Storytime at local library designed for children with special needs
When Donna Bandiera was running the children’s storytimes at Buena Vista Branch Library in Burbank in the past, she noticed that some children covered their ears when there was loud music played and some children didn’t participate in the same way that others did.
Also, she noticed that parents of special-needs children were sometimes hesitant to have their children participate in traditional storytimes because of embarrassment or they may have felt their child was distracting.
So, in January, 2016, Bandiera, library assistant of the children’s room at the local library, started a program called “Sensory Storytime,” designed for children with special needs who would benefit from a storytime tailored for them.
“I like to keep it small, slower paced,” Bandiera said of the special storytimes. “I learn through their abilities.”
The storytimes are kept to 10 children, and parents are involved to make the experience pleasant for their children, she said.
Citing an example, one child, who was blind, had trouble understanding the concept of bubbles. So, bubbles were blown and burst, so the child could feel the moisture and that experience helped him better understand what bubbles were, Bandiera said.
He also enjoyed music and could feel the beats from a sensory standpoint.
Bandiera also said she was surprised how focused to detail some children are during the storytimes that focus on their sensory abilities.
“I put a small Lego man in the window,” she said, adding that she never really remembered it, nor did other children in traditional storytimes notice it.
However, in the storytime for special-needs children, some of them noticed the little Lego man right away.
She also pointed out that many special-needs children like structure, so she writes up the order for each storytime, listing songs and various activities.
There have been times when a child will put the schedule in an envelope and give it to Bandiera, which she sometimes keeps.
“They want to know what to expect. They like to anticipate,” Bandiera said. “I try and involve them more.”
For more information about Sensory Storytime, which is held every other Thursday from noon to 12:45 p.m., call (818) 238-5630.
Twitter: @LAMarkKellam
