Family Mentorship Project

2014

The SC LEND Family Mentorship Project provides interdisciplinary trainees with the opportunity to learn directly from families of diverse cultural backgrounds who have children or young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders or Neurodevelopmental disabilities. Families from Charleston,Greenville, and Columbia serve as Family Mentors and are paid for their service. Trainees learn directly from families through extended interactions and experiences that take place in the familys home and community. The program features the family as teacher. Families impart critical knowledge about the day-to-day aspects of living with a disability beyond what can be achieved through classroom requirements for a degree or certification. During the SC LEND year, each family shares with their trainee what it is like, in their own personal experiences, to care for a child or young adult with a disability or special health care needs. Trainees serve as participant observers with their mentor family to study the challenges and triumphs of daily life, the familys strategies for accessing services, coping with stress, advocating on behalf of their child, incorporating medical and therapeutic interventions into everyday activities, and enjoying recreation or leisure activities. Trainees will serve as participant observers on four occasionsone time in each of the following areas: home, school,community, and a therapy session.

Family Mentorship Project

Training Trainees

Health-Related Activities, Other - Leadership

Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Family Members/Caregivers, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN

Specific Groups

State

N/A