How can mentoring be a meaningful experience for youth with disabilities?
Research on widely recognized mentoring organizations, such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters, holds that mentoring can change the direction of a young person s life, reduce substance abuse, and improve academic performance (Sipe & Roder, 1999, Beier, Rosenfeld, Spitalny, Zansky, & Bontempo, 2000). In a longitudinal study of Big Brothers/Big Sisters participants, researchers found that “mentoring directly affected scholastic competence and school attendance, which suggests that, through role modeling, tutoring, and encouragement, mentors can influence both the cognitive and behavioral dimensions of adolescents approach to school” (Rhodes, Grossman, and Resch, 2000, p.1667). In addition, youth development literature asserts that in order to succeed, youth need caring adult role models (Search Institute Web Site, 2002; Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Web Site, n.d.). For young people with disabilities, mentoring can impact many of the goals that are part of the transition process, includin
