Serving Teens and Adults on the Autism Spectrum: A Guide for Libraries

Understand the unique needs of teens and adults with autism and how to adapt existing library programs to be more inclusive.

Autism spectrum disorder is a lifelong condition, but programs and services are mostly for children. As this population ages and the number of adults receiving autism diagnoses grows, are public libraries serving this group? Serving Teens and Adults on the Autism Spectrum offers practical strategies for delivering better service to individuals with autism, from library programming to technology, collections, library volunteers, and the information desk.

Relying on feedback and help from the autism community in her area, Carrie Rogers-Whitehead created programs for children, teens, and young adults on the autism spectrum. In this book, she shares advice on developing programs that focus on teamwork, transitions, and social skills. She explains best practices for reference interviews and teaches readers how their libraries can partner with nonprofit and government entities to develop workforce skills and connect adults with autism to jobs. Ready-made program activities for teens and adults with autism make it easy for libraries to better serve this often misunderstood group.

Adapt existing library programs to be more inclusive of individuals with autism

Learn tested program ideas specifically aimed at individuals with autism

Understand the unique needs of adults with autism and how those needs present differently than they do in children

Learn how to better mobilize these members of the community and help them find meaningful work and service opportunities

Connect to resources to better understand and create library services for the autism community