An evaluation of a person-centered mentoring programme for adults on the autism spectrum

Specialist mentoring or coaching schemes for people on the autism spectrum are still rare, and research on the topic rarer still. A number of work training schemes, life-coaching and Access to work mentoring schemes have been initiated, yet have not been subject to good quality evaluations. This presentation reports on the development of a mentoring programme for adults on the autism spectrum. The programme involves the matching of twelve pairs of mentees and mentors, the latter having been given a day course on autism and mentoring designed and delivered by the project team with input from autistic adults on the project advisory group and within the team itself. The effectiveness of the mentoring programme is to be reviewed through the use of the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) utilised at the beginning and the end of a six month period of one session per week, as well as through qualitative analysis of logs taken of mentoring sessions and postprogramme interviews. The project also uses the ‘Salmon-Line’ technique to track progress against three goals set by the mentee within their first mentoring session.

This project is currently in progress, yet the project team would seek to present the results from the study at the Disability Conference. This presentation would seek to share findings from the project regarding mentee progress, as well a reflection regarding what to include in training given to mentors to encourage a client centred and effective relationship.