title: Mentors' experiences of using the Active Mentoring model to support older adults with intellectual disability to participate in community groups.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Social inclusion is a widely acknowledged goal; who is best positioned to provide support and how support is delivered are key questions. Using Active Mentoring training, members of community groups mentored a person with intellectual disability and supported their inclusion in that group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews with 14 mentors explored their experiences of supporting a previously unknown person with intellectual disability to participate in their community group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The core theme was No Different From Us. Mentors saw beyond the disability, they valued others, were community leaders, and had intrinsic qualities. With some basic orientation to the task, mentors were able to support the inclusion of their mentee in the group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community members are willing to support people with intellectual disability to join their community groups. The Active Mentoring training is one way of harnessing the goodwill of community groups and their members to include people with intellectual disability to participate on an individual basis in community groups.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Disability Research and Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney , New South Wales , Australia.
authors.forename: Nathan J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bigby
authors.forename: Roger J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Stancliffe
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balandin
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003256:Community Participation / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008611:Mentors / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012944:Social Support