Autism Awareness in Staff
Autism Awareness in Staff
Topic 3: Developing Sensitivity in all Library Users and Staff
Your library can raise others' awareness of autism to build tolerance, acceptance, and sensitivity to the needs of library users who have autism. Both other users and library staff (including library volunteer workers) need to have this level of sensitivity for those with autism.
One way you can help raise autism awareness in your library's staff is to provide autism-specific training for them. This training can cover topics such as what autism is, recognizing the signs and symptoms of autism, accommodations libraries can make for people with autism, and ways to create and adapt library programming to be accessible for those with autism. You can find specific suggestions for training your library's staff in Topic 4. Targeting Autism also has a webinar, "Autism Basics: A Primer for Librarians and Literacy Providers." There are also other professional development resources in our resources database.
Staff should be trained on how to act when people with autism exhibit behaviors associated with ASD.
Watch the following clip from Libraries and Autism: We're Connected to learn about how to interpret and respond to a variety of behaviors (10 min).
Click here for complete script for video.
Based on what you've learned in this topic, match the behaviors with the categories: Behaviors to Ignore, Behaviors Requiring Intervention, and Intervention Methods. We will use Quizlet to participate in this activity. When you enter Quizlet, choose "Match." Play 3 quick rounds to sort them all! Quizlet (click here).
Library staff may also need to be flexible with library policies and procedures to best serve someone with autism. For example, if there is a line for checking out materials and a user with autism needs to go to the head of the line, let them. Staff should tolerate certain levels of noise from library users with autism and to help other library users also tolerate a certain level of noise in the library. Many people with autism make noise - they may talk to themselves or others, move around or be easily excited.
Your library may also want to provide self-checkout opportunities for your users with autism. People with autism may find using a self-checkout machine more comfortable than waiting in line or interacting with library staff, especially during regular library hours when the library may be noisy and over-stimulating.