At Yonkers Public Library, we know that everyone has varying needs, in public spaces and in their private lives. Whether you're formally diagnosed or not, you're always the best judge of what your needs are -- as long as you've got the resources to recognize when yours aren't being met.
It's why we have our sensory room, designed for children and adults with noise, light and texture sensitivities, freely available to our patrons -- whether it's for our wonderful regular sensory programming, or just to reserve a space so you can sit and cool down. It's why we carry books on parenting autistic children; parenting as an autistic adult; autistic women, and why they're diagnosed less often than men; and the work of Dr. Temple Grandin, a behaviorist whose autism gave her unique insights into animal and human personality. (And more!)
Autism can be difficult to understand -- for autistic people as well as the ones who love them -- but it doesn't mean you have anything missing. It's just a way of thinking and feeling -- a tool for understanding ourselves better -- and we'd like nothing more than to help you understand what you need to be happy, any way you can.
Diane Mignault is a librarian at Yonkers Riverfront Library, with the reference and adult services department.