Developing Peer Supports for College Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Many postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) provide support to these students by matching them with peer mentors. Though this practice is widely used, the scholarly literature offers little information about successful peer support models in higher education settings. To address this need, we describe the model developed to support and include students with IDD in the Next Steps Program at Vanderbilt University. We first describe the roles and responsibilities taken on by peer mentors, as well as the Circles of Support model used by Next Steps at Vanderbilt University. We then detail how this model is implemented--including recruitment strategies, the application process, formation of Circles of Support, training of peer mentors, and ongoing support by staff. We conclude by discussing challenges encountered by the staff in facilitating this model, as well as implications for practice and research.