Storytime resources
- Sensory Friendly Inclusive Group LibGuide includes storytime plans, visual schedules, book recommendations, adaptive materials recommendations, and much more. A project of Sensory Friendly Inclusive Group, a grassroots community of practice in Rhode Island.
- Sample Digital Sensory Storytime by Amy Price. This 2-page instruction guide describes the environment and sequence of events of an example digital sensory storytime using Green Eggs and Ham (PDF file, 51KB).
- Sensory Storytime: Tips and Tricks for a Successful Program by Kaitlin Frick, a post on the ALSC blog, August 10, 2018.
- Sensory Storytime: Begin with ALSC!, a post on the SNAILS: Special Needs and Inclusive Library Services blog, November 23, 2013.
- Sensory Storytimes, a presentation at the 2013 Oregon Library Association/Washington Library Association Conference by Esther Moberg, Library Director, Seaside Public Library (OR) (PDF file, 3MB).
- Sensory Storytime: A (brief) How-To Guide by Ashley Waring, Children's Librarian, Reading Public Library (MA). ALSC blog, March 14, 2012.
- Sensory Storytimes: Reaching Children with Special Needs in the Public Library, a panel discussion from the 2011 North Carolina Library Association conference.
Digital books/apps/iPad resources
- Best Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning, an annual list compiled by the American Association of School Librarians.
- Moms With Apps supports app developers who create family-friendly apps. New reviews are posted each Friday.
- Interactive eBook developers discussed in the tutorial include Oceanhouse Media and Nosy Crow.
General resources for working with patrons with autism in the library
- Including Families of Children with Special Needs: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, revised edition, a book revised by Carrie Scott Banks; by Sandra Feinberg, Barbara Jordan, Kathleen Deerr, and Michelle Langa (ALA Neal-Schuman, 2014).
- Inclusive Services Training for Library Staff, a series of video trainings and support materials provided by the San José Public Library and the Santa Clara County Office of Education's Inclusion Collaborative and Digital Design and Media Services. This series is provided to help librarians establish inclusive storytimes and other literacy services that can better meet the needs of children with autism and other special needs. All materials are free to use. This project was supported in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act.
- Libraries and Autism: We’re Connected, a project of the Scotch Plains Public Library (NJ) and Fanwood Memorial Library (NJ). This project offers training videos and in-person and online courses on best practices and universal service for persons with ASD.
- Going Beyond Sensory Storytime: Sensory School-Age Programming by Tricia Bohanon Twarogowski, a post on the ALSC blog about programming for developmentally older children.
- Programming for Children with Special Needs by Tricia Bohanon Twarogowski, a series on the ALSC blog. The link is to part 1 of 5; links to the other parts appear within part 1. See also Follow-Up to ALSC Blog Series "Special Needs Programming, Parts 1-5" for updates and program enhancements.
- Programs for Children with Autism and Their Families by Susanna Chan; a program from the 2012 New Jersey Library Association conference.
Autism Organizations
Thank you to Kathleen Carter, intern at EducatorLabs, for recommending additional resources for this guide.