Serving Autistic Patrons Well

Practical Strategies for More Supportive Libraries

Course Details

April 22, 2027 | 2:00 to 4:00 pm ET

2-Hour Online Session + 3 Self-Paced Course Modules

9 Credit Hours

Recommended for public and academic library workers.

$289 (Save with group rates!)

IS YOUR LIBRARY TRULY WELCOMING TO AUTISTIC PEOPLE OR JUST WELL-INTENTIONED?

You want to do right by autistic patrons and students but aren't sure where to start
Your current accommodations aren't cutting it
You're ready to move from awareness to genuine, practical engagement

This course gives public and academic library workers the tools to build libraries that are authentically supportive of autistic patrons and staff through better services, more inclusive practices, and policies that actually reflect their needs.

ABOUT THIS COURSE

Awareness is the beginning. Training comes next.

Live sessions via Zoom:
April 22, 2027 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm ET
(recordings available for 6 months)

(Can’t attend live? Recording sent out after the live session.)

Serving autistic patrons and staff well means more than a quiet room and a sensory kit. In this course, you'll explore what it actually looks like to build an autism-supportive library, from modifying services and policies to creating an environment where autistic patrons, students, and staff feel genuinely welcome. You'll learn practical strategies for supporting autistic patrons across a range of needs, examine how current practices may be falling short, and develop concrete changes you can bring back to your library.

The live sessions run on April 22, 2027 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm ET (recorded for on demand viewing). For more details, check out the What to Expect tab.

Enroll FOR SPRING 2027

Need an invoice or PO? Orders of $600 or greater can choose invoice at checkout. For orders under $600, submit this form , and we will process your order manually.

Need approval? Email this course to your supervisor. .

TRAINING A TEAM?

Multi-seat discounts are automatically calculated in the cart.

Buying for a larger group? Explore all purchasing options

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What You'll Learn What to Expect

AFTER COMPLETING THIS COURSE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO:

Identify gaps in current practices that may be falling short for autistic patrons, students, and staff.
Apply practical strategies for supporting autistic individuals across a range of needs, beyond basic accommodations.
Modify library services and policies to better reflect the needs of autistic patrons and staff.
Develop concrete, actionable changes to bring back and implement in your own library.

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE

This course is designed for any library worker.

GROUP OPTIONS

Training a team? Choose the setup that matches how you want to plan and pay :

Group course enrollment: Enroll 3+ staff in this course and save.

Bulk course credits: Prepay once, get the highest per-seat discount on every course, and assign seats later.

Unlimited annual licensing: System-wide access for a year with no per-course approvals.

Request Discounted Group Pricing

Questions? Email groupsales@libraryjournal.com.

COURSE FORMAT

This will be a 2-hour online course and will include:

Live sessions: Guest speaker presentations by leaders in their field. All sessions are recorded for on-demand access for six months after the course ends.

Facilitated discussions: Audience participation in Q&A and discussion with guest speakers.

Asynchronous workshop: On-demand project-based modules connecting what you’re learning to your professional practice. Includes peer-to-peer sharing via discussion forums.

Online classroom: The virtual learning platform holds all course content and remains accessible for six months after the course ends.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

If you attend or watch recordings of all live sessions and complete the 3-module workshop, you will spend approximately 9 hours on this course. You will earn 9 hours of professional development credit and a Library Journal certificate of completion.

ALL THE DETAILS

ON-DEMAND ACCESS

All live guest speaker sessions are recorded and available on demand for six months following the initial broadcast as part of your purchase.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Complete all course requirements to earn 9 professional development credit hours and a Library Journal certificate of completion. Certificates are emailed upon completion.

ACCESSIBILITY

All video recordings feature auto-captioning. If you require accommodations, please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration and we will make our best efforts to support your needs.

SUPPORT

For technical or course-related support, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com.

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