Friday, April 04, 2014

Autism Understanding & Acceptance 2014 Day 6: Libraries

A friend - whose parenting journey also has not been typical - said that libraries have been invaluable on their journey.  Were they helpful for us?  Resoundingly, YES.  And there is one in particular to which I am forever indebted: the Center for Disability Information & Referral, or CeDIR:  (http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=34). 

This library is part of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, which also houses the fabulous Indiana Resource Center for Autism.  http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=32

We lived a few miles away from this incredible resource when T was first diagnosed, and in those early days of his diagnosis, I would drive to this library after dropping him off at school and sit in the stacks, pouring through books.  I would check out several books and videos at a time, devouring as much information as I could while he was at school for 2 ½ hours each day. 

Looking back, we were so incredibly lucky to have lived so close to this resource.  This being a library dedicated to information on disabilities, it had and incredible amount of scholarly books & videos that I simply would not have had access to elsewhere.  And I didn’t have to pay a cent for them.  So much of my early education in autism happened because of the CeDIR. 


Psst…for those interested...here’s the beautiful thing: they will MAIL you their materials if you don’t live nearby.      

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