Mentoring: Supporting Professional and Personal Growth and …

Feb/March Closing The Gap Resource Directory 2025 Volume 43 - #6

leadership, policy & implementation

Mentoring: Supporting Professional and Personal Growth and Development

Training typically focuses on the technical aspects of AAC, such as how to edit buttons or back up a system. While this foundational knowledge is essential, it addresses only the operational side of AAC usage. Training equips providers with the skills to set up and maintain AAC devices, but it does not directly contribute to the goal of fostering meaningful communication. The same is true in other fields of practice. You will find that in many workshops the focus of the training is to demonstrate and acquire the knowledge of the basic use of tools and processes. The next level of support, coaching , is where the focus shifts to improving implementation strategies that promote language development and communication independence. Coaching goes beyond just teaching users how to operate their device; it involves modeling language use, increasing wait time, and encouraging communication through open- ended questions. By giving users more time to process

Research has shown that proper mentoring supports educator retention and classroom performance, as well as keeping staff motivated and on a continuous path of supported growth, allowing them to develop new skills while also benefiting students. Training, coaching and mentoring are vital components for professional development and personal growth for adults, however the goals and objectives for each are very different. Support provided by these three key interconnected means through training, coaching and mentoring is similar in any field of practice. In the field of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), support for users and their communication partners progresses through these distinct stages of training, coaching, and mentoring, and each stage serves a unique purpose in helping individuals become more independent and effective communicators.

DAN HERLIHY, AT Specialist, B.S., M.A., Dan is an Assistive Technology Specialist currently designing learning modules and training on utilizing AI in K-12 education. dherlihy@juno.com BRENDA ROBERTSON DEL MONTE AMA, CCC-SLP, is a speech language pathologist and an assistive technology evaluator and facilitator. She worked as an SLP in Washington State public schools and is currently a private practitioner in Arizona, where she does AAC evaluations and trainings. Brenda has presented her knowledge at Closing the Gap and her collaborative research on accessing AAC at ATIA. Brenda Del Monte is a co-founder of Believe Beyond Ability, a non-profit organization that evaluates, deter - mines, provides and trains those with multiple disabilities on assistive technology to increase independence. Brenda is also an author of the newly published book, “I See You In There,” a collection of stories from her 20+ years of experience working with children and adults with disabilities. She is currently a co-host of the Awe and Wonder Podcast hosted by the Special Ed Tech Center. brenda.delmonte@gmail.com

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and respond, and reducing reliance on yes/no or choice- based questions, coaches help create a space for authentic communication. In this stage, the coach also emphasizes the importance of modeling language use on the AAC system, demonstrating how to communicate thoughts, needs, and ideas. These strategies are key to building AAC users’ confidence and proficiency in using their devices to express themselves. We see the role of coaches in many other aspects of life, from the sports field to the classroom where constructive feedback on practice is what elevates and enhances performance. The most nuanced level of support, mentoring , is a long- term, relational process. Mentoring recognizes that both the AAC user and their communication partners are continually learning and adapting. Rather than simply providing solutions, mentors focus on fostering a collaborative environment where challenges are acknowledged and explored. This relationship involves open-ended problem-solving through “I wonder” statements, which encourage mutual reflection and shared learning. The mentor’s role is to create a space where both the user and their support team feel empowered to address difficulties creatively and proactively. Mentoring also requires acknowledging the emotional and practical challenges faced by all parties, allowing for empathy and understanding throughout the process. This process applies to mentoring in any field or situation. As you think back, how often were you assigned a “mentor,” only to find that their goal was simply bringing you on board with how things are done, how to fill out forms, or informing you of the rules and regulations of the organization? Was the mentoring really a “training,” with little regard to your own personal goals? Hearing and addressing pain points is essential for building trust and rapport in a mentoring relationship, especially in the context of AAC support. A key responsibility of the mentor in any field of practice is to carefully navigate the balance between acknowledging the challenges faced by the mentee, and guiding them toward potential solutions. The process of “admiring the problem”—taking time to truly understand and reflect on the issue—helps validate the mentee’s experience and shows empathy. This phase is critical in fostering an environment where the mentee feels heard and supported. However, it is equally important for the mentor to know when to transition from simply exploring the problem to fostering solution-based thinking. Effective mentoring involves encouraging the mentee to generate their own ideas for addressing the challenge. When the mentee is involved in the problem-solving process, they are more likely to feel ownership of the solution and are, therefore, more motivated to try it.

On page 6 in Zachary & Fain’s Mentor’s Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships there is a table titled Elements in the Learner-Centered Mentoring Paradigm. In it we find many adult learning principles that are brought to the mentoring process. It includes wording and phrases such as “Adults learn best when they are involved in diagnosing, planning, implementing, and evaluating their own learning,”… “adult learners need to be self-directing, the life experiences of others enrich the learning process,”.. “create and maintain a supportive climate that promotes the conditions necessary for learning to take place,”...and, “critical reflection and application” (Zachary & Fain, 2022, p. 6). By guiding the mentee toward solutions rather than imposing them, mentors help build confidence and empower the mentee to take active steps toward resolving their difficulties. This collaborative approach not only enhances the mentee’s problem-solving skills, but also strengthens the trust and partnership that underpins the mentoring relationship. Ultimately, training, coaching, and mentoring represent a continuum of support that helps AAC users move from basic device operation to confident, independent communication. Each stage builds upon the previous one, ensuring that AAC users not only have the technical skills to use their devices, but also the strategies and support they need to communicate their thoughts and ideas with greater autonomy and impact. As you think about your own field of practice, employing these elements in a continuing and fluid process provides a very supportive space for personal growth.

Dan and Brenda at Closing The Gap Conference.

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In K-12 education, the veteran professional constitutes a category requiring a more differentiated approach to mentoring. Their needs from a mentoring relationship are different from those new to the profession. Bressman, et al., (2018) discussed targeted professional development (PD) in the form of mentoring, directly connected to the field and focus of the professional. Their findings included a desire by the veteran teachers for differentiated professional development that helped them examine practice in a way that would not have developed in the traditionally provided PD. There are many other topics related to the mentoring process that need to be considered, such as positionality (the awareness of one’s social and cultural identities and how these influence the mentoring relationship), intersectionality (the overlapping identities and experiences that shape each mentee’s unique perspective such as race, gender, class or culture for example, and how they impact in complex ways). These are important considerations if we are truly focusing on the mentee and can impact the process in ways we may be blind to. The Mentor’s Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships, by Zachary & Fain (2022), is a good place to learn more about this process. Their discussions include intergenerational understanding when working with mentees, setting boundaries in the mentoring relationship (you’re not there to put out fires!) as well as enabling growth and closure - all very important in the process. Although this may seem like a lot, keep in mind, it is all about the mentee. Creating a “mini me” is never the goal. By bringing support to our professions in the form of mentoring, we all benefit, both personally and professionally, as well as the students and adults we serve. REFERENCES Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (1999). Designing a mentor program. ASCD. https://www.ascd. org/el/articles/designing-a-mentor-program Bressman, S., Winter, J. S., & Efron, S. E. (2018). Next generation mentoring: Supporting teachers beyond induction. Teaching and Teacher Education, 73, 162–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. tate.2018.04.003 Fain, L. Z., & Zachary, L. J. (2020). Bridging differences for Better Mentoring: Lean Forward, learn, leverage. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Ponte, E., & Twomey, S. (2014). Veteran teachers mentoring in training: negotiating issues of power, vulnerability and profes- sional development. Journal of Education for Teaching: JET, 40(1), 20–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2013.864015

St George, C. A., & Robinson, S. B. (2011). Making Mentoring Matter: Perspectives from Veteran Mentor Teachers. The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 78(1), 24-.

Zachary, L. J., & Fain, L. Z. (2022). Mentor’s Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships. Jossey-Bass.

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