Including Families of Children with Special Needs: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, Revised Edition

Legislation has focused attention on the integration of children with special needs into the community. The contributors to this guide offer advice on how to make all sectors of the population feel welcome in a traditional library setting." More than 6.5 million children in the US receive special education services; in any given community, approximately one child out of every six will get speech therapy, go to counseling, attend classes exclusively with other children with disabilities, or receive some other service that allows him or her to learn. This new revised edition is a step-by-step guide to serving children and youth with disabilities as well as the family members, caregivers, and other people involved in their lives. The authors show how staff can enable full use of the library’s resources by integrating the methods of educators, medical and psychological therapists, social workers, librarians, parents, and other caregivers. Widening the scope to address the needs of teens as well as preschool and school-age children, this edition also discusses the needs of Spanish-speaking children with disabilities and their families, looking at cultural competency as well as Spanish-language resources. Enhanced with checklists, stories based on real experiences, descriptions of model programs and resources, and an overview of appropriate internet sites and services, this how-to gives thorough consideration to Partnering and collaborating with parents and other professionals Developing special collections and resources Assessing competencies and skills Principles underlying family-centered services and resource-based practices The interrelationship of early intervention, special education, and library service This manual will prove valuable not only to children’s services librarians, outreach librarians, and library administrators, but also early intervention and family support professionals, early childhood and special educators, childcare workers, daycare and after school program providers, and policymakers. How can library programs and services include children with disabilities and their families? This how-to covers partnering and collaborating with parents and other professionals; developing special collections and resources; assessing competencies and skills; principles underlying family-centered services and resource-based practices; and the interrelationship of early intervention, special education, and library service. The authors' "can-do" attitude will help you deliver the best services for children with disabilities regardless of available resources. Checklists, clear strategies, anecdotes and stories based on real experiences, descriptions of model programs and resources, and an overview of appropriate Internet sites and services help you implement the suggestions provided. Appendixes include an extensive bibliography, a development milestone checklist, and a listing of state resources.This how-to will prove valuable not only to children's services librarians, outreach librarians, and library administrators, but also early intervention and family support professionals, early childhood and special educators, childcare workers, daycare and after school program providers, and policy makers. "Whether you work in a public, school, or hospital library, some of your young patrons have disabilities. Ramps, adaptive technology, and Braille books lay only the physical basis for including them into the library. Segregating them because of their disabilities is detrimental to their development, and to society as a whole. Serving them, and their families, involves educating yourself on the issues they face on a daily basis."-- Provided by publisher