Effectiveness of a peer-mediated intervention on job and social skills for students with intellectual disability: a pilot study.

Building foundational job and social skills for high school students with intellectual disability (ID) is critical for post-school employment success. Unfortunately, students with ID often experience limited opportunities to learn and hone these skills while in school. One way to build job and social skills are through a peer-mediated intervention (PMI) in a work-based learning experience (WBLE). A multiple-baseline design across participant dyads with generalization probes was used to investigate the effects of implementing a PMI on job and social skills for students with ID in a WBLE. Results showed that participants demonstrated improvements in job task independence and social interactions. Furthermore, social interaction quality improved after implementing the PMI for most dyads. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

Perspectives of Adults without Disabilities on their Friendships with Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Friendships contribute to positive social outcomes such as the promotion of prosocial behaviors and social well-being and can lead to an overall healthy quality of life. Despite the importance of friendships, little is known about how individuals without disabilities develop and maintain friendships with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Using a phenomenological research design, the current study explored the lived experiences of 17 adults without disabilities who discussed the development and maintenance of their friendship with an individual with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and subsequently collaborative, open coding was used to identify codes and themes across participants. Three main themes emerged related to 1) factors that facilitated friendship development; 2) factors that contributed to friendship maintenance; and 3) impacts of the friendship for both individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. Implications of the results are discussed as well as future directions for research.

Applying the self-determination theory to develop a school-to-work peer mentoring programme to promote social inclusion.

Social inclusion of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is related to positive mental health and social outcomes; yet, individuals with IDD experience societal barriers that limit opportunities for community participation. Providing opportunities for interactions between individuals with and without IDD through peer mentoring may diminish barriers and improve community inclusion. Guided by the self-determination theory, the current report describes the development of a peer mentoring programme to promote the natural process of building intrinsic motivation and personal growth through opportunities for individuals without disabilities to socialize with individuals with IDD on a large university campus and throughout the surrounding community. The theoretical framework that informed the development of the peer mentoring programme is described, as well as the participants, the setting in which the programme is situated, the structure of the programme, the initial impacts and improvement of the programme over time, including approaches to sustainability, and implications for future research and practice.