• All youth, including youth with disabilities, require supports and opportunities to develop into responsible caring individuals.
• All youth need youth leadership activities in five development areas.
•  Individually-focused supports, services, and opportunities are needed for all youth to be successful, including individual supports and modifications for youth with disabilities.
• Just as all youth demonstrate growth in alternative ways and reach the various stages of development at different times, youth with disabilities can be expected to develop in different ways and at varying paces.

Youth development and youth leadership in individualized service planning

When helping a young person develop an individualized service plan, start by identifying the developmental outcomes already reached as well as the supports and services already in place. Consider the different ways you can identify outcomes such as

• discussions with the young person,
• observation of activities and behaviors, and
• review of relevant information such as school or employment records or assessments and tests.

For example, ask a young person about his/her career interests and the options s/he has thought about or explored. The response, can often determine if additional career exploration is needed. Observing a young person’s interactions with peers or other adults may help determine the presence of strong interpersonal skills such as actively listening and effectively communicating with others.

• It is important to help the young person recognize his/her strengths and assets, the outcomes already reached, and the areas in need of growth and learning.
• Review and discuss ways that the young person can develop goals and help him/her determine realistic steps for achieving them.
• Help the young person create an individualized service plan that includes youth development and youth leadership activities that match his/her goals and relate to his/her interests.
• As a part of the plan, consider the supports and services the young person has in place such as transportation, childcare, mentoring, and accommodations.

Once the plan is in place, use it to track progress toward the desired outcomes by periodically reviewing the plan with the young person and discussing what she has learned and experienced. As the young person achieves a new outcome, recognize and celebrate the accomplishment and revise the goals and plan as needed.

Adult and peer mentors for youth with disabilities.

• The mentoring experience needs to be centered on the young person. Before making a mentoring match, ask the young person what s/he hopes to gain from the relationship, what qualities and traits s/he hopes to find in a mentor, and what s/he hopes to offer the mentor.
• The young person may want a mentor in a certain profession or someone who enjoys a similar pastime or hobby. Then pair the young person with a mentor who matches these interests or traits.
• Mentors should understand that mentoring is a “two-way street” – they may learn as much from the young person as the young person learns from them!

All mentors should receive training on considerations for mentoring youth with and without disabilities. This training can help mentors develop an awareness of and sensitivity to the experiences and perspectives of youth with disabilities. Mentors should appreciate and encourage the interests and goals of all young people, including youth with disabilities.

At the beginning of the mentoring relationship, both the youth and the mentors should be encouraged to

1. Communicate with one another about their expectations for the mentoring relationship. You may need to help both the young person and the mentor develop realistic expectations before the relationship is initiated.
2. Clearly define the responsibilities to each other and the relationship. For example, if the mentor makes the first call to the young person, the young person is responsible for returning the mentor’s call within a reasonable period of time. If the young person shares a list of his goals with the mentor, the mentor is responsible for providing feedback on each of the goals. These responsibilities should be spelled out early on in the relationship.
3. Make a plan for communication. The young person and the mentor may decide to talk by phone once a week at the same time or communicate regularly by e-mail between in-person meetings. They should discuss and agree upon ways to establish and maintain regular communication to determine the arrangement that best fits the relationship.
4. Address logistical issues, such a convenient and accessible place to meet, and any transportation assistance, if any, the young person may need. Your program may have guidelines about where and how mentors and youth meetings should occur. For example, youth may not be permitted to ride in the mentors’ personal vehicles or may be required to meet in public places.
5. Participate in activities that promote relationship-building. You may want to provide some pre-planned, fun-filled activities for all mentors and youth at the beginning of the program, such as bowling, attending a sports event, or having a pizza party, in order to encourage getting to know one another and bonding.