Special Needs and Inclusive Library Services (SNAILS)

Special Needs Director Jaimie Valentini describes the Buddy Break respite program at Chapelstreet Church, as well as how to manage a large volunteer program and strategies for supporting kids and young adults with disabilities. This presentation was made at Glen Ellyn Public Library on April 10, 2019 at a Special Needs and Inclusive Library Services (SNAILS) meeting.

Who was able to attend Targeting Autism in May? It was a great two days, crammed full of wonderful presentations. Most of the presenters were autistic, sharing their experiences and stories. If you missed it, they were able to film most of the presentations and have uploaded most of them onto their webpage. Targeting Autism 2019 video presentations The statement that summarized the whole forum for me came from Lei Wiley-Mydske:  When schools, communities, etc are not inclusive and/or accessible, it says it’s okay to exclude certain people. Our society excludes people every day, and we as librarians need to actively work against this. A few things came up in almost every presentation by autistic presenters: **AVOID FUNCTIONAL LABELS. “Low functioning” means strengths are minimized and “high functioning” means needs and weaknesses aren’t prioritized. High functioning labels are used to deny support, and low labels are used to deny agency. Labels don’t effectively des...

SNAILS members met at the Oak Park Public Library for a wonderful hands on presentation on Physical/Occupational Therapy and Storytime Yoga with Kristy England, OT, from   Therapy Yoga Gymnastic Rocks . Curious about how to integrate more intentional movement that can be either calming or alerting, as needed? Watch her excellent presentation and learn how to put together a yoga story. Kristy's video , on YouTube (55 min) Oak Park Public Library's Shelley Harris also presented on their new expanded Supported programming classes for kids with disabilities, including why she rebranded as Supported instead of Sensory, plus book representation, autistic communities, #ownvoices , and neurodivergent narwhals . Shelley's video , on YouTube (51 min)  

SNAILS members gathered at the beautiful, newly remodeled Algonquin Area Public Library on November 29, 2018 for our fall meeting. In August, members shared their desire to bring more discussion to our meetings, so we began by talking about a couple of picture books. Discussion Benny Doesn't Like to be Hugged by Zetta Elliott This new paperback title addresses the sensory sensitivity of a little boy as told by his friend. It includes what Benny likes to eat, play, and wear, as well as the sounds he avoids and how his social interactions sometimes differ from others. The book is filled with diverse characters and short, rhyming sentences with a repetitive refrain. It's a solid introduction to unique differences and the importance of accepting friends just as they are. Isaac and His Amazing Asperger Superpowers! by Melanie Walsh We discussed use of the word 'Asperger' in this title when the DSM-5 no longer includes a specific diagnosis of Asperger's b...

Chicago-area locals Mike Berkson and Tim Wambach have been friends for 17 years, and for the last eight they've been touring the nation presenting Handicap This! , an inspirational comedy that challenges stereotypes, breaks down barriers, and sends a message of inclusion where judgement is not allowed. Mike was born with cerebral palsy and is an organizer of the Keep on Keeping On Foundation to assist people with physical disabilities. When Tim was in his twenties, he was hired to be Mike's one-on-one aide, and they immediately hit it off. On stage, the pair shares an authentic snippets of their friendship and of what it's like to live with a disability. It is fitting that the final farewell performance will be at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, which is where is all started eight years ago. Help Mike and Tim achieve their big dream of performing to a full house on Friday, November 9 at 8:00pm .  Get tickets to the final performance, and save ...

There's going to be a whole lot of learning going on this week at at the 2018 Illinois Library Association Conference  in Peoria, Illinois, and this year's theme "Libraries: All Inclusive" includes many programs of interest to our SNAILS community. There is so much to explore from the Diversity and Special Populations conference track in relation to serving patrons with disabilities: from assistive technology to accessible catalogs, databases to employment, programs to physical space, and ideas for volunteerism. With many other inclusive sessions offered concurrently, it's going to be challenging to decide which programs to attend! Here's a little preview in hopes it may help you prioritize in advance... Tuesday, October 9 Sensory Friendly: Including Patrons with Autism Spectrum Disorder into the Library One in 68 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). How do you make sure these patrons, including ASD adults are welcome in your l...

A note from our friends... Applications are being accepted for the  Autism Welcome Here: Library Programs, Services and More grant now through December 1, 2018.  This grant honors the groundbreaking work of Libraries and Autism: We're Connected co-founder, Meg Kolaya , for her contributions in promoting inclusion, connecting libraries with the autism community, and bringing awareness of the needs of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families to the library community. For the fourth year, this grant will award a total of $5,000, with all of the funds either going to one proposal or the amount divided among several applicants, depending on the applications received. All types of libraries, either in the United States or Canada, are encouraged to apply, and proposals will be eligble  that fund projects and/or services directed at any age group. Applicants may propose to initiate a new, creative program or service,  or enhance a program o...