As one of the few public places where peace and quiet can often be found, libraries have long served autistic children and adults well. Still, popular group activities held at libraries can be an issue for autistic children who can easily become overwhelmed by the noise and activity of peers. Librarians and staff can become overwhelmed as well, when responses to sensory or social inaccessibility lead to what some people call “behaviors.” In this presentation, we will discuss brain differences in autism and how these create unique sensory profiles which in turn determine responses to the environment. You will learn about the sensory and social needs of autistic people and how to create an environment that promotes calmness and security, as well as how to prevent or respond to meltdowns. The presentation also includes book recommendations for all ages.
Presenter Bev Harp is Project Director for Innovative Supports for Autistic Workers (ISAW), a project of the Human Development Institute (HDI) and is self-advocate faculty for LEND at the University of Kentucky. Bev is an autistic self-advocate who has presented at national conferences for APSE, AHEAD, TASH, and many other organizations. She holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Kentucky.
Date Recorded: 11/9/2023
Format: Archived YouTube Video
Presenter: Bev Harp, Project Director / Innovative Supports for Autistic Workers (ISAW)
Resources:
- Building an Autism Friendly Environment presentation slides
Join Beth Yates, Children’s Consultant at the Indiana State Library, as she gives an overview of INSPIRE databases that could be useful to those who work with youth. INSPIRE is Indiana’s Lifelong Learning Library for Hoosiers. Its collection of online academic databases and other information resources can be accessed for free by Indiana residents.
This presentation is a sampling of the best, free websites for genealogy. Attendees will become versed in research tips, general genealogy websites, Indiana genealogy websites, immigrant genealogy websites, British genealogy websites, and newspaper websites.
Embracing the old saying “the more you know, the more you grow” holds true for Libraries, but with just a little adjusting, “the more you are known, the more you’ll grow.” Expanding outreach allows the community to know and acknowledge the Library as a thriving community service. Using this idea the Floyd County Library Director Melissa Merida will share their library’s expansion of services over the last 5 years through creating unique service locations including an art museum, a digital library branch, and a satellite library in a local college library. Their approach through a low cost commitment to deliver creative outreach points of service without a bookmobile will be highlighted and tools for successful events will be shared . “Our growth in branches, funding and services is not due to any one thing, it is due to staff being committed to dream big and finding a way to say “yes” to community events and partnerships.” Allowing people to SEE the Library in new and unique ways that has people asking for library locations in their neighborhoods. The ideas that will be shared can be duplicated or may inspire your own creativity.
Over the last decade many areas in the state of Indiana have paid increasing attention to individuals living with dementia, primarily due to the rapid growth of the elderly population. Thrive Alliance and Bartholomew County Public Library have formed a partnership to work with individuals that are experiencing memory issues. This partnership has included working with music, delivering educational programs to the community at large and to the staff at the library, circulating kits targeting this population, and many more services. Come learn about how Thrive Alliance and Bartholomew Public Library evaluated and implemented these services.
With energy prices constantly on the rise, it can be difficult to plan for the financial stability of the library. How can you make headway without cutting staff or essential collections and services? Let the sun help! Going solar is an environmentally sustainable way for your library to stabilize energy expenses and benefit cash flow. Join Stori Snyder from the Brown County Public Library and Lynn Hobbs from the Pendleton Community Public Library as they walk you through their solar projects. Learn how to secure funding and design a project that can put a significant dent in your energy costs, or maybe even get rid of them entirely.
