Sensory Storytime offers interactive library program for kids with sensory issues

Cameron Village Regional Library has a weekly storytime designed for kids who have sensory issues. It could be expanded to other library locations across the county.

Posted 6:48 p.m. Jan 13, 2020 — Updated 6:48 p.m. Jan 13, 2020

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

, Go Ask Mom editor

Cameron Village Regional Library has a weekly storytime designed for kids who have sensory issues.

Sensory Storytime takes place at 6 p.m., Wednesdays, at the library not far from downtown Raleigh. It's intended for families with children who struggle with loud and busy spaces, bright lights and other sensory stimulation. The interactive program is like any typical storytime at the library system with books, songs and movement activities. But it includes the use of carpet squares, fidgets, lowered sound and guided pictures to indicate the program's progression, according to a press release.

The next Sensory Storytime is this week, 6 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 15. The program, which started in May, runs through April.

“It’s the mission of Wake County Public Libraries to instill the love of reading and to foster the pursuit of knowledge for all residents of Wake County,” said Ann Burlingame, deputy director of Wake County Public Libraries, in the press release. “Our storytimes are educational and entertaining, and we want to ensure that all children are able to participate in a way in which they feel the most comfortable.”

To prepare for the program and for library patrons with autism or other sensory issues, library staff attended trainings offered by the Autism Society of North Carolina in December 2017. They also reached out to a local parents' group of children with autism for guidance, according to the museum. The group served as an audience to test the program and make changes if needed. Today, about 30 kids and their parents attend the program. Wake County library staff hope to expand it to other library locations.

Cameron Village library is at 1930 Clark Ave., Raleigh.

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