Promoting Belonging: Creating Library Neurodiversity Clubs

Saratoga Springs Public Library's Neurodiversity Club won the award for 2023 Program of the Year from the Southern Adirondack Library System. The facilitators of the club, Kate Lambert and Lauren Allen, will discuss how they started and expanded the club They will also provide guidance on how to create Neurodiverse-affirming offerings in your libraries. This webinar aims to reassure library staff that even if they have no experience working with Neurodivergent people, they can create and run successful programming aimed at them.

Why a Neurodiversity Club? 

Library offerings geared toward Neurodivergent individuals serve a critical role in building connections and community. Approximately 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 6 children and adolescents in the United States have some type of disability. Despite people with disabilities being the largest minority group, they are rarely included in the same ways as people without disabilities. These inequities contribute to people with disabilities experiencing and reporting higher levels of loneliness and isolation.

Creating spaces and opportunities for anyone--and in the case of Neurodiversity Club, Neurodivergent kids and adolescents--to connect with other people they have shared interests and experiences with is powerful. The children who attend the Neurodiversity Club sessions are able to forge relationships and "just be themselves" in a space with their peers that centers and values their Neurodivergent identities - serving as another source of belonging in their lives.

About the Presenters

Dr. Lauren Lestremau Allen (she/her) is a Licensed Psychologist (NY, MD), Licensed Behavior Analyst (NY), Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral, and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist.  Lauren is an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator in the SUNY Empire State University Applied Behavior Analysis Master of Science program and the Assistant Director of the SUNY Empire Center for Autism Advocacy: Research, Education, and Supports (CAARES), both of which prioritize compassionate, value-driven care, and client self-advocacy and autonomy. Lauren is a former program director and continues on the Program Services team at the Ivymount School, a K-12 special education school in Maryland, where she served K-12 students with disabilities and their families. She has also supported Autistic, Neurodivergent, and disabled clients and their families and teams across home, clinic, and outpatient hospital settings. Lauren is on the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis board, acting as the Chair of the Student Activities Committee, and is a Hub Team member with ECHO Autism: Education. Lauren is committed to high quality service and support delivery for Autistic individuals and individuals with developmental disabilities and is passionate about training professionals to provide affirming and client-centered care. 

Kate Lambert (she/her) is a Children’s Librarian at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, where she runs programs including Neurodiversity Club (SALS 2023 Program of the Year) and Sensory Story Time. She got her MSIS from SUNY Albany in 2016 and has worked in public libraries for eight years. She has experience developing programs and providing library services for adults, teens, and children. Kate is committed to cultivating an inclusive library environment and is passionate about providing opportunities for kids to be creative, make connections, and develop a love of learning.  
 

Related LibGuide: Diversity Equity Inclusion

Date:

Monday, February 24, 2025

Time:

10:00am - 11:00am

Categories:

  Continuing Education     Remote Event