Did you know April is Autism Acceptance Month? What a great time to learn about autism and encourage acceptance all year long! According to the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization run by and for autistic people, “autism is a developmental disability that affects how we experience the world around us.” This national grassroots disability rights organization fights for disability rights, and works to support all forms of self-advocacy and to change the way people think about autism.

While everyone experiences autism differently, autism affects how people think, communicate and interact with the world, according to information on the ASAN website. Autistic people are in every community and anyone can be autistic, regardless of race, gender or age. During Autism Acceptance Month, why not take some time to learn more? ASAN wrote a book called Welcome to the Autistic Community that’s available online. There is also a wealth of additional information on the ASAN website to explore. Do you think you might be autistic? Visit Embrace Autism for more information. And don’t forget, your library has lots of resources too! BCLS has a variety of books about autism to check out, including an abundance of children’s titles.

In addition, the library’s Special Needs Collection features a versatile selection of materials, including books, audiobooks, music, DVDs, toys and manipulatives. All items in our collection are intended for use by people of all ages with disabilities and/or their caregivers.