Illinois Service Resource Center

10/23/2025

Are you ready for Halloween?

Halloween is coming! 🎃👐 Trick or Treat in ASL! Here are 7 signs to know: Trick, Or, Candy/Treat, Allergic, Peanut, and Halloween Costume. Remember, there are different signs for 'Halloween,' so use the one you prefer! Now go out there and enjoy a fun, safe Halloween! 🍬👻

ID: orange background, Text top "Trick or Treat in American Sign Language." 7 different signs on the post: trick, or, Candy/Treat, Allergic, peanut, and Halloween Costume. Illustration: ghost, candy, cold, peanut, pumpkin, and ghost costume.

10/23/2025

Check out this fun event to get into the Halloween Spirit!🎃🤟

Join us for a fun and festive Virtual ASL Storytime featuring Herbert’s First Halloween!

This online event is perfect for all ages—kids, families, and anyone curious about American Sign Language (ASL). Watch the story come to life through expressive ASL, animated storytelling, and easy-to-follow signs that are great for both beginners and experienced signers.

Whether you're celebrating Halloween at home or looking for a unique learning experience, this storytime is a great way to connect, learn, and have fun together.
No ASL experience needed—just bring your Halloween spirit!

We can't wait to sign and celebrate with you! 🎃👻🤟

10/22/2025

Yesterday we celebrated DHH Leadership Day with High School Leaders out at NSSEO's beautiful Sunrise Lake Outdoor Educational Center. It was a great autumn day to come together for learning and planning and being outdoors and making s'mores!

10/16/2025

We had a wonderful Literacy Night tonight!!! Author Brenda Schmidt shared her story She Heard her Footsteps about a little girl getting her first hearing aids and learning about all the sounds around her. And we made beautiful tie dyed butterflies for a craft. Thank you to everyone who came out to read with us tonight 🦻📙🦋🌟

10/09/2025

It's Spooky Season, so our October Library Feature has books with "scary" themes. Fear not, though. In these titles, there are great lessons to help us build our resilience, be true to ourselves, be brave, and face our concerns.
- Millie Fleur's Poison Garden: In Garden Glen every garden looks just the same until Millie Fleur comes to town!
- Monster Hands: Milo is sure there is a monster under his bed. His bestie Mel knows just what to do. This tale of monsters and friendship features ASL
- There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly: This children's classic tale of a horrifying chain of events, features perfect die cuts that give us a glimpse inside of a crazy day of eating!!!
- In a Dark Dark Wood: A spooky classic read aloud!
- Kitten's First Full Moon: A Caldecott Winner! At Kitten's first full moon, she goes on an adventure to find what she *thinks* is a big bowl of milk. She is hungry and brave but she keeps going.
- The Little Old Lady who was Not Afraid of Anything: Another perfect Halloween read aloud with lots of shivery fun spooky sounds.
- When you Dread your Bed: What to do when you REALLY do feel scared at night. Practical tips to help bedtime go more smoothly so everyone can get a good night's rest.
- When Fear Interferes: Another title from this great series - how to face your fears head on. These how to books feature a special section for parents and caregivers to help them help their young people through the concerns of the world.

Check out these titles and more this month. Go our ISRC Library Catalog: https://opac.libraryworld.com/opac/home.php
If prompted the Library Name is "ISRC Library." No password is required.

10/09/2025

ISRC Behavior Coach, Lisa Clark, is out at IAASE in Rosemont today. If you're at that conference, stop by and say hello to Lisa and pick up some great information about the services and resources ISRC offers.

10/01/2025

ISRC: October 2025 Digital Update - https://mailchi.mp/256f3de0f414/isrc-october-2025-digital-update-13898321

10/01/2025

Yesterday was Nonspeaker/Nonverbal Awareness Day. We want to make sure we shine some light on this important day. We're highlighting a post from author, Tiffany Hammond, who wrote A Day with No Words. We have this wonderful book in the ISRC Library and it reminds us that our friends who don't speak, still have plenty to share!

Check out this wonderful book from our library today: https://opac.libraryworld.com/opac/home.php

Today is Nonspeaker/Nonverbal Awareness Day. Did you know?

I honor my boy everyday and all days. Soon there will be two books that center his experience out in the world. I love him so much that I will forever, with however many days I have left, try to change the world for him with my pen.

The recent conversations around autism are specifically targeting who he is as a person, and who he is within this diagnosis. And I have always felt that as someone who has such an intimate relationship with him, who wants the world to know him as I do, it is my responsibility to use every privilege that I have to make sure I am fighting for what he needs, desires, wants…

There’s roughly a third of all of those diagnosed with autism that are Nonspeaking/Nonverbal/unreliably speaking. Many have found their voices through AAC, typing, signing, writing, spelling…

and we have to listen. They have so much to say. They have experienced so much. They know so much.

I wrote this book as a love letter to my son. Decided that my love didn’t shine bright enough in this one and wrote another one (winter 2027), and that one isn’t enough either, so I’m writing a third…and a fourth.

And I will keep going…

A Day with No Words is about the bond I have with my son who says so much without speech. And the reviews I have gotten from Nonspeakers themselves has been the best kind of encouragement. When I feel like I haven’t done enough, that I am not enough, I read words like the ones below:

“DEAR MRS. TIFFANY HAMMOND,
HELLO. I AM DURI. I AM 5. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU FOR WRITING YOUR BOOK A DAY WITH NO WORDS. BEFORE I NEVER SAW ANY BOOK WITH A
KID LIKE ME THAT HAS NO WORDS FROM MOUTH. I LIKE TO SEE THE BOY IN YOUR BOOK AND KNOW THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. I LIKE SHOWING THE PEOPLE WHO READ IT THAT NOT SPEAKING DO NOT MEAN NOTHING TO SAY“

And that’s the best kind of fuel.

From my family to all those who are like my son, who love someone like my son, work with those like my son…

You are always seen by us.
We love you.
And you are precious.
You are valued.
You are worthy.
You are THE gift.

[A Day with No Words is on preorder now, check your fav retailer]

10/01/2025

October is World Blindness Awareness Month. This monthlong observance shines a spotlight on the challenges faced by the blind and visually impaired community, raises awareness and promotes an understanding of the needs and rights of individuals with visual impairments.

October 15th is White Cane Safety Day. This day is set aside as a day to recognize and bring awareness to the importance of the white cane and guide dogs as critical mobility tools for people who are blind and visually impaired. The white cane, which helps users identify obstacles and orient themselves, was introduced to assist people who are blind or visually impaired with independent travel.
** Did you know that the FIRST White Cane Law in the United States was enacted in Peoria, Illinois in 1930? Laws patterned after the Peoria Law are common across America today and grant the right-of-way to pedestrians using a white cane or guide to cross streets, ensuring their safety.