Beyond Autism Spectrum Disorder: Serving Neurodiverse Library Users Through Inclusive Library Spaces, Services, & Programming

Neurodiversity acknowledges and celebrates learning and thinking differences in individuals. Diagnoses such as ADHD, learning disorders, sensory processing disorder, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are all forms of neurodiversity. This presentation will provide information to better understand neurodiversity in a range of presentations, improve interactions with neurodiverse patrons, and design inclusive and accessible programming for patrons with differing needs across library settings and age groups.

Learning Objectives:
• Develop a better understanding of neurodiversity
• Improve interactions and communication with neurodiverse patrons
• Consider ways to design library spaces and programming to be more accessible and inclusive for patrons with differing needs

Presenter: Dawn Behrend is an Instruction and Outreach Librarian at Lenoir-Rhyne University. She holds a B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Library Science. Ms. Behrend has worked for over 20 years in North Carolina as a Licensed Psychological Associate in addition to her career as an academic librarian and continues to work part-time in private practice. Ms. Behrend provides workshops, courses, and invited talks on issues related to mental health and neurodiversity in libraries and self-care for librarians. Ms. Behrend is currently serving as the President of the North Carolina Library Association. She is also active with the Association of College and Research Libraries for which she has served on several committees.

The recording and handouts will be available on Niche Academy after the live event as well as our library of over 700 recorded sessions. To access Niche, go to: https://my.nicheacademy.com/floridalibrarywebinars

Register here via Zoom for the live event or through the link below.