Matching peer mentors with children who have disabilities

Abstract

Students with disabilities can often use a helping hand to participate in recreational activities. A Learn and Serve program in Walla Walla, Washington, enlisted volunteer students to be peer mentors for students with disabilities. The program enables students with disabilities to participate in recreational activities and helps to raise awareness about disability issues among their peer volunteers. This paper by Learn and Serve educator Vicki Ruley won second place in the 1997 Northwest National Service Symposium, hosted by The Northwest Regional Education Laboratory (NWREL).

Issue

In Walla Walla, Washington, parents expressed a concern about the lack of recreational opportunities for their children with disabilities. Some children with disabilities can use a helping hand from their peers to participate in sports and games.

Action

The "With a Little Help from my Friends" project, a Learn and Serve program in Walla Walla, Washington, matches students with children who have disabilities. Together they participate in organized community recreation activities.

The peer mentors in the program are in grades six through college. They complete approximately five hours of training. This training includes instruction on five specific disabilities: autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, epilepsy, and spina bifida. They also receive training in disability awareness, communication and active listening, behaviors, and problem solving. The trainings are generally held during the noon hours at the participating school.

The trainings for college students are held on Saturdays. Parents and students are involved in the training. Parents share experiences concerning their children with disabilities. A student volunteer talks about his life with spina bifida and the difficulties he's had in the community because of his wheelchair.

Peer mentors are required to fill out a volunteer application, provide two references, and submit to a Washington State Patrol Criminal Background Check. School counselors are involved in the selection process. The peer mentors are then matched with a child with a disability and together they participate in community recreation activities. To minimize liability, only organized community recreation sites are used. Together the students are participating under the direction and supervision of the organization's rules and regulations.

Context

The With a Little Help from my Friends program was started through the Walla Walla Parent to Parent Learn and Serve program. The first year, 93 students attended the disability awareness/sensitivity trainings. Twenty-six students became peer mentors. Twenty-three students with disabilities participated in various community recreation programs with their peer mentor. The second year, 53 students completed the training and 33 became peer mentors. Twenty-seven students with disabilities participated in the program.

Citation

Ruley, Vicki. "With a Little Help from My Friends" Second Annual NW National Service Symposium. Portland, Oregon: Northwest Regional Education Laboratory, May 1997.

Outcome

The program helps students with disabilities to participate in recreational activities. It also helps to break down some real and imagined barriers about disabilities. The peer mentors have learned first hand about some of the barriers the community has formed for people with disabilities and how they can assist others in overcoming barriers.