Libraries & Autism
Course
About Autism [7:43]
Libraries by their very nature are comfortable, low-stress places for students with autism. Libraries have predictable rules, logical layouts, and materials are arranged systematically, all characteristics that this population prefers. Technology is often available in libraries that enables students to function independently and address various learning styles.
Libraries serve as a safe and acceptable location to explore interest, connect with others, and participate in self-directed learning. Since Autism Spectrum Disorder is the most rapidly growing disability in United States, more strategies are needed to ensure that students on the Autism Spectrum will be successful in library settings.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is also known as ASD and it's characterized by impairments in social communication and interaction and by restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior and interest. ASD affects how an individual interacts with others, communicates, learns, and behaves. How these symptoms look in each child with ASD will vary greatly. There is no type. Persons with autism do not exhibit any common physical characteristics that would identify them such as those individuals who have Down Syndrome or cerebral palsy. The term spectrum actually emphasizes the breadth of the differences between individuals with the diagnosis and that no two children with autism will be completely alike.
Individuals with ASD may have conditions of intellectual disability, medical, and health disorders and impaired adaptive behavior skills. But other children with ASD will have average to above average intelligence, good health, and be highly independent in self-care skills. Some children with ASD demonstrate significant challenging behaviors whereas other children with ASD display compliant rule abiding behaviors. The range of symptom presentations, severity levels, and other conditions contribute to the complexity of early identification and intervention for children with the disorder and for successful education and socialization.
Approximately 50% of individuals with ASD experience significant intellectual and adaptive disorders. However, it's the social and communication impairments that limit their opportunities for participation in the school community. Independence and the quality of their lives are most significantly impacted in this area and it's where libraries can make a difference. The most recent estimate from the Center for Disease Control is that one in 68 children in the United States have ASD. Importantly, ASD occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
Males are approximately five times more likely than females to have ASD. Experts believe there are many explanations for the increase in the prevalence of autism. Public awareness of the disorder has increased. There have also been significant advances in diagnostic efforts, most recently in early identification. The definition of ASD has broadened in recent years and includes more individuals who function with little to no support in school and community. Record keeping has improved and finally, it's likely that the number of people with ASD is simply increasing.
For many reasons, ASD is becoming more and more prevalent. What causes ASD is a topic of frequent discussion in the media with each new research study examined for potential breakthroughs. Misinformation can result from interpretations of single observations. An early misconception was that poor parenting caused ASD because children with ASD were observed to be aloof and not affectionate. Additional research show that many young children with ASD are affectionate and that the disorder is neurobiological and not psychiatric.
Another common misconception is that vaccinations could cause ASD. However, careful examination of years of data has not supported this conclusion. So what does cause ASD? There's no known single cause for autism. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there may be many different factors that make the child more likely to have ASD including environmental and genetic factors. There are characteristics that you can observe in individuals with ASD and they may occur while they're in the library. These may assist you in providing support. Recognition is the first step to support interaction and satisfaction within the library environment.
Students with ASD might be sensitive to fluorescent lights or might show signs of sensitivity to noisy library interactions such as story times or other special events. They might be uncomfortable making eye contact when requesting materials or assistance or they might have difficulties engaging in conversation. There are three functional levels that are part of each person's autism diagnosis which are defined based on the amount of support an individual requires to function in the general community. Level one is requiring support. Level two is requiring substantial support and level three is requiring very substantial support.
For students, this information can be obtained from their individual educational plan or IEP. But let's look at some examples of what this behavior might look like in a library setting. For a level one behavior requiring support, an example might be a child who has difficulty during story time and may interrupt or leave the group. A teen might get excited from something he sees on a computer screen and call out to others. Level two requiring substantial support might be an instance where a child would engage in repetitive behaviors such as stacking and restacking books by size or color. Or a teen might get noticeably upset by speaking loudly and be agitated if her favorite books are shelved in a new area.
Level three requiring very substantial support would be when a child has a meltdown runs away and cannot be consoled when he has to wait in line to check out or someone is totally nonverbal when asked if he or she would like to find a book. These examples illustrate a range of ability and behavior that characterizes the uniqueness of the disorder and the breadth of supports that are necessary. Understanding these characteristics will give you the opportunity to implement alternative solutions which will make the library experience more enjoyable for everyone involved.
This lesson provides background information about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Everhart explains the wide variety of behaviors that might be exhibited by students with Autism and examples are given for how students with Autism might interact with the library environment and instruction.
Review the links provided in the Annotated Bibliography for this course. Choose one or two essential readings for staff and/or volunteers to read.
MLA Citation
Collins, Karla. "Libraries & Autism: Learn More about Austism Spectrum Disorder." School Library Connection, November 2024, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2009338?learningModuleId=2009336&topicCenterId=2247903.
Entry ID: 2128755
Additional Resources
About the Author
MLA Citation
Everhart, Nancy. "Libraries & Autism. About Autism [7:43]." School Library Connection, ABC-CLIO, April 2016, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2009338?learningModuleId=2009336&topicCenterId=2247903.
https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2009338?learningModuleId=2009336&topicCenterId=2247903
Entry ID: 2009338