Developing a Library Student Employee Training Program to Improve Interactions with Neurodiverse Students

Abstract

Many students attending college have diagnosed or undiagnosed neurodiversities including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Recognizing that there are students with ASD on our campus, we assessed our current library environment and communication strategies to ensure that we are providing the best possible service not only to students with ASD, but also to students with other neurodiversities. Using Florida State University’s manual, Project A+: Serving Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Academic Library, as a framework, we completed an in-depth evaluation of our library over the course of two semesters. One result of our evaluation was the creation of a set of training modules entitled Alternative Communication Strategies for student employees which provides best practices when interacting with neurodiverse students. This chapter will describe the development, implementation, content, and feedback of the training modules including how to address the sensitive nature of the topic. The program was launched in Spring 2021 and has been incorporated into the ongoing training of new student employees.