In January 2018, Halifax Public Libraries launched a new initiative to help individuals and families living with autism. They created a set of tool kits which library members could borrow, and the kits include support products and tools.
The tools came in three varieties; sensory tools, visual tools and fidget tools. As part of World Autism Day, the library has now launched a fourth kit called communication tools.
“A speech and language pathologist may be using some of the tools in their sessions and now families can actually use those tools at home and have a better understanding of why they’re being used and how to use them,” said Jenny Tyler, the events and community outreach coordinator for Autism Nova Scotia.
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Previous kits have been a hit and there are consistently numerous holds to get one.
Heba Alghamdi’s seven-year-old son is on the autism disorder spectrum and says the kits have been helpful. She says sensory kits can be expensive so it’s good to be able to borrow stuff through the library.
“It can make him calm down most of the time, especially if he’s upset, or if he’s feeling annoyed by anything else, it’s like okay he can focus on one of them and just play with it,” said Alghamdi
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