On Wednesday, May 9, I participated in a panel discussion on the topic of Universal Access in youth services at the MLA annual conference in Worcester.
As part of my presentation, I put together a great resource list for MA librarians looking for information about universal access and services for families with special needs children. Here it is:Universal Access Resources
And here is my Prezi:
If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch! waring@noblenet.org
May 11th, 2012
Ashley Waring
Although I have offered storytimes for special needs families, I’ve also offered other kinds of programs too. In March I collaborated on a program with clinicians from one of our Early Intervention agencies. The event was for everyone in the family so it was a mix of special needs kids and their siblings.
I have worked with EI staff before and I can’t say enough good things about them. I really liked having them on board as they are trained occupational therapists who work with special needs kids. They are extremely knowledgeable about appropriate and engaging activities. Nothing like bringing in the experts!
We decided we would offer a drop-in event that would feature a few different activities. Coloring and stickers were two activities. We also provided a “Thomas the Tank Engine” tent for children to sit in. When we were planning the program we originally envisioned the tent as a quiet and contained spot – a place for kids to re-group. To our surprise, during the program, the tent became a moving and grooving train as the kids would climb inside and crawl around to make the train move. They had a ball and it was very popular. It turned out to be a great way for kids to get out their wiggles and jiggles.
As I said, it’s terrific to have the input of the experts. It was the EI clinicians who came up with the most popular activity – bath foam art. Bath foam is squeezed onto tables and kids use their hands and different tools to make designs. The clinician also brought in screens that connected. Two sides were solid and two were mirrored. We squeezed the bath foam on the screens for the kids to play with. The clinician brought paint brushes and rollers that kids used to work the foam. The foam is great as it doesn’t stain and kids used paper towels or baby wipes to clean up.
We also had a special guest – Sir Topham Hatt. Sir Hatt sat in a corner and read Thomas stories. None of the children sat quietly and listened and it appeared that they weren’t interested. Not so! Most of the kids paced near Sir Hatt. The minute he stopped reading a child would hand him another book. One little boy loved “Thomas the Tank Engine” and once he became comfortable in the situation, stood right next to Sir Hatt, pointing to the pictures and demanding “More!” The boy spent most of his time with Sir Hatt.
This was a drop-in event. Families could stop by any time between 10 AM and 11:30 AM. Most came closer to 10 AM and stayed the entire session. It was our first time offering this program and we had a smallish group but I think that was a benefit as it was easier for us to manage and assess the activity. I think a smaller number of participants helps the kids feel more comfortable. For kids with sensory issues a large group might be too loud and active. It was also easier to share the materials and nobody had to wait his or her turn.
To see photos from the event check out our Pollard Library’s Autism Guide blog.
April 24th, 2012
Molly Hancock
Finding Kansas: Living and decoding Asperger’s syndrome by Aaron Likens
Likens, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at 20, has written not a self-help book but a rigorous examination of his life so far. Similar to Temple Grandin’s first book, Emergence, this title provides a unique window into a complex inner world. Likens describes the joys in his life: auto racing, race-flagging, the comfort of rule-based games, even airport layovers. He also explains his concept of Kansas—a place where he feels calm, capable, and whole. Likens is honest about painful moments too, from the former girlfriend who told him no one would want to date a person with Asperger’s, to his hatred of school, to his opinion that he is completely unlikable. Aaron is an affecting
writer and speaker for Asperger’s.
This absorbing and ultimately hopeful book is recommended for young people with Asperger’s and their family, friends, and colleagues, as well as for fans of Grandin and of John Elder Robison’s Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s. A perfect pick for April, which is Autism Awareness Month.—Elizabeth Safford, Nevins Memorial Lib., Methuen, MA
Library Journal, April 1, 2012
(Thank you to Beth for sending her review along to us!)
April 20th, 2012
Ashley Waring
Temple Grandin: how the girl who loved cows embraced autism and changed the world by Sy Montgomery
I highly recommend this new biography for upper elementary and teens about Temple Grandin. You learn so much about animals, about autism, and about Temple’s amazing life. I reviewed the book for the Horn Book Magazine, and it recently got a starred review in SLJ. Here is a link to the book’s reviews, at author Sy Montgomery’s webpage.
April 10th, 2012
Ashley Waring
I did not attend PLA in Philadelphia last month, but my division head did. There was a preconference morning session called “Special Needs, Talented Children: Outreach Services to Families with Special Needs,” presented by a team of people, including librarians from the Libraries and Autism group. Their conference materials are available online here. (do a program title search for “special needs”)
A team of librarians from the Sherman Library in Miami, FL gave a presentation titled “Serving Preschool-aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Families.” Their conference materials are also available online. (do a program keyword search for “autism”)
The Sherman Library has a wonderful website for their All Star Storytime, including a social story and book lists.
Did anyone attend either of these sessions? What did you think?
April 7th, 2012
Ashley Waring
My son’s neurologist just turned me on to a wonderful resource. It’s a website run by an organization called the Autism Consortium. The Autism Consortium fosters “collaboration among families, researchers, clinicians, and donors” with the mission to “improve the care of children and families affected by autism and other neurological disorders.” They are a local organization with members such as MIT, Children’s Hospital Boston, and Tufts.
The best part of this site, in my opinion, is the Resources and Events page. There is a huge database of service providers and clinicians, as well as book lists, and links to local organizations.
Please use it yourself to connect with local experts, and be sure to pass it on to parents, teachers, and other interested caregivers!
April 7th, 2012
Ashley Waring
April is National Autism Awareness Month and April 2nd and World Autism Awareness Day. Is your library doing anything to promote these events? A book display? Lighting it up blue? An event?
We’re going a bit low-key this year… I’m putting a post at our website and Facebook page linking to our library’s autism resources.
If your library is doing something, please share!
March 30th, 2012
Ashley Waring
I recently wrote a blog post for the ALSC blog called “Sensory Storytime: A (brief) How-to Guide.” Check it out for a very quick rundown of what a Sensory Storytime at our library looks like.
March 28th, 2012
Ashley Waring
I’ve got 3 Sensory Storytimes under my belt now. I continue to have a lot of fun with this program and find it to be very fulfilling. Here is a list of the books I’ve used so far:
5 Little Pumpkins illustrated by Ben Mantle- I used this in October (natch) and used a felt board with pumpkins to help tell the story.
Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd- I used a felt board with this story. The kids got to take turns coming up, choosing the correct dot, and putting it on the dog. At the end of the story, they had fun cleaning up the dots, too!
Press Here by Herve Tullet – I stood and read the book, while walking around and giving the children each a turn at interacting with the book. It was a huge hit!
Circle in the Sky by Zachary Wilson – I cut out felt shapes and the children built a rocket along with the girl in the story. At the end, we counted down from 10 and made the felt board rocket “blast off.”
I Spy with My Little Eye by Edward Gibbs – I cut out felt animals in the same colors as the animals in the book. As I read the clues from the book, the children took turns picking their guess off of the felt board.
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell – I used the pop-up/lift the flap version and had the children guess what animal was in the box.
What books have been successful in your sensory storytimes?
February 7th, 2012
Ashley Waring
How to Talk to an Autistic Kid by Daniel Stefanski
Daniel is a 14-year old with autism. He wrote this book to help other kids learn about autism and become more comfortable befriending kids with autism. This is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it for all libraries. The language is perfectly geared toward an upper-elementary/middle school audience. There are cartoon illustrations throughout, as well as word balloons and specific examples of phrases typically developing kids can use with autistic kids. Daniel’s main message is, “Don’t feel sorry for me. I have autism, but I’m cool with who I am.” This is a book about acceptance and friendship, and would be great to share with kids who have siblings, friends, classmates, or neighbors with autism.
November 22nd, 2011
Ashley Waring
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