Special Needs and Inclusive Library Services (SNAILS)

If you want to begin developing a Sensory Storytime program at your library, start here at the ALSC Blog.  In fact, that's where I started.  When I first started developing Sensory Storytime at the Deerfield Public Library, I began with researching what models already existed at other libraries around the county.  At the time, there weren't that many other librarians who had been leading special needs storytimes and writing about their experiences in library literature.  Thankfully, I managed to connect myself with two pioneers in our field.  The first blog post I remember reading was Tricia Bohanon Twarogowski's Programming for Children with Special Needs .  She put together an amazingly comprehensive programming model and wrote about her experiences in a five-part blog series.  Tricia later shared her experiences developing programming for older children in  Going Beyond Sensory Storytime: Sensory School-age Programming.   Then, there was...

Sensory Storytime Presentations The fall meeting of SNAILS featured Sensory Storytime presentations by Renee Grassi of Glencoe Public Library and Sue Parsons of Plainfield Public Library. Renee and Sue covered: the what and why of Sensory Storytime three different models of Sensory Storytime what we can learn from offering Sensory Storytime Because Sensory Storytime is a relatively easy way to accommodate children with special needs at your library, we recorded the presentation for you! In addition to the main presentation, Sue demonstrated a mini Sensory Storytime including her welcome comments, the use of her little bird, Pájaro, songs, crafts, and games. A video of her demo will be included in Sue's upcoming post, so be sure to subscribe to the blog in order to receive an alert when it is posted! Sensory Storytime Ideas from the Group After the formal presentation and demonstration, we used the group sharing time to talk about our favorite Sensory Storyt...

There is no shortage of professional development opportunities on the topic of youth with disabilities this season, and I'm especially thankful for the gift of free learning opportunities! Here's one that I'm really looking forward to viewing... Sensory Integration: Recognizing and Responding to Young Children with Sensory Issues Thursday, December 10, 2015, 1:00-2:00pm CST Hosted by  edWeb,net , a free professional learning network, and sponsored by  Kaplan Early Learning Company . www.gryphonhouse.com This relevant webinar will be presented by Christy Isbell, pediatric therapist, professor, and author of  Sensory Integration: a Guide for Preschool Teachers  (which we have listed on our  Resources  page). Tune in to learn what sensory integration is and how it impacts young children's learning and behavior. Christy will focus on three areas that should be helpful for all librarians working with children ages 3-8: What is sensory int...

This has become my mantra. Connecting positively with patrons brings libraries into their hearts, and when we touch hearts, we succeed. This is especially true for families with children who are not typical. No other group has shown as much gratitude to me for connecting with them as sensory storytime patrons.   Connecting with Barbara Klipper, Veronica (Schwartz) Defazio, Renee Grassi, Holly Jin and a host of others online has also been the answer for me in acquiring the models and courage I needed to offer a sensory storytime program at the Plainfield Public Library.  Perhaps some of the following sensory storytime practices that I use will suit your program. SIGN whenever it’s easy and clear – for example, hello and friends – because visuals help children comprehend, and it’s beautiful, like a dance. ( Italics = a word that I sign)   SING! It holds children’s attention better than simple speech. Here’s my Hello song to the tune, “Goodnight Ladies:” ...

What if I told you that some of the most amazing people who visit our libraries are also the most underserved patrons? Warren-Newport Public Library is trying to change that by developing programs for children and adults with special needs. On October 19, 2016 Adult Services Librarian Amy Longwell and I presented a session entitled "Special Needs/Special Programming: Engaging Children & Adults with Special Needs" at the Illinois Library Association Annual Conference . Here are highlights of our presentation: Librarians at Warren-Newport Public Library have developed and presented programs for children and adults with special needs. Programs for children and their families include sensory storytimes, sensory playtimes and sensory movie matinees. These are welcoming and sensory inviting programs that engage children with music, stories, STEAM activities, crafts, movies and more. Special Mondays in the Library (SMILE) is for adults with intellectual/developmental dis...

Our very own SNAILS group members Renee Grassi from Glen Ellyn Public Library and Sue Parsons from Plainfield Public Library presented an engaging program at the 2016 Reaching Forward Conference . This annual conference, hosted by Illinois Library Association, is a premier day of learning designed for library support staff. An audience of 40+ attentively learned a combination of theory and practice. Click here to download Sue's Sensory Storytime Favorites handout, which includes themes, books, songs, albums, and activities she has used in her program.  And don't miss this extremely useful resource list of articles, books, and websites on the topic of serving children with disabilities. If you're as captivated by Sue's approach as we are, don't miss her demo of Sensory Storytime from one of our previous SNAILS meetings.  You can find the video here ! What are some of your favorite resources for Sensory Storytime? Share them below in the comments!!

Since SNAILS began in 2013, we have hosted a variety of knowledgeable guest speakers to provide training and learning for our members.  What makes the SNAILS networking group unique is that we go the extra mile to record parts of our meeting and share them online to provide opportunities for professional development to those that can't be with us in person.  You don't have to be a youth services librarian to learn something from these presentations--library staff from any type of library serving any age group can learn from these guest speakers.  Whether you weren't able to make the trip to one of our Illinois library meeting locations, or you're from out of state and want to see what you can apply to your own library community, we have something for everyone! Here's a short list of links to videos featuring guest presenters: Giant Steps : Music therapist Kylie Kirksey from Giant Steps shares tips for using music in library programs to engage children on t...

It's that time of year when members of ALA convene to do committee work, network with colleagues, and learn about new resources on the exhibit floor! For those of you heading down to McCormick Place in Chicago for ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits, you might be interested in the following meetings and sessions.  If you attend any of the programs listed, please post your thoughts in our comments section! Friday, January 30 ASCLA Networking and Social Event 7:00-8:00pm | Renaissance Blackstone, Bar Lower Lounge Network with members of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies about accessibility. You don't have to be a member to attend! Saturday, January 31 Enabling Acts: The Hidden Story of How the Americans with Disabilities Act Gave the Largest US Minority Its Rights 1:00-2:30pm | McCormick Pace West W183b Learn about the success and shortcomings of the ADA just in time to plan your summer or fall ADA 25th Anniversary celebration. Ser...

Our November 12, 2014 meeting took place at the beautiful Batavia Public Library thanks to our incredible host, Joleen Batek. We covered A LOT of information at this meeting, so what follows are merely highlights. Please check back later for videos of the featured presentations. Targeting Autism Our very own Renee Grassi is serving as a board member on the Illinois State Library's new Targeting Autism project! If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of people on the Autism spectrum, be sure to follow the Targeting Autism blog and consider applying to be a participant in two stakeholder forums where experts and advocates will help develop strategies to support library patrons and family members impacted by ASD. The forums will be held in Springfield, IL in March and September, 2015. SNAILS Celebrations Congratulations to our member libraries who tried something new this quarter! Geneva Public Library offered their first successful Sensory Storytime. A...

The Glenview Public Library hosted a wonderful Friendship Club event for special needs kids and typical kids seeking friendship (grades 3-8) and their peer volunteer buddies (Friendship Ambassadors grades 4-12). We invited musician and sound healer Preston Klik to conduct a session called Sound, Frequency and Sensory Fun . He brought his large gong, a variety of singing bowls and bells, crystal bowls, drums, rattles, and other instruments from around the world. After explaining and passing around his instruments, he conducted a sound meditation. The kids reclined on the floor and lights went off. A DVD with kaleidoscopic images played on the large screen while Preston took us on a meditative journey via sound and vibration. Everyone enjoyed this unique and relaxing experience, even a child with autism laid back and settled down for a time. Trying the instruments was neat, and we had sensory boards available for fidgety hands. This post was written by SNAILS member Silvia Kraft-Wa...

This looks like a promising webinar, even if it's geared towards educators/clinicians. Registrants are sent a link to the archive, so if you can't view it live be sure to register! Autism in the Community: A Desensitization Approach Wednesday, May 18 at 10 a.m. Central Time Hosted by edWeb.net Many children with autism have atypical sensory behaviors, which may negatively impact their participation in the community. Research indicates that using a desensitization approach, which emphasizes the child's needs while creating a positive and structured experience, can significantly improve community participation. Join this webinar and learn how to: Identify challenges encountered by families of children with autism, when participating in common community experiences Identify the child's sensory needs Explore ways to help the child desensitize to community experiences Teach caregivers how to assess the environment using a sensory approach Create and u...

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...

SNAILS is looking for guest bloggers!   This is a great opportunity for you to contribute to the group and to share important information with our member libraries and beyond.   Guest posts can offer information on issues related to serving children with special needs in libraries.   Bloggers may write about a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to: Programming School Outreach Community Partnerships Collection Development Staff Training Sensory Strategies Inclusion/Making Accommodations Technology and Apps Parent Workshops Local Events and Programs If you are interested in contributing to the SNAILS blog, contact SNAILS using the "Contact Us" section on the bottom right hand side of the screen.  Please be sure to include the following information.  We look forward to your contributions! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Name: Library: Email address...