Everybody needs a place where they feel they belong.That’s what motivated Lauren Hatto, 16, to raise money for and donate tools to the Troy Public Library to help the neurodivergent.The project earned her the Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouts.“Neurodiversity is the concept of how all brains are unique and different from one another,” Hatto wrote on the website she created as part of her Gold Award.“The term neurodivergent describes individuals with differences in how their brain works, while the term neurotypical refers to individuals who think, perceive, and behave in ways that are considered the norm by the general population. Some common conditions among neurodivergent citizens are autism, ADHD and dyslexia,” said Hatto, a sophomore at Troy High School.Related Articles
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Hatto, a Girl Scout for 11 years, held a bake sale and a returnable can drive, earning $450 to provide these items for the library:– Puppy-themed weighted lap pads that calm people who may be experiencing too much stimuli from bright lights or noise.– Noise-canceling headphones
– Fidget kits– A chair that allows more movement than traditional seating– Augmentative and alternative communication devices, in the form of flip books with pictures on them, that help people who are nonverbal communicate their needs.– A collection of neuro-affirming books.“These tools aim to increase all patrons’ sense of belonging,” said Hatto.This flip book is intended to help those who are nonverbal with communicating their needs. Photo courtesy of city of Troy.She became interested in neurodiversity after reading a book on the topic about a year ago and decided to pursue a Gold Award project on it.“I quickly realized the perfect place for this project was the library,” said Hatto, who has spent a lot of time there since early childhood.“Advocacy is just a big passion of mine,” she said. “I like being an advocate for people, being able to make a difference.”Hatto received guidance from an occupational therapist, a speech -anguage pathologist and library staff on what tools would be most helpful for library patrons.For more information on her project, go to https://sites.google.com/view/your-words-matter/home.Lauren Hatto donated this collection of books on neurodivergent issues to the Troy Public Library.The library, 510 W. Big Beaver Road, just northeast of City Hall, has a universal access collection that houses materials for those with differing abilities. These include physical disabilities, visual or hearing impairments, learning or developmental disabilities and more.The collection includes Braille books, magnifiers, adapted and therapeutic toys, learning manipulatives, assistive devices and more. To learn more, go to https://troypl.org/services/kids/international.php.
That’s what motivated Lauren Hatto, 16, to raise money for and donate tools to the Troy Public Library to help the neurodivergent.
The project earned her the Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouts.
“Neurodiversity is the concept of how all brains are unique and different from one another,” Hatto wrote on the website she created as part of her Gold Award.
“The term neurodivergent describes individuals with differences in how their brain works, while the term neurotypical refers to individuals who think, perceive, and behave in ways that are considered the norm by the general population. Some common conditions among neurodivergent citizens are autism, ADHD and dyslexia,” said Hatto, a sophomore at Troy High School.
Hatto, a Girl Scout for 11 years, held a bake sale and a returnable can drive, earning $450 to provide these items for the library:
– Puppy-themed weighted lap pads that calm people who may be experiencing too much stimuli from bright lights or noise.
– Augmentative and alternative communication devices, in the form of flip books with pictures on them, that help people who are nonverbal communicate their needs.
“These tools aim to increase all patrons’ sense of belonging,” said Hatto.
She became interested in neurodiversity after reading a book on the topic about a year ago and decided to pursue a Gold Award project on it.
“I quickly realized the perfect place for this project was the library,” said Hatto, who has spent a lot of time there since early childhood.
“Advocacy is just a big passion of mine,” she said. “I like being an advocate for people, being able to make a difference.”
Hatto received guidance from an occupational therapist, a speech -anguage pathologist and library staff on what tools would be most helpful for library patrons.
For more information on her project, go to https://sites.google.com/view/your-words-matter/home.
The library, 510 W. Big Beaver Road, just northeast of City Hall, has a universal access collection that houses materials for those with differing abilities. These include physical disabilities, visual or hearing impairments, learning or developmental disabilities and more.
The collection includes Braille books, magnifiers, adapted and therapeutic toys, learning manipulatives, assistive devices and more. To learn more, go to https://troypl.org/services/kids/international.php.