Although peer mentors play a prominent role in supporting higher education experiences for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), little is known about these college students and the factors leading to their decision to become involved in this particular experience. We examined the motivations, experiences, and expectations of 250 peer mentors attending five diverse universities offering inclusive postsecondary programs for students with IDD. Nearly all (93.7%) of the entering peer mentors had prior disability-related experiences and almost all identified a combination of personal and professional reasons for involvement. Peer mentors anticipated an array of personal benefits as a result of their participation, although beliefs about some areas of potential impact were more mixed (e.g., improvements in grades, study skills, social status). Views regarding the extent to which students with IDD can participate in different aspects of campus life reflected high expectations; predictions about these students’ postgraduation experiences were more modest and mixed. We offer recommendations for research and practice aimed at identifying and engaging peers in supporting inclusive college experiences.

中文翻译：

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智障学生全纳高等教育计划中同伴导师的动机和期望

尽管同伴导师在支持智障和发育障碍者（IDD）的高等教育经历中扮演着重要角色，但对这些大学生及其导致参与这种特殊经历的决定的知之甚少。我们研究了五所不同大学的250名同伴导师的动机，经验和期望，这些大学为IDD学生提供了包容性的专上课程。几乎所有（93.7％）的入职同伴导师都具有与残疾相关的先前经验，并且几乎所有人都确定参与的个人原因和专业原因。同行指导者预计，由于他们的参与，他们将获得一系列个人利益，尽管人们对某些潜在影响领域的看法更加混杂（例如，成绩，学习技能，社会地位）。关于国际直拨电话学生可以在多大程度上参与校园生活的观点反映了很高的期望；对这些学生的毕业后经历的预测较为温和而复杂。我们提供有关研究和实践的建议，旨在识别和吸引同龄人来支持包容性大学经历。