomb-Hopfer (Co-PI), PhD;*Devona Dixon (PI), PhD.North Carolina Agricultura and Technical State UniversityPurpose and Rationale: Young adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) face uniquechallenges to fully acquire self-sufficiency in areas of life such as proper nutrition, financial literacy, and socialengagement. Mentoring programs with a firm foundation in family and consumer sciences (FCS) can supportindividual success in these areas. Adequate training must be provided to mentors in order to effectively mentorand positively influence behavior change. Mentors should also find value and purpose in the training provided totransfer skills to participating adults with I/DD. The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions ofundergraduate students on the preparatory training received to serve as mentors to adults with I/DD to increaseself-sufficiency. It is part of a larger study aimed to develop a mentoring program for adults with I/DD toenhance self-sufficiency and aspects of nutrition, resource management, appearance and relationships throughpeer-mentoring and peer-facilitation of specialized FCS based content. This undergraduate-as-mentor approach isunique in addressing the needs of adults with I/DD.Methodology: Eight (8) undergraduate FCS majors serving as peer mentors underwent two hours of training oncea week for eight weeks to serve as mentors and educators. Weekly trainings focused on: getting familiar withintellectual and physical disabilities, disability etiquette, first person language, leading with emotional intelligence,research fundamentals and ethics; data collection, journaling and program expectations. They also interacted withparticipants, three times, in organized informal social settings. Mentors recorded their experiences and reflectionson trainings and initial time spent with their mentees through electronic journal entries. Those journal entries werede-identified, reviewed by three coders, and recurring themes based on mentors’ thoughts, beliefs and attitudeswere found.Findings: The mentors consisted of 50% (N=4) Fashion and Merchandising majors, 25% (N=2) ChildDevelopment and Family Studies majors, and 25% (N=2) Food and Nutritional Sciences majors. Data analysisrevealed 50% (N=4) had previous experience interacting with this population. Coding revealed two prevailingthemes of 1.) Optimism about the program and relationships with the mentees as wells as 2.) Self-doubt in theirabilities to succeed as mentors.Conclusion and Implications: Themes found through journal entries may be used as formative evaluations todevelop future mentor trainings for a program targeting adults with I/DD. Mentors should be further instructed onmentoring techniques such as various motivational methods to increase mentor confidence and promote menteeself-sufficiency.*Corresponding author: Devona L. Dixon, [email protected]
AB - FCS Undergraduates Perceptions on Training to be Mentors of Adults with I/DDCourtney Richard, Research Assistant; Chante Gibbs, Research Assistant; Lauren San Diego, RDN; HeatherColleran (Co-PI), PhD; Meeshay Williams-Wheeler (Co-PI), PhD; Elizabeth Newcomb-Hopfer (Co-PI), PhD;*Devona Dixon (PI), PhD.North Carolina Agricultura and Technical State UniversityPurpose and Rationale: Young adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) face uniquechallenges to fully acquire self-sufficiency in areas of life such as proper nutrition, financial literacy, and socialengagement. Mentoring programs with a firm foundation in family and consumer sciences (FCS) can supportindividual success in these areas. Adequate training must be provided to mentors in order to effectively mentorand positively influence behavior change. Mentors should also find value and purpose in the training provided totransfer skills to participating adults with I/DD. The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions ofundergraduate students on the preparatory training received to serve as mentors to adults with I/DD to increaseself-sufficiency. It is part of a larger study aimed to develop a mentoring program for adults with I/DD toenhance self-sufficiency and aspects of nutrition, resource management, appearance and relationships throughpeer-mentoring and peer-facilitation of specialized FCS based content. This undergraduate-as-mentor approach isunique in addressing the needs of adults with I/DD.Methodology: Eight (8) undergraduate FCS majors serving as peer mentors underwent two hours of training oncea week for eight weeks to serve as mentors and educators. Weekly trainings focused on: getting familiar withintellectual and physical disabilities, disability etiquette, first person language, leading with emotional intelligence,research fundamentals and ethics; data collection, journaling and program expectations. They also interacted withparticipants, three times, in organized informal social settings. Mentors recorded their experiences and reflectionson trainings and initial time spent with their mentees through electronic journal entries. Those journal entries werede-identified, reviewed by three coders, and recurring themes based on mentors’ thoughts, beliefs and attitudeswere found.Findings: The mentors consisted of 50% (N=4) Fashion and Merchandising majors, 25% (N=2) ChildDevelopment and Family Studies majors, and 25% (N=2) Food and Nutritional Sciences majors. Data analysisrevealed 50% (N=4) had previous experience interacting with this population. Coding revealed two prevailingthemes of 1.) Optimism about the program and relationships with the mentees as wells as 2.) Self-doubt in theirabilities to succeed as mentors.Conclusion and Implications: Themes found through journal entries may be used as formative evaluations todevelop future mentor trainings for a program targeting adults with I/DD. Mentors should be further instructed onmentoring techniques such as various motivational methods to increase mentor confidence and promote menteeself-sufficiency.*Corresponding author: Devona L. Dixon, [email protected]
M3 - Conference contribution
SP - 19
BT - Unknown book
ER -