Sensory storytime workshop

Editor's Notes

• #2: Good morning! I’m Melendra, and I’m the Youth Consultant for the North Central Kansas Library System. Today, I’m going to start out talking about what sensory storytimes are, why you should have one at your library, and how to plan one. After that we’re going to practice a technique or two and make some of the resources for use in sensory storytime. But, the first thing we’re going to do is demonstrate a welcome song. I’d love to get to know everyone’s name, but in the interest of staying on schedule, we’re going to practice with just a couple of people. Can I get 2 volunteers to be “welcomed?” And don’t think you’re off the hook if you don’t volunteer. . .you’ll still have to sing with me. https://youtu.be/XeCtw6eDJXA Great! Now that we’re all relaxed and pepped up, let’s get on with the presentation: Sensory storytimes are commonly created to fill the needs of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and children with sensory processing disorders. Since autism spectrum disorders and sensory processing disorders often go together, sensory storytimes are a good fit for both audiences.
• #3: I’m not going to spend a lot of time defining autism spectrum disorder, but there are a few facts that everyone should know. As of 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approximately 1 in every 68 children has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. These numbers have been rising steadily for years, and by all appearances will continue to rise. Autism spectrum disorder is characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors. Many people with autism spectrum disorder have unusual responses to sensory input. They have difficulty processing and integrating sensory information, such as sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and movement. They may experience seemingly ordinary stimuli as painful, unpleasant, or confusing. Because of this, they may react very differently than expected to common stimuli. Sometimes people with autism spectrum disorder exhibit repeated body movements (hand flapping, rocking), unusual responses to people, attachments to objects, and strong resistance to changes in routines.
• #4: Renee Grassi, a leader in providing library services to patrons with disabilities, sums it up well. Providing sensory storytimes, and other programs for children with disabilities, allows your library to create a supportive, inclusive environment for a group of community members who are typically underserved. Such library programs, not only make it clear that your library welcomes patrons with disabilities, but also affords a non-judgmental setting for non-neurotypical children to interact with their neurotypical peers.
• #5: Barbara Klipper, in her book Programming for Children and Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder, recommends considering the following questions when you are getting ready to create a sensory storytime program. While it is important to consider all of Klipper’s questions, some may be more important to you than others. For example, budget is always a concern; however, adding sensory elements to a storytime does not need to be expensive. Many useful items can be made, such as weighted sock snakes, calming bottles, and “bean bags.” On the other hand, having specific goals for your sensory storytime will allow you to gauge whether it is filling the needs of your community, and understanding the difficulties of marketing such a program will prepare you for possible low attendance at the start.
• #6: Klipper provides some advice on setting goals for your sensory storytime. She notes that the typical tool for measuring a library program’s success, high numbers of participants, is not at all useful for judging the success of a program aimed at children with ASD and other disabilities. The nature of such programs is that they are focused on a relatively small portion of the community, and participation counts will not demonstrate success or failure. Klipper suggests that libraries carefully consider what their goals are for programming aimed at patrons with disabilities, and provides these goals as a starting place for this consideration.
• #7: Another important goal the library might take on is that of modeling best practices for reading to children on the autism spectrum. Research suggests that in years past it was believed that oral language was a prerequisite for reading, but that idea has been disproven. Unfortunately the idea is still pervasive, so most parents may be getting the message that their child has no chance of reading if she is vocally non-verbal. Additionally, parents might become discouraged when it appears that children aren’t paying attention while they read. It is essential that parents know that children are learning even when they don’t appear to be listening and that the parent needs to keep reading. Demonstrating literacy-rich behaviors for parents and providing literacy-rich environments for children promote reading for any child, and storytimes are the perfect place to model the activities that help all children learn to read.
• #8: While giving children on the autism spectrum an opportunity to interact with typically developing children is beneficial, having inclusive sensory storytimes can mean that you aren’t reaching your intended audience for the same reasons that parents of children diagnosed with ASD don’t attend your “regular” storytime. If the child is uncomfortable or the parent is concerned about disrupting developmentally typical children in storytime, they won’t attend just because you add the word sensory to the title. They need to feel like they are welcome even if their child is disruptive, and that they will not be judged or reprimanded by other families.
• #9: On the other hand, in small communities, having a sensory storytime exclusively for children with disabilities might mean that there is only one child present. This makes providing storytime both a little awkward and difficult. Because of this, in smaller communities, or where you simply can’t drum up interest from families with children with disabilities, it might be smart to provide an inclusive sensory storytime. If you go this route, be sure that you are still making the sensory aspect of the storytime clear, so that families know this storytime will have a slightly different structure and will focus on different skills. It is especially important to communicate the benefits of sensory stimulation for all children, both those at a typical developmental stage for their age and those at a non-typical stage. Be clear that adding sensory elements to any reading experiences enhances the engagement and learning of all children. If you are unsure about whether to provide an inclusive storytime, Klipper recommends talking to parents, adolescents with autism, and professionals in your community to get their input. She also notes that if you go with an inclusive storytime, you should not achieve this goal simply by adding siblings of the target group.
• #10: Klipper recommends keeping storytime focused a general age range, even if the developmental range among the participants is quite broad. She argues that this keeps material selection from becoming insulting to older children. On the other hand, Laura Baldassair-Hackstaff and her co-workers at the Douglas County Libraries, suggest that limiting a sensory storytime program to a small age range will leave out some of the very people who need the program most. This becomes even trickier if you are in a small community where limiting age range could significantly impact your attendance. In the end, it is up to each individual library as to how to organize their sensory storytime, but whichever you select, keep the storytime geared toward a preschool developmental level in the books you select and the activities you include.
• #11: Whatever you decide about who to invite to your sensory storytimes, make it clear in all your documentation, marketing, and on your website that this is a storytime geared towards children with sensory and developmental difficulties, and that the storytime will present preschool-level books, songs, and activities. Also, be sure to limit the number of families that can come to the storytime. The majority of resources on sensory storytime suggest limiting attendance to 10 families. This can be handled on a first come, first served basis as the Seattle Public Library has posted above, or limits can be established through registration.
• #12: Although Klipper doesn’t mention registration among her important questions, most of the resources I’ve consulted highly recommend requiring registration for sensory storytimes. This is because registering families in advance has a lot of positive outcomes. It helps you, as the developer of sensory storytime, plan a storytime that meets the needs of the children present without causing them (and yourself) undo stress. It provides you with some extra time to learn children’s names, which will be useful in making them feel welcome and during interactive songs. It gives you the opportunity to reassure parents that they and their children will not be judged, embarrassed, or excluded from your storytime. It allows you to create an email list to share tips, events, and reminders. And, it affords you a time, outside of the program, to discuss your expectations for parental behavior during storytime. However, some libraries are averse to registration for children’s programs. If you are uncomfortable requiring registration for sensory storytime, it isn’t a necessity. But, you will want to make time to talk to the families who come to your initial storytimes about their children’s needs, triggers, and interests as well as to inform the parents of your expectations for parental engagement at storytimes. And, if you’re providing an inclusive storytime with both typical and atypical developmental children, don’t just talk to the parents of children with disabilities. The parents of typically developing children also need to know that this storytime will have different experiences and expectations from the other storytimes your library offers.
• #13: Before addressing the rest of Klipper’s questions, I want to take some time to focus on the specifics of what makes a sensory storytime. People on the autism spectrum often have difficulty processing sensory input. Commonly they are sensory seekers, sensory avoiders, or a combination of both depending on the type of sensory input. Providing sensory experiences in storytime can help the sensory seekers fill their need, but it can also help sensory avoiders because being introduced, or reintroduced, to different textures, smells, and sounds in a safe environment allows them to become comfortable with those stimuli. When planning sensory activities, think about all the senses and how they are activated through external stimuli: Touch sensations can be stimulated by allowing children to lightly touch various textures; wear a weighted lap belt for deep pressure; manipulate playdough; or even brush a paint brush on their hands Auditory sensations can be stimulated through singing and music; playing simple instruments; and including apps that play animal and vehicle sounds Visual sensations can be stimulated through dual visuals with flannel boards; visual schedules, use of big books and adapted books, and the addition of individual props or puppets Taste & Smell sensations are more difficult. Many children with ASD have difficulties with smell, so they should be avoided when possible. Of course items that stimulate other senses, such as playdough and paint can become smell stimulation. Tasting should be avoided all together because of the chance of an allergic reaction.
• #14: And don’t forget that sensory input can also come from within. Internal sensation brought about by a child using his own body can easily be interwoven into a sensory storytime: Proprioception, (prō-prē-ō-ˈsep-shən) refers to muscle and joint movement and can be activated through the use of Therabands; pushing heavy objects; crawling through a tunnel; and rolling balls; Vestibular stimulation refers to balance and coordination and can be exercised through walking on a balance beam; practicing yoga moves; dancing; and playing movement games w/props. It is important to experiment with stimuli in order to find the tasks that give children the sensory input they need.
• #15: So, that’s why it’s called sensory storytime, but how different is it from a regular preschool storytime? Well, the foundation of sensory storytime is very familiar to you if you provide traditional storytimes at your library. Just like a regular storytime; it’s a safe environment, where fun things happen, and it’s welcoming to all. Even the skills you need to present a good sensory storytime are familiar ones because they are all skills you need to be a children’s librarian: flexibility, confidence, friendliness, calm disposition, and the ability to relax and collaborate. You do not need to be a specialist on autism spectrum disorder. Douglas County Libraries- Sensory Storytime: Roadmap, Tools, and Ideas by Laura Baldassari-Hackstaff and Laura Olson.
• #16: Of course, sensory storytimes do have differences from regular storytime. Adding textured items and full body movement to the songs, finger plays, and rhymes makes storytime more sensory friendly. Consider adding stick puppets for books with limited characters. These simple props allow children to interact with their own version while you read the story. Children on the autism spectrum are very visual and often use picture symbols to designate activities and abstract concepts. In addition to the essential visual schedule which establishes the storytime routine, other visual supports are important. It’s hard for ASD children to focus solely on you reading a book. Adding double visuals to storytime helps immensely. Double visuals allow participants to focus on more than one thing. Having a flannel version of the story to use at the same time as you are reading the book, not only gives children two visuals, it also gives them an opportunity to help tell the story. Other props are also useful, such as providing individual copies of books for children and parents to hold in their laps and creating interactive books. Finally, tying a physical activity to a book creates another layer of interaction.
• #17: Visual supports are key for sensory storytime. These include any or all of the items listed above. Perhaps the most important visual supports for storytime are the Visual Schedule and visual boundaries. A visual schedule is a pictographic schedule that displays every activity in your storytime. This schedule should be clearly visible in the storytime room, preferably in a place where you as the presenter can point to the appropriate image when it is time for that activity. It is important that the entire schedule be visible at the beginning of storytime, and that as an activity is completed you have the ability to turn the image over or remove it from the board. You’ll notice this visual schedule has a Done folder for storing the images when the activity is complete. Pictures in the visual schedule should be simple and concrete. The most common program used to create visual schedules is Boardmaker. You could also create a visual schedule with photographs taken in the library.
• #18: Visual boundaries delineate the areas of the room that are either off limits entirely or that are designated for specific people, for example, the storytime cart and your chair are your areas and not for the children. Areas within the library that may need visual boundaries include play areas, the storytime rug, and the flannel board. BOUNDARIES CAN BE CREATED BY: Blocking off the area with tape on the floor Physically arranging the furniture to define the area, such as setting up the shelves or room dividers Placing a carpet remnant in the designated area When these boundaries are in place, it allows children the freedom to move around in their own space without disrupting your space. If you’re worried that one child’s movement may disrupt other participants, you can also create an “action” space at the back of the storytime room for especially active children to walk around in. Or, you could create a “rest” area where children can take a break. Having a rest area lets children and parents participate without needing to leave the room when a child is having difficulty. A rest area can include stuffed animals and books related to the storytime theme.
• #19: Just like other children, children on the autism spectrum love to explore and will play with anything they can get their hands on. Since they are less attuned to social cues, it is especially important to remove items that could become distractions. Be sure to remove small movable items and block off or cover larger items, such as stacks of chairs or other items that look fun to climb. The room may feel stark to you, but it won’t to the children. Some children with ASD are light or sound sensitive, if you have a child in your storytime that has difficulty with either of these, there are easy solutions. You can always turn off fluorescent lights and rely on natural light coming through a window or add floor lamps for sensory storytime or if the buzz of fans is a trigger, turn them off. Another solution is to have a couple of pairs of headphones that children can wear to help block sound.
• #20: There are a few extra things to think about when you are selecting books for a sensory storytime as well. Concept books and books that are very literal are easier for children on the autism spectrum to understand. Abstract books and books that rely mainly on emotion may be much less engaging for ASD children. If you really want to try an abstract story, you should provide listeners with a framework for understanding the story. Predictable books, cumulative books, and books with clear patterns are good because children know what to expect. Books you can sing, as well as pop-ups and lift-the-flaps, help kids stay engaged. These books help because singing and flap lifting engage multiple areas of the brain and this helps children stay involved and learn. I’ve included a list of books that other librarians have used, successfully, for sensory storytimes in your packets. Some of the books include suggestions for props or activities to make them more interactive. I also want to note that you should include fewer books in a sensory storytime than you would in a regular preschool storytime, so don’t go over two books in a 30 minute time frame.
• #21: Having great books is only the beginning of keeping participants’ attention. Another device is adapted books. Laura Baldassari-Hackstaff and Laura Olson at the Douglas County Libraries created adapted books for use in sensory storytime. We’ll be making some of these later, but the general premise is that the adapted books are interactive because children can move images taken from the books original illustrations off of a shared board and onto the correct page of the book. Other libraries have called this type of resource interactive books. These adapted/interactive books can be paired one to one so that each child has her own book and set of illustrated pieces, in which case you would need multiple copies of the book and the extra illustrations. Or they can be used as a group. With group use, you are also reinforcing the children’s understanding of taking turns. Interactive books are a great way to keep children focused, and they allow children to retell a story on their own. Libraries report that kids love them. 
• #22: Another way to engage the kids’ multiple senses and increase their involvement in the story is to read a story and have a second adult present a flannel version of the story at the same time. As with the adapted books, the flannel pieces can be placed on a separate flannel board initially so that the kids help tell the story by finding the correct flannel piece and putting it on the volunteer’s big flannel board as the story progresses. Magnetic pieces work well for this also, since they often stick better than the flannel pieces. As with any flannel board story, it is ideal to have pieces that are large enough to be easily visible to children sitting on the storytime rug.
• #23: On top of double visuals, interactive books, props, and activities that tie into the stories and songs, you should also have a basket of fidgets available for use during storytime. Fidgets can be small things that children hold or chew on in order to gain sensory stimulus. By gaining sensation through a fidget, children are better able to focus on other things going on around them. In addition to items that you hold or chew, there are fidgets for sitting on, rolling, and pushing against. Many items that can be used as fidgets are also regular toys, such as these. Others can be made using commonly found resources, like balloons, pool noodles, yarn, and sand.
• #24: Besides the visual and sensory supports, there are two other key elements of sensory storytime: routine and repetition! When planning sensory storytimes, make it a goal to build a familiar routine. Use the same songs and rhymes from one storytime to the next, and open and close with the same activities. By keeping these elements the same, you provide children with a comfortable, predictable routine that will help them engage and actively participate. Baldassari-Hackstaff explains, that the importance of repetition “may not be immediately apparent, but over time, we know that kids who, after attending storytime for months and not actively participating, begin to suddenly sing our regular songs, or mimic our movements, or begin to participate in the Bubbles and Parachute activities. Repetition is important for all kids as they learn, and seeing our kids learning thru what we repeat at sensory storytime keeps us singing the same songs even when we are tired of them, because the kids benefit so much.” This is the sensory storytime outline that the Douglas County Libraries follow each week. The parts they repeat at each session are in bold. You can also reread books from past weeks if they were especially popular, or read a book more than once during the same storytime. Reusing your interactive books puts the time and effort of their creation in a different perspective, as well.
• #25: If you are the only staff member doing storytimes at your library, it is a good idea to look for a volunteer to help you do your sensory storytime. Having an extra set of hands makes a big difference with a highly interactive storytime. It is important that such a volunteer be comfortable working with youngsters, as well as calm and flexible. A side benefit of including volunteers is that they build relationships with the participants. Baldassari-Hackstaff notes that “many hugs and even small gifts have been exchanged between our volunteers and participants.” Helping children with ASD and their families make friends with an outside adult has a long term benefit for everyone.
• #26: In her presentation, Special Needs Sensory Storytime, Carrie Rogers-Whitehead recommends planning for a play and socialization time following every sensory storytime. You can bring out the props used during storytime, like the therabands, bubbles, scarves, and beanbags for the children to play with. While the children are playing, Rogers-Whitehead suggests inviting special education teachers or therapists to come talk to parents, but allowing parents the time to simply make connections is wonderful too.
• #27: As with all library programs, the timing of sensory storytime needs to be considered carefully. Klipper notes that young children on the autism spectrum are often involved in therapy programs through the school district or other social services providers. Because of this, their weekdays may be heavily scheduled. Weekends may be the best fit for this age range. Ideally, your sensory storytime would be an ongoing program, as this allows a more cohesive group to form and for participants to practice and develop skills. Of course, the best option for such learning is if the program happens weekly, but a monthly occurring program works as well.
• #28: Outside of your sensory storytime, there are a few things you can do to make your library and your sensory storytime more welcoming to patrons with autism spectrum disorder and sensory processing disorders. Providing Social Stories™ is essential. Social Stories describe a situation, skill, or concept in terms of relevant social cues, perspectives, and common responses in order to share accurate social information in a patient and reassuring manner that is easily understood by its audience. Having a Social Story for your library, gives parents of children with ASD a tool to use to help their child know what to expect and how to behave while at the library. This benefits everyone. In fact, even if you don’t have a sensory storytime, it is a good idea to create a social story for your library. When you are creating Social Stories, it is wise to make one for the library as a whole and one for a storytime visit since different behaviors are expected. Ideally, social stories will include photographs of your library space and the staff members a patron will likely encounter. Because children benefit most from listening to or reading a social story in advance of an event, you should put your social stories up on your library’s website. (We don’t have time right now to look at these examples, but I’ll come back to this slide later in the day so people can look at them during a break. OR We don’t have time to look at all these examples right now, but I’ll show you a couple. OR I’d like to share these examples, so you can see the different levels of complexity and detail in different libraries’ social stories.) Douglas County Libraries: http://goo.gl/pJwFcE Anoka County Library: http://goo.gl/qu2LNP Highland Park Public Library: http://goo.gl/S71xiz Norman Public Library: https://goo.gl/thN0N6 Positively Autism’s “Autism Resource Kit for Libraries”: http://goo.gl/vbQTSO
• #29: Finally, as you are planning your sensory storytimes, keep in mind that no matter how welcoming you and the children’s department staff are, if the rest of your library environment or other library staff members are not welcoming, you will fail in supporting patrons with disabilities. Grassi suggests these simple adaptations that will make your library more hospitable to patrons with disabilities. While, Baldassari-Hackstaff and Olson suggest that staff training outside of the children’s department is essential, noting that such training is important to roll out to the entire staff for 3 reasons: It helps everyone serve patrons with special needs. It gets staff talking about sensory storytime, so that they help spread the word about this new program. It increases staff confidence when serving this population.
• #30: Holly Halvorson’s list of suggested behaviors to use with patrons diagnosed on the autism spectrum is useful for staff training as well. Some typical ASD behaviors are counter to what is normally considered polite, such as avoiding eye contact, so it is essential that all library staff and volunteers receive and understand these recommendations. It’s a good idea to practice interactions that utilize these recommendations through role-playing to help staff get comfortable using techniques that support patrons with disabilities. (Halvorson, Holly. “Asperger’s Syndrome: How the Public Library Can Address These Special Needs Library Can Address These Special Needs. ” Children Children and Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children 4(2006): 19-27.)
• #31: Now you’ve planned and scheduled your sensory storytime, you’ve trained your staff and volunteers, and you’ve made your sensory props and interactive books. The next big question is How will you market the program? Klipper explains that “Even if you do a lot of outreach and creative marketing, it may still be difficult to get children and teens with autism to your programs. Many of their families are socially isolated, and even if they register, there is no guarantee that the child or teen will be willing and able to attend on the day of your program. This is one reason why it is helpful to clarify your goals when you begin this process, and to keep trying even if you experience low turnout” (p. 10). While it can be discouraging to work so hard to create and promote a program and have little or no attendance, it is important to remember that all programs take time to build and immediate response is not indicative of long-term need. To increase the odds of your new program being a success, Klipper encourages contacting as many community resources as possible, and suggests such community partners as those listed here. While Rogers-Whitehead notes: “If you build it, they will not come. If you [tell] them you built it, they will.” She started marketing 2 months in advance of her first program, and she recommends doing outreach at local events and conferences focusing on autism spectrum disorder services and needs.
• #32: I’ve saved Klipper’s question of budget for the end, although at your library you will probably consider this much sooner. Klipper suggests this list of possible grant opportunities in her book, as well as researching local partners. But, I want to remind you that many of the resources needed to turn a traditional storytime into a sensory storytime are things that most libraries already have on hand or that cost little to make or purchase. Certainly, your regional library system is another great source of finding funding and resources. In fact, the state youth consultants and Melissa Franz have already created kits to help you learn more about sensory storytimes and give you samples of fidgets and props.
• #35: That’s it for the presentation portion of the morning. We’ll take a short break now, and when we come back we’ll practice some sensory storytime songs and activities, make our interactive books and props, and get started on Social Stories for your libraries.