Read Alouds

Reach Out and Read provides suggestions for reading aloud to children with ASD at different ages.

Arts and Crafts

Arts and crafts activities can be overwhelming for children with autism, sometimes producing sensory overload. It is important to adapt craft activities taking social and sensory considerations into account. These adaptations can make the activity more beneficial and enjoyable for more people than those with ASD. Many people have different traits that we associate with ASD but do not have ASD. Adapting a program can be simple. You can provide a visual schedule for the craft so participants know what step comes next. This reduces confusion over multi-step directions and alleviates anxiety Use thicker markers or crayons that are easy to grip. Children with fine motor difficulties will need help using scissors, tape or glue. Be prepared to give extra assistance where it is needed. Label materials and tools clearly so children know what to use for each step of the activity. Give children plenty of individual space to perform the activity so that they don't feel crowded. Some children will not feel comfortable touching certain textures such as wet paint or clay. Others may not like the feeling of getting their hands dirty. That's OK. Help them to participate in the steps that they feel comfortable doing. Some children (with and without autism) may delight in the sensory experience of the art or craft activity. These children are known as sensory seekers, because they desire the sensory input rather than avoid it. These kinds of accommodations do not detract from the experience of the activity for those without ASD and create a truly inclusive environment that gives much to people with ASD.

Autism Empowerment provides this list of art projects for children with sensory issues.

Here are some ideas for programming for children in the upper elementary grades.

Book Discussions

For older school-age children, book discussions can be beneficial and fun. It is important to keep in mind that children with ASD may comprehend text differently, and careful planning should go into choosing the book, as well as the discussion questions. Use simple who, what, when, where and why questions, and give ample time for children to process the question in order to respond.

Book discussions are a good place to employ assistive technology. For example, utilizing a tablet, eBook, or audiobook allows attendees to interact with the text in different ways and provides opportunities for different learning styles to flourish.

Literacy Instruction

Through a collaboration with Targeting Autism and the Illinois State Library's Literacy Office, autism adaptations were made to the children's story kits and adult new reader book club to include titles on the topic of autism and inclusion: sensory activities to accompany the literacy instruction for the younger children and a Facilitator's Guide to guide instruction to make it inclusive. For more information see: http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/literacy/home.html. This could be a model for all libraries in inclusive library instruction.

Stimming

People with autism often demonstrate self-stimulatory behavior (referred to as stimming). You might want to use manipulative objects like fidgets to help participants concentrate during this and other programs. Fidgets are self-regulation toys and tools that provide an outlet for restless individuals. They can help enhance a person's focus and keep them calm. They also provide the sensory stimulus needed for sensory seekers, so that they can attend to the task at hand.

(Source: https://pixabay.com/en/fidget-cube-vinyl-dice-toys-2364075/)

In spring 2017, fidget spinners became the latest fad to hit schools across the United States. Many teachers and schools banned fidget spinners, claiming they were more of a distraction to learning than a help. Teachers reported that most students with fidget spinners do not need them to help focus and were more likely to create games or competitions with their fidget spinners. It is important to note that fidget spinners are different than most other fidgets. Most fidgets recommended by therapists can be used without looking (like the fidget cube pictured above). To use, balance, and do tricks with a fidget spinner, the user has to look at it, which is more of a distraction.

For more information on stimming, the following websites are recommended:

Understanding Stimming: A Common Symptom of Autism:

https://www.verywell.com/what-is-stimming-in-autism-260034

Self-Stimulatory Behavior by Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D.:

https://www.autism.com/symptoms_self-stim

The Therapy Shoppe has a wide array of fidgets on their website. What are some scenarios other than book discussions where fidgets may be useful? Write down your ideas in the box below. Think about how you might make the fidgets available to individuals or groups in your library. What fidgets might be most useful? Which fidgets might be distracting?

Read to Rover-type Programs

Read to Rover programs typically consist of children reading stories to a therapy dog, but they can also include other activities. Read to Rover programs were created at the Illinois Deerfield Public Library.

Children ages 8 and up are invited to this storytime program for an afternoon of 'doggy tales' with trained therapy dogs and their handlers. These gentle dogs are the perfect companion for children with autism as they listen to their favorite dog-themed stories and sing songs. After storytime, consider organizing the room into three exploration stations where children can do an activity while they interact with each of the dogs. Some example exploration stations include "Bailey Buckets," where children practice tossing bean bags into Bailey's water bowl or "Kubla's Command Corner," where children learn how to give Kubla a command. If the dog understands sign language, this corner can be easily adapted for children who use ASL. You could also use assistive technology with pre-programmed commands for those children with autism who are non-verbal." (source: http://librariesandautism.org/strategies.htm)

You can find a list of other ideas for sensory activities on this list compiled by elementary school librarian Robert A. Joyce and posted on LM_NET.

How might a Read to Rover-type program like this one help you to teach social skills to children with autism in your library? Write down some of your ideas in the box below.

References

Edelson, S. M. (n.d.). Self-stimulatory behavior. Retrieved from https://www.autism.com/symptoms_self-stim.

Isbister, K. (2017, May 17). Fidget toys aren't just hype. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/fidget-toys-arent-just-hype-77456.

McNeill, E. (2013, May 9). 10 art projects for kids with sensory issues [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.autismempowerment.org/10-art-projects-for-kids-with-sensory-issues/.

Reach Out and Read. (2010). Make book time fun and educational for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Retrieved from www.reachoutandread.org/FileRepository/CVSROR_Autism_FINAL_WEB.pdf.

Rudy, L. J. (2017, May 25). What is stimming in autism? Can it be treated? Retrieved from https://www.verywell.com/what-is-stimming-in-autism-260034.

[ThePreschoolMommy]. (2011, December 6). Picture walk The Mitten by Jan Brett [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/SP9rzoAPpdI.

Tuttle, B. (2017, May 3). More schools are banning fidget spinners because they are "highly distracting." Money. Retrieved from http://time.com/money/4765188/fidget-spinners-ban-schools-classrooms-teachers/?xid=homepage.