Monica Powell Sensory-Friendly Storytime @ AACPL Background Recently AACPL decided to enhance our programming repertoire by recruiting current

and newly hired staff to fill the upcoming Early Literacy Specialist (ELS) positions in each branch. Three to four people per branch will now exclusively handle all birth-age five programming as well as regular generalist duties as time permits and as assigned. With this new job responsibility and our focus on reaching our entire population with this literacy initiative, we will go out into the community to visit FARM (free and reduced-priced meals) populations and ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) classrooms to bring the library to where they are. In many of these ECI classrooms, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are being trained to enter a traditional classroom when kindergarten begins. Some of them will never make it. But many of them will. And how can the public library make a positive difference in the lives of these children and their families? Program With the new Early Literacy Initiative, storytime for birth-age five will be held at each branch every week (3-4 days/ week) with one weekend and one night a month. My proposal is that every month one of those sessions is a sensory-friendly storytime. The program itself might involve quiet music, dim lighting and large space with a small number of children and their parents/ caregivers. We would still focus on our five core strategies of talking, reading, writing, singing and playingwith the understanding that some kids on the ASD spectrum are not verbal, but they do communicate in their own unique way. Using symbolic (pictures) and non-symbolic (words, phrases) cues, we will have our storytime. I would want to limit the number of attendees to 8-10 along with their parents and caregivers, having a sign-up sheet with waitlist and reminder calls/ emails. Parents and caregivers will also have the opportunity to talk and share experiences at the end of the each program. The socialization and understanding that comes from meeting others with similar experiences is essential. We would evaluate our success by the number of attendees and verbal/ written feedback. ELS would need additional training to address the needs of the ASD community, if only to begin to develop sensitivity to the wide range of abilities on the Autism Spectrum. ELS would also need to partner with organizations like Talking about Curing Autism (TACA), Autism Speaks, Pathfinders and ARC to get communicate AACPLs vision and openness to ASD families. My hope is that this would lead to information sessions for ASD families being hosted at various branches and opening up the lines of communication and understanding. AACPLs recently adopted strategic plan addresses the new way we will view what we do. It speaks of inspiring lifelong learning, access to resources for educational success and making the library a place that enriches the quality of the life of the people in our communities. I am convinced that with the growing number of ASD diagnosis, this is a large part of our community that we could do a better job of reaching out to by encouraging them to utilize us as a resource and partner.

Library Headquarters
5 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401

410-222-7371 www.aacpl.net

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Monica Powell 410-222-6277 (office) 410-555-1212 (cell) Library Introduces System-Wide Sensory Friendly Storytimes (September 9, 2014- Odenton, MD) Local children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) ages two through eight will explore language, sound and texture at their local library branches this fall, thanks to a newly expanded schedule of Early Literacy Programming offered by the Anne Arundel County Public Library (AACPL). Literacy is the librarys specialty and AACPL has always risen to the challenge of offering programming to supplement childrens classroom instruction. As educators nationwide continue to emphasize the necessity of Common Core education and Early Childhood Intervention (ECI), the library has increased its ongoing schedule of early childhood programming, which will include sensory friendly storytimes at all 15 branches year round. Families and children with ASD face a multitude of challenges to simply navigate the waters of everyday living, said Shelley DavenportAACPLs head of Programming and Outreach. The struggle can be quite isolating. It has been a longheld dream that AACPL would partner with those families to bring their children further into the community by coming to the library more often. The environment will be conducive to learning and growth through the same core principles that the other storytimes will model: talking, singing, reading, writing and playing. Allowing for those children who might not normally come to library storytimes an opportunity to join in. The programming ranges from the most basic such as preschool-level events focusing on sound, shape, color and texture to incorporating more complex skills like symbolic communication and verbal prompts through repetition. Necessary time for families to network and socialize will be incorporated at the end of each program. In total, families can choose from 15 sensory-friendly storytime events across the county each month. One will be held at each branch. The schedule will be in listed in the Library Happenings publication. Sensory friendly programs are denoted by a sunshine motif in Library Happenings, AACPLs quarterly magazine. The Library will also advertise the sensory friendly storytimes and sign up days on Facebook and Twitter. The sensory friendly storytime initiative is supported by the members of our community and organizations like Talking About Curing Autism (TACA), Autism Speaks and Pathfinders for Autism. For more information, call 410.222.7371 or go online to www.aacpl.net. ### Note to media: Your coverage is invited for these upcoming sensory-friendly events and other weekly storytime events. Bear in mind that our ASD groups might be sensitive to sound, light (camera flashes) and fragrance. Please treat their needs with attention and respect.

This press release is not for publication. It is only the vision of a new LATI graduate.