This program is for middle school students (in grades 5 through 8) who have a diagnosis of a learning disability, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or both.

Eye to Eye, a group-mentoring after-school program, is designed to empower participants by providing opportunities for them to develop strong social-emotional skills and form positive relationships with a student mentor.

One quasi-experimental study was conducted among mentored youth with a learning disability (LD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or both, which will be known as LD/ADHD from here forward. The study examined youth with LD/ADHD (treatment group), non-mentored youth with LD/ADHD (control group 1), and non-mentored youth without LD/ADHD (control group 2). Posttest results at the end of the school year indicated statistically significant decreases in depression and increases in self-esteem in the treatment group compared to non-mentored youth with LD/ADHD (control group 1). There were no differences in changes in anxiety between groups. There was a non-significant increase in interpersonal relations’ scores over time in the treatment group; however, there was a significant decline in interpersonal relations scores’ over time in both of the control groups (control groups 1 and 2).

Eye to Eye recruits students who have LD/ADHD from a mentee school and connects them with a high school or college student from a mentor school who has a similar diagnosis. This mentoring relationship is designed to provide social support and model adaptive behaviors for emotional regulation. Mentors and mentees meet during after-school hours and engage in art projects and other activities that intend to strengthen social-emotional skills, build relationships, and promote group discussions on the various strengths and challenges that are associated with neurodiversity and learning differently. Activities address the following issues:

• Engage in self-advocacy;
• Develop leadership skills;
• Foster a growth mindset; and
• Promote self-concept.

Program content centers on leveraging the unique strengths and abilities of students that may be neglected or overlooked due to a focus only on the challenges they may experience in the classroom. The curriculum includes art projects to reinforce the social-emotional objectives of the program. Art projects are used as they do not require reading, writing, or calculating because using these skills may cause frustration in a person with LD/ADHD. One example of an art project is when mentees use art materials to create a box that symbolizes their ideal learning environment. Then, the mentees discuss in a general group setting the different contexts in which they learn best or the contexts in which they become distracted.

Eye to Eye was founded in 1998 and was known as Project Eye-to-Eye. There are currently 1,250 active volunteers who work with students in charter, public, private, and independent schools across 20 states and the District of Columbia. Currently, there are over 5,000 successful alumni of the program.

This program is facilitated by mentors who are high school and college students (ages 16 to 32 years) and are recruited by staff in special education or disability services offices in mentor schools. Mentors must have a diagnosis of LD, ADHD, or both that is confirmed by documentation, pass a background check, and complete a mentor application form and a mentor agreement. Mentors receive on-site, in-person training that is delivered by Eye to Eye coordinators. Mentors are supervised by a student leader at their school who runs and facilitates the program. Student leaders must pass an interview and complete a 5-day training on the campus of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.

Considerations for implementing this program include selecting mentor and mentee schools and acquiring buy-in from school administration, recruiting mentors and a student leader from mentor schools, ensuring mentors and student leaders complete training, acquiring parental buy-in and permission, acquiring materials to complete art activities, and finding space at the mentee school to hold program activities during after-school hours.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing Eye to Eye, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you! Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email clearinghouse@psu.edu

Mentors and mentees meet weekly during after-school hours to work together through an 18-week curriculum.

Information on implementation costs was not located. Please use details in the Contact section to learn more.

To move Eye to Eye to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation should be performed demonstrating positive effects lasting at least one year from the beginning of the program or at least six months from program completion.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program. Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact Eye to Eye National Headquarters by mail 50 Broad Street, Suite 1702, New York, NY 10004, phone 1-212-537-4429, email mentoring@eyetoeyenational.org, or visit https://eyetoeyenational.org/contact-us/

https://crimesolutions.ojp.gov/ratedprograms/714#eb, https://eyetoeyenational.org/ and Haft, Chen, LeBlanc, Tencza, and Hoeft, F. (2019)

Haft, S. L., Chen, T., LeBlanc, C., Tencza, F., & Hoeft, F. (2019). Impact of mentoring on socio‐emotional and mental health outcomes of youth with learning disabilities and attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 24(4), 318-328. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12331