As a mentee, you would be connected to a volunteer mentor. Your mentor will be chosen based on similarities in likes and hobbies. You and your mentor (with caregiver approval) will decide how often you want to meet and how you want to connect (you will always meet online to start). Your mentor will be someone you can talk to about your life, what's going on at school or work, issues with friends, etc. You and your mentor will also be invited to attend group events where you can meet other mentors and mentees who are in the mentoring program.
If you decide that you and your volunteer mentor aren't a good match that's ok! We will work to find you another person to connect with.
This is a friendship. In friendship, there are boundaries and rules, just like other relationships. Both you and your volunteer mentor will sign a contract showing that you understand and agree to the boundaries and rules. Your parents will also be able to give their own input as to what they feel comfortable with as related to the mentoring. Romantic and/or intimate relationships between any of the mentors and mentees is NEVER allowed. If you meet other mentees at events and decide you want to be friends, (or even date) then that's outside of the program and your parents are responsible for coordinating and setting the rules and expectations for that relationship. All mentors go through a screening process. Background checks can be requested by parents prior to connection if wanted.
This mentoring program is free for mentees to participate. We understand how hard it can be to find support, especially as an autistic teen and young adult. We want to remove what is often the biggest barrier for people - cost. With that being said, you are responsible for any costs for the technology you use to talk to your mentors, for the cost of activities that you engage in with your mentor (that are not set up as a group event), and for transportation to and from events. As a non-profit organization, we will be participating in fundraisers and accepting donations. We hope to one day be able to fully fund all activities.
Nope! We are very aware of how difficult it can be to get a diagnosis. Tests are expensive and not always reflective of what is going on. Those with self diagnosis, a diagnosis from a therapist, and those with a diagnosis through a neuropsychological evaluation are all welcome to participate in our mentoring program!
All you need to do to get started is to fill out the form below. Once you hit submit, your responses will be emailed to the Executive Director for review. Depending on the number of applicants, it could take several weeks to get a response back. Once you get a response, a time and day will be decided to meet with the Executive Director or Assistant Director online for an interview. After the interview you will be connected to a volunteer mentor who we think will be a good fit for you.
Do you still have questions or want to find out more about our mentoring program? We offer virtual informational meetings for people interested in learning more about Autism Unplugged and being a mentee.
Feel free to email us or chat to learn more about the Autism Unplugged mentoring program!
Copyright © 2023 Autism Unplugged a 501(c)3 organization - All Rights Reserved.
Contact: Admin@Autism-Unplugged.Org
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.