Library Instruction West 2018

In late 2017, an instruction librarian and a student accessibility specialist teamed up to survey academic librarians about their knowledge and experience teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, the group of “disabilities” commonly known as autism. While public libraries have been creating supportive, inclusive, safe, and targeted programs and spaces for autistic children and their families for many years, academic libraries have been slow to prepare their environments and staff for the growing population of undergraduate students with ASD. In a one-shot information literacy session or one-time research consultation, librarians often do not have the relationships, awareness, or tools with which to effectively teach an autistic student. What do librarians currently know about working with students on the spectrum? How can we better prepare our instruction to help these students succeed? In this energetic presentation, we will briefly explain the debate over autism as disability or identity, present the results of our study of academic librarians’ perceptions of and experiences with students with ASD in the library, and provide attendees with tangible tips on how to navigate the adventures in autism and work productively with autistic students.