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Capstone Abstract
At the outset of this capstone experience, my primary objective was to help bridge the social gap between neurodiverse and neurotypical college-aged peers. After students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) transition out of structured K–12 educational environments, they often lose natural opportunities for social integration. Although the prevalence of IDD continues to rise, meaningful interactions between individuals with and without IDD remain limited due to factors such as insufficient exposure, general apprehension, and a lack of education regarding appropriate social engagement (Hornby & Kauffman, 2024).Throughout this semester, I contributed to increasing socialization, developing social skills, and enhancing comfort levels not only for the IDD students I worked with but also for the neurotypical Xavier University students involved in the program. In addition to accomplishing my initial goal, I supported several other program needs. These responsibilities included teaching emotional regulation strategies to IDD students, providing instruction on appropriate interactions across differing ability levels, serving on grant review boards, exploring assistive technology solutions for workplace support, and more. Overall, this experience was both successful and deeply rewarding. I am grateful for the opportunity to complete my capstone project with Project SEARCH.
Publication Date
Fall 12-3-2025
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
Student Contact
mgbloemer@gmail.com
Recommended Citation
Bloemer, Madeline, "Shared Spaces, Shared Understanding: An Evaluation of a Mentoring Program to Evaluate Relational Quality Between Neurodivergent and Neurotypical Peers" (2025). Occupational Therapy Capstones. 11.
https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/ot_capstone/11
