What is Peer Training

Peer training, as it is used at the VRRI, is the transfer of information or knowledge to persons with developmental disabilities by their peers with developmental disabilities.

Peer trainers are selected on their subject knowledge and prior training. All trainers receive further presentation training based on their past presentation experience and skills.

Advantages of Peer Training

In general, people learn best from their peers as peers share similar life perspectives, experiences, and language patterns.

What is the Peer Training Facilitation Process?

The peer-training facilitator follows a series of steps. Facilitators:

• research the presentation topic
• train the peer trainers on topic information
• determine the assistance that the peer trainers need in order to present (for example cues to present the information or training in presentation skills)
• practise the workshop delivery with the peer-trainers
• create required supports (visual cues in graphical or written form to assist peer-trainers with their presentation)
• support and coach peer trainers during the presentation
• evaluate the performance of the facilitator and peer-trainers after each session
• use evaluation feedback to adapt future sessions

Peer Training Workshops

Currently, the research department offers two workshops led by peer trainers:

• SmokeTalk; a tobacco education program
• They pick on me; a workshop on harassment and bullying in the workplace as experienced by employees with developmental disabilities.

Peer Training and Collaboration

If your organization has ideas for topics that would benefit from a peer-trainer led workshop, please contact us to create or assist you in the creation of this unique form of information sharing.