Practice Examples

  Example #2

You are the mentor for Troy. Troy is a high school student. He is very interested in politics. He is an advocate for people with disabilities. He really likes interacting with people. Troy writes you this E-mail message:

"I really want to move into my own apartment when I am 21. I think it would be really cool."

Which of these answers would be the best one for you to send if you were Troy’s mentor?

	"Wow! Sounds great, Troy! Go for it! You will never regret it!"
	"Wow! Sounds like a great goal, Troy. Why do you want to move into your own place? Tell me more about your plans so far. What kinds of things will you need to think about before you move? What will you need to learn? Maybe we can work together to make a plan to help you achieve this goal. Sounds like you are really excited!"
	"Troy, you haven’t given this enough thought. You need to be realistic. You can’t move out without having a plan. Here’s a list of the things that you will need to take care of – money to pay the rent, attendant hours, buying food, making meals, finding an accessible place. This is just the start."
	"Troy, if you want to move out, you’ll need to get an education. How are you doing at school? Are your grades good?"

This research is supported by Grant #H133G8004 from The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and no official endorsement should be inferred.