NYU's Making Mentors Program: Supporting Autistic Students

Bridging the Gap for Autistic Students

• 💡 The Making Mentors program at NYU connects autistic college students with high schoolers to provide guidance, support, and community.
• 🎯 This initiative, now in its second year, aims to ease the transition for autistic students navigating school and future career paths.

Program Origins and Goals

• 🔬 Funded by the National Science Foundation, the program evolved from maker clubs to a peer-to-peer mentoring model.
• 🚀 The goal is to foster deep engagement in STEM and STEAM interests for autistic individuals.
• 🔑 For mentors, the program cultivates leadership skills and advocacy abilities.

Mentor's Perspective

• 🤝 Andrew Yan, a student mentor, was inspired by a similar program and joined to build leadership and mentoring skills.
• ✨ His favorite aspect is building connections and engaging in interest-based projects with high school mentees.
• 🧠 The program also supports mentors in learning more about their autistic identity.

Addressing Challenges in Higher Education

• ⚠️ Autistic students often face challenges with self-advocacy, independence, and securing accommodations in college.
• 🎓 The program helps bridge the gap between high school support systems and the increased self-reliance needed in college.
• 🌟 The vision is for autistic-to-autistic peer mentoring to become a model across educational institutions nationwide.