Library Director Alice Shands was in Lancaster, Penn. when she saw something that blew her away — so much so that she knew immediately it was a service the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library should offer.
The number of children with autism continues to rise, both nationwide and at the local level, but community support for children and families has not always kept up with demand, so when Shands saw a Pennsylvania library with an Autism Resource Center, she began researching ways to bring that innovation to Columbus.
Thanks to Shands’ efforts, and a $14,500 Library Services and Technology Act Professional Assistance grant administered through the Mississippi Library Commission, Lowndes County will soon have its own Autism Resource Center, housed on the upper floor of the library.
Shands hopes the center will not only offer information but will also become the catalyst for an autism support group.
The space will feature a parent-child center upstairs, replete with interactive books and games for autistic children and a wealth of information for parents. Five guest speakers will present programs this fall, and Shands is hoping the library will be able to provide childcare for parents in attendance.
Along with information, parents need support, said Dr. Johanna Price, assistant professor of speech-pathology at Mississippi University for Women. Her department has been working closely with Shands to try to develop resources that will be of most benefit at the center, which is slated to open in July.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates one in every 88 children in the Unites States is autistic. Over the past decade, diagnosed cases have risen 78 percent. Columbus has followed that trend, Price said.
The Mississippi Department of Education identified only five of 562 students with autism enrolled in the city school district in 2002-2003. This year, of the district’s 602 special needs children, 40 are autistic.
“I think parents can be a great help and source of support to one another,” Price said. “In this community, I think they just need more information about autism and how to deal with it. If we can get them together, it could be of great benefit to them to have that sort of social support from other parents who are going through a similar situation.”
Although the speech-language pathology department at MUW does not diagnose autism, they do provide speech and language evaluations for children on the autism spectrum, and they’re currently providing therapy on a sliding income scale to three children, assisting with the communication and social interaction difficulties commonly associated with the developmental disorder.
Books with an interactive element, such as those with flaps to open or noise and light activation, may hold interest, Price said. And because pretend play is an area of weakness for some autistic children, she recommends toys like tea sets and puppets to strengthen those skills.
Although there are some autism resources available in Tupelo, Price said she believes the local library center will be unique to the state.
“The incidences of diagnosed cases of autism are on the rise across the country and in our own community,” Price said. “I’m thrilled the library is going to have this resource for families.”
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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