Mentoring University Students with ASD: A Mentee-centered Approach

This study presents a conceptual understanding of how mentorship is experienced by the participants of a mentorship program for university students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We interviewed the participants of the Autism Mentorship Initiative at Simon Fraser University. A grounded theory approach was used to systematically organize data from interviews and documents to reveal themes that were salient to the mentees (students with autism; n = 9) and mentors (neurotypical students; n = 9). The following five main themes were identified and interrelated under the core theme of A Mentee-centered Approach: (1) The Natural Progression of the Relationship, (2) The Supportive Mentor, (3) The Meeting Process, (4) Identifying and Implementing Goals, and (5) Learning Together. An in-depth analysis of a mentorship process is described.