Foothills Library honored for Sensory Storytime program
Years ago, Chris Coolman took his young son to a library in the Phoenix area to listen to a children’s story hour.
As the other youngsters listened to the story, Coolman’s son paced back and forth behind them. Pacing was the boy’s method of tuning out background noise and other conflicting sensory experiences, or what his father calls “overstimulation,” a condition that hampers autistic children’s ability to learn.
The story teller admonished the parents to stop the boy’s pacing.
“That’s not appropriate in any manner, let alone for a child on the autism spectrum,” Coolman said. “We were understandably upset by the situation.”
Coolman complained to the library staff, he said, although nothing came of the complaint. But the experience did inspire him to create a tailored story hour for children with autism, cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders at the Foothills Library, where Coolman serves as a library assistant overseeing youth programming.
Started in 2016, Sensory Storytime has spawned similar programs at the Yuma Main, Somerton and San Luis libraries.
And it earned Yuma County and its library district an Achievement Award for 2020 from the National Association of Counties (NACo).
Sensory Storytime brings together children and their families for sessions that begin with an introduction of library staff, followed by a welcome song, physical activities and finally reading of stories selected to stimulate participation by each child. Sensory Storytime, said Coolman, also makes use of giant posters with words and images that allow the children to follow the agenda of each session.
“This has been one of those things where before you begin, you know you’re going to make an impact,” said Coolman. “We’ve had first words spoken (by children) at Storytime.”
Parents, he said, get surprised and sometimes brought to the point of tears by the capabilities the sessions reveal in their children. “It’s emotional, because parents are like, ‘I didn’t know my kid could do that.’”
Conversely, Coolman said, libraries didn’t know much about autism and other sensory processing disorders back when the story teller at the Phoenix-area library made an issue of his son’s pacing.
“Just because they’re moving around doesn’t mean they’re not listening,” Coolman said. “That’s how they deal with their world. It may just be the best way for them to learn. They need to do what they’re going to do.”
Attendance at Sensory Storytime in limited to 10 families per session, and each session takes place in a dimmed room to reduce the risk of overstimulation of the youngsters. Coolman said the hum given off by the typical florescent light bulb can be particularly distracting to a child with autism.
“They can’t disconnect from the other noises they hear,” he said. “You have too much coming in and nothing going out.”
Funds from a grant in 2018 enabled the district to expand Sensory Storytime to the three other libraries.
“We are extremely proud that this program has been recognized,” said Ashley Jackman, the library district’s deputy director. “We continue to work towards finding new and innovative programs that will allow us to engage with all of our community.”
The grant also allowed for the creation at the Foothills Library of a Special Needs Resources
Center, which is equipped with bilingual books, communication devices, specialized computer keyboards and other aids for patrons of all ages who face learning impediments. Coolman also oversees that program.
Libraries are one of 18 categories in which NACo recognizes county governments for innovation in services to constituents.
A year ago the Foothills Library received an Achievement Award from the association for a program that showcases patrons’ art and poetry, while the Somerton Library received one for its Day of the Children celebration.
Before that the San Luis Library earned an Achievement Award for the annual art exhibition in hosts as part of the observance of Hispanic Heritage Month.