Including Families of Children with Special Needs

How can library programmes and services include children with disabilities and their families? This how-to covers partnering and collaborating with parents and other professionals; developing special collections and resources; assessing competencies and skills; principles underlying family-centred services and resource-based practices; and the interrelationship of early intervention, special education, and library service. The authors can-do attitude will help you deliver the best services for children with disabilities regardless of available resources. Checklists, clear strategies, anecdotes and stories based on real experiences, descriptions of model programs and resources, and an overview of appropriate Internet sites and services help you implement the suggestions provided. Appendixes include an extensive bibliography, a development milestone checklist, and a listing of state resources. This how-to will prove valuable not only to children’s services librarians, outreach librarians, and library administrators, but also early intervention and family support professionals, early childhood and special educators, childcare workers, daycare and after school programme providers, and policy makers.