by Teresa Hudson
Beyond the Book: Supporting Neurodiversity in Schools and Libraries
On Thursday, May 14th, 2026, the LAI SLG Conference and AGM took place in the W.B. Yeats Library at The High School in Rathgar, Dublin. The theme of this conference was on how school libraries can support the needs of all students, especially those who identify as neurodivergent, through the lenses of inclusion, mental health and UDL. It focused on breaking down barriers, creating welcoming spaces and building collections and toolkits to help serve the needs of the diverse student populations we have in our schools. The guest speakers at the event were Dr. Margaret Flood (Assistant Professor in Inclusive and Special Education at Maynooth University) and Tara Mulhern (Mental Health Occupational Therapist at Neart/Jigsaw). Shorter input sessions were also provided by educational psychologist Patsy McCaughey, Katie Dickson (Librarian, Wesley College), Sarah Purcell (JCSP Librarian, Ellenfield College), Éadaoin Quinn (JCSP Librarian at Selskar College) and Joseph Peelo (JCSP Librarian, Kylemore College). The event also included a display and brief talk from Outside the Box Learning Resources and roundtable discussions where ideas were shared. The day concluded with the Library Association of Ireland School Libraries Group’s AGM, which all members were invited to attend.
Guest Speaker: Dr. Margaret Flood
Dr. Margaret Flood is an Assistant Professor in Inclusive Education and the Maynooth Access Programme (MAP) Academic Advisor for the Education Department. At the conference, she delivered a very informative presentation entitled ‘Neurodiversity-Affirming Libraries: Designing for Variability, Access and Belonging’. In her talk, she emphasized how the term ‘neurodiversity’ applies to everyone as no two people are the same. She explained the rationale, core concepts and principals of UDL and how it can be applied in the context of a school library. She emphasized that the barriers students face is in the environment and not the person. She guided the conference attendees through what some of these barriers may be and highlighted what a neurodiversity-affirming library could design for. Participants took part in several short, interactive activities which helped bring to life the concepts in her presentation. It was a very engaging talk and provided everyone present with an understanding of neurodiversity and neurominority as well as providing insight into how to apply UDL in our libraries and practice to create a more inclusive environment.
Guest Speaker: Tara Mulhern
Tara Mulhern is a mental health Occupational Therapist. She is the Neart Programme Lead, which is Jigsaw’s mental health supports for Post Primary Schools. Tara’s talk centered on building belonging within the library space. She explained how the concept of intersectionality applies to those who identify as neurodivergent and guided the group on how to create a more inclusive library through the cornerstones of Connections, Collections, and Corners. The importance of relationships and partnerships was discussed and recommendations for clubs, stock development and supports, such as social stories, were made. She also spoke about the importance of creating sensory regulating spaces for users as well as how libraries can support their students through policy and planning, CPD and response to student support plans. Tara was a passionate speaker and brought useful insight to how school libraries can better serve their neurodivergent patrons.
Input Sessions
Several brief input sessions took place at the conference where school librarians and professionals shared insights into their practice. These included the following:
Patsy McCaughey, Educational Psychologist at The High School, spoke briefly about his professional journey to becoming a psychologist. He highlighted the importance that the school library plays to students, especially those that may be experiencing difficulties. He emphasized that disability comes from the environment and not the person.
Katie Dickson, Librarian at Wesley College, presented on the Reading Nook/Sensory Space she created in her library. She shared images of the space and spoke of its use and the positive impact it has on her students
Joseph Peelo, JCSP Librarian at Kylemore College, spoke of his library’s involvement in UCD’s Chorus Project where a group of students worked together to help design a game for primary school students using the kits provided to them. He told of how the project worked, how students were selected to take part and the impact that being involved had on them by creating an inclusive environment.
Sarah Purcell, JCSP Librarian at Ellenfield College, told us about her project, ‘Beyond the Page’, where she used the free app Book Creator to create digital stories with a class of ASD students. She also spoke of taking part in the Erasmus Digital Storytelling Project.
Éadaoin Quinn, JCSP Librarian at Selskar College, displayed her Neurospicy initiative where students coloured in templates of chilis while discussing what it means to be neurodiverse. They were invited to write what it means to be neurodivergent to them on the chilis if they so wished and the chilis were then strung together to make decorative garlands.
The day also featured a display by Outside the Box Learning Resources. A competition was held where participants were invited to complete a fun sheet to be entered into a raffle. One lucky attendee left with a 50 euro gift voucher from the company.
The conference ended with roundtable discussions where groups were given questions to stimulate conversation and sharing of ideas on what works well in their libraries for supporting neurodivergent students. Feedback was given to the whole group and everyone left that day with food for thought and more ideas to add to their professional toolkit.
Following the conference was the annual SLG AGM where new committee members and officers were appointed. All LAI members were invited to attend. It was a very full day that provided everyone with the opportunity to network, share ideas and be inspired to continue to create inclusive spaces, resources and activities in their school libraries.
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