Building Staff Awareness
What does neurodivergent mean?
Neurodivergent is a term that stems from the concept of neurodiversity coined by Sociologist Judy Singer in the late 1990s (Baumer & Frueh, 2021). Neurodiversity asserts that individuals "experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one "right" way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits" (Baumer & Frueh, 2021).
The neurodivergent community is in itself quite large and diverse, encompassing a number of conditions such as (Aherne & Stringer, 2023):
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Tourette's Syndrome
- Down Syndrome
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Learning conditions: dyscalculia (difficulty with math), dysgraphia (difficulty with writing), dyslexia (difficulty with reading), and dyspraxia (difficulty with coordination)
What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children, affecting 5-9% of children worldwide (CADDAC, n.d.). While it is important to note that each person living with ADHD is unique, there are a number of common traits, including attention regulation, hyperactivity, impulsivity, executive functioning and regulating emotions (CADDAC, 2018).
CADDAC has a great reference guide: What you Need to Know about ADHD.
What is ASD?
1 in 50 (or 2%) of Canadian children and youth are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (Public Health, 2022). ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can include problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviours or interests. Each person with ASD is unique, and the term “spectrum” refers to the wide variation in strengths and challenges reflected among those with the disorder” (Public Health, 2019, p.3).
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Highlights from the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth
Every year, the Public Health Agency of Canada releases an Autism Spectrum Disorder report summarizing data from the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, focusing on ages 1-17 who have been diagnosed with ASD (Public Health, 2022). Highlights from the latest report in 2019 include:
- Males four times more likely than females to receive an ASD diagnosis
- Over half (53.7%) of all ASD diagnoses occur before age 5
- Canada average is 2% of children and youth are diagnosed with ASD - this is consistent across most provinces except Saskatchewan (0.8%) and New Brunswick (4.1%)
- 69% of children with ASD have another long term health condition: ADHD, learning disability/disorder and anxiety disorder being the most prevalent
- 73% of children with ASD have a functional difficulty: predominantly accepting change, making friends, communicating and learning
- 69% of children with ASD have special education needs: IEP, SEP, IIP mostly related to cognitive/behavioural/emotional disability
STAFF Training
According to the Toronto Public Library toolkit: Planning Library Programs for Children with Special Needs, library staff are asking for training to equip them with the skills necessary to provide services and programs to children with special needs (TPL, 2011). This sentiment is shared among library workers across Canada who, according to the LIS research, claim they do not possess sufficient training in relation to disabilities yet they are keen to learn and are searching for training and information (Small, Schriar & Pelich, 2019).
All Toronto Public Library staff are required to complete the 1 hour Accessibility 101 training video which covers key definitions, accessibility legislation in Ontario, and best practices to serve accessible customers at TPL branches. For additional training content related to accessibility or neurodiversity, staff have access to a database of training resources under the Learn:TPL initiative. Many of these resources are provided by external organizations and focus on neurodiversity in the workplace, aiming to make the library staff aware, trained and knowledgeable.