Marketing Sensory Storytimes to Ensure Autism Inclusion
eLearning
Webinar
Sensory storytimes: most of us know the term, and many public libraries in the United States now offer them. These adaptive storytimes are typically inclusive of all, but particularly welcoming for autistic children, allowing valuable opportunities to play, learn, and build connections in a supportive environment. As librarians, many of us understand “sensory storytimes” to be especially designed for autistic children. But, do parents and caregivers have that same understanding? If it is not clearly outlined, this messaging—along with our target participant group—may be missed.
Results from a recent study suggest that even with careful consideration of event details, our messaging may miss the mark, leaving out potential participants who would benefit from these storytimes. In this webinar, we’ll briefly discuss best practices in delivering sensory storytimes; then, we’ll focus on messaging, examining common errors to avoid, and providing examples of messaging that ensures autistic children and their families feel invited and included even before they enter the library.
Topics that we will explore includewhat language to use to refer to your target audience, how to handle and describe registration, and what details to share about the program itself. Meeting your unique community’s needs is critical, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. While we will talk through some ideas that work for others, we will also allow plenty of time for discussion for participants to explore and identify practices that best suit their own library’s needs.
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