With hopes of helping autistic children in the community, Centralia Timberland Library is piloting a program for kids who are hyper-sensitive to signs, sounds and touches.
The program came to fruition after behavior and education consultant Susan Ray addressed Timberland Regional Library’s youth services staff as part of a training day.
Ray, who is on staff at the University of Washington — Tacoma and serves on the Lewis County Autism Coalition, came with the message that public libraries can help autistic children and their families by catering programs to their needs.
Centralia Youth Services Librarian Alex Hardy intends to do just that, according to a press release.
“We don’t have a lot of kids attending Story Times who are on the autism spectrum, or have other special needs,” she said. “We’ve learned that parents hesitate to bring them because these children can be disruptive or extremely withdrawn. After learning more about autism, and about programs that are working in other libraries, we decided to pilot a sensory-friendly Story Time in Centralia.”
To minimize distractions, the area will be uncluttered and will allow kids more freedom to move around and make noise. Lights will be dimmed and soft sounds will aim to add comfort. Any child who is anxious or overwhelmed will be able to retreat to an area away from the classroom space, with blankets, pillows and stuffed animals.
Activities will engage all the senses, the release said, and there will be “fidget toys” to help with focus.
“Although we designed this story time with autistic children in mind, we think the program model will be excellent for children with all types of special needs,” Hardy said.
The pilot program is scheduled for Feb. 5 and March 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The program will continue on a regular basis if the pilots are successful.
Hardy encourages parents and caregivers of special needs children to contact the library if they have program ideas that would help their children’s individual learning preferences and experiences.
She said library staff wants to understand the needs of each child, and determine the best schedule for parents and caregivers.
To contact the library, call (360) 736-0183. The library is located at 110 S. Silver St. in Centralia.
