Port Washington's 'Books for Dessert' club thrives as space for adults with intellectual disabilities
Linda DiStefano, of Port Washington, left, is a retired high school English special education teacher, and now is a group leader of the Books for Dessert Club. She is seen here along with John Milano, of East Meadow, in February during a weekly meeting of the Books for Dessert Club for adults with developmental disabilities. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
When Nancy Comer’s son, Jamie, who has Down syndrome, graduated from Paul D. Schreiber High School in 2000, Comer tried to find him a reading group for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Comer said she was concerned Jamie would forget all he had learned at the Port Washington school.
“There was nothing,” Comer said in an interview, adding she feared for his transition into adulthood. “It was like you fall off the end of the world.”
So she approached the Port Washington Public Library with an idea: a book club for people like Jamie.
More than two decades later, “Books for Dessert” — sessions start with cookies and coffee — has become a fixture for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The club is made up of readers ranging in age from early 20s to their late 70s. Three groups of about 10-16 meet 30 times each year at the library.
The club not only offers participants the space to continue reading into adulthood, Comer said, but also has become a community unto itself.
“We originally wanted this to be a literacy program and a social space,” Comer said. “In some cases, some of them have been coming for 20 years. You can really see the changes, both in their social abilities and their reading capabilities."
Comer said she observed something unexpected through the years: "Their kindness to one another, and their patience, and willingness to help people who are struggling a bit to read. And that’s amazing. They are much more patient than, I would think, a typical book club group.”
Participants come from various local organizations that serve adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including The Nicholas Center, Community Mainstreaming Associates and AHRC Nassau. The club, which has an annual budget of about $28,000 for the three groups, Comer said, is free for participants.
Some members come to the group experienced readers. For others, Comer said, the club provides the structure to become more confident in their reading abilities.
“There are a number of people who we know we taught how to read,” Comer said. “There are others, that by providing them a comfortable space, who could read for many years but nobody knew. It gave them that chance to be comfortable enough that they could speak out and read aloud and discuss what they were reading.”
One morning in early February, five adults in the club sat around a table in a room at the library. The vibe was extra casual: One club member came in dressed like Jon Snow from "Game of Thrones," with a flowing cape and a faux sword.
The group leader, Linda DiStefano, a former special education teacher at MacArthur High School in Levittown, was leading a discussion of “Alaska’s Iditarod” by Emily Schlesinger. The book’s pages were full of images and the words were printed in large fonts.
DiStefano began by polling the group on vocabulary from a previous chapter.
“What is it when the numbers prove something?” DiStefano asked.
“Statistics,” one participant said, with DiStefano helping them to sound it out. “Good! Excellent,” she said, writing the word on the whiteboard.
DiStefano said in an interview she wants “everyone to have a fair shot at understanding the concept.” She often has a nonverbal student in her sessions, she said.
“She actually processes very quickly, and you always know exactly what she’s thinking based on her reaction,” DiStefano, a Port Washington resident, said. “Like ‘Ooo!’ or ‘Mmm.’ ”
Reading can help "open up a world" for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, said Craig Rustici, director of disability studies at Hofstra.
"The possibility of cultivating the imagination in the way that reading can, of seeing broader possibilities, of expanding horizons, I think those are all especially valuable," Rustici said in an interview.
Maureen Comerford, a librarian at Huntington Public Library’s Station Branch, runs the Next Chapter Book Club for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The group is currently reading “What Do You Want on Your Pancakes?: Short Stories for All.” Comerford said about eight adults typically attend in person every Monday, with another two joining via Zoom.
“We take turns reading through the book, basically everybody reads two pages. Some people need a little more help than others, and that’s fine,” Comerford said. “It’s important for everyone to know the library is for them, and they’re important, and they deserve a spot where they feel seen.”
DiStefano encouraged the group on the February morning to consider some of the weightier topics in the book, such as climate change and doping in sports.
Suzanne Liff, another leader and former special education teacher, from Port Washington, said she finds the club “inspiring.” She views herself as a "facilitator" who helps participants connect concepts they learn about in books to the real world.
“I love the idea of being able to bring something to make reading come alive and meaningful, to people who might not typically open a book and read it on their own,” Liff said in an interview. “It’s creating a meaningful, pleasurable, interpersonal experience for people who don’t have opportunities to interact with other people and share their life, and communicate.”
When Nancy Comer’s son, Jamie, who has Down syndrome, graduated from Paul D. Schreiber High School in 2000, Comer tried to find him a reading group for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Comer said she was concerned Jamie would forget all he had learned at the Port Washington school.
“There was nothing,” Comer said in an interview, adding she feared for his transition into adulthood. “It was like you fall off the end of the world.”
So she approached the Port Washington Public Library with an idea: a book club for people like Jamie.
A page-turner
- "Books for Dessert" celebrates 20 years since its founding.
- The Port Washington Public Library has run the club for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- Readers ranging in age from their early 20s to late 70s participate in the club.
More than two decades later, “Books for Dessert” — sessions start with cookies and coffee — has become a fixture for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The club is made up of readers ranging in age from early 20s to their late 70s. Three groups of about 10-16 meet 30 times each year at the library.
The club not only offers participants the space to continue reading into adulthood, Comer said, but also has become a community unto itself.
“We originally wanted this to be a literacy program and a social space,” Comer said. “In some cases, some of them have been coming for 20 years. You can really see the changes, both in their social abilities and their reading capabilities."
Comer said she observed something unexpected through the years: "Their kindness to one another, and their patience, and willingness to help people who are struggling a bit to read. And that’s amazing. They are much more patient than, I would think, a typical book club group.”
A 'chance to be comfortable'
Participants come from various local organizations that serve adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including The Nicholas Center, Community Mainstreaming Associates and AHRC Nassau. The club, which has an annual budget of about $28,000 for the three groups, Comer said, is free for participants.
Some members come to the group experienced readers. For others, Comer said, the club provides the structure to become more confident in their reading abilities.
“There are a number of people who we know we taught how to read,” Comer said. “There are others, that by providing them a comfortable space, who could read for many years but nobody knew. It gave them that chance to be comfortable enough that they could speak out and read aloud and discuss what they were reading.”
One morning in early February, five adults in the club sat around a table in a room at the library. The vibe was extra casual: One club member came in dressed like Jon Snow from "Game of Thrones," with a flowing cape and a faux sword.
The group leader, Linda DiStefano, a former special education teacher at MacArthur High School in Levittown, was leading a discussion of “Alaska’s Iditarod” by Emily Schlesinger. The book’s pages were full of images and the words were printed in large fonts.
DiStefano began by polling the group on vocabulary from a previous chapter.
“What is it when the numbers prove something?” DiStefano asked.
“Statistics,” one participant said, with DiStefano helping them to sound it out. “Good! Excellent,” she said, writing the word on the whiteboard.
DiStefano said in an interview she wants “everyone to have a fair shot at understanding the concept.” She often has a nonverbal student in her sessions, she said.
“She actually processes very quickly, and you always know exactly what she’s thinking based on her reaction,” DiStefano, a Port Washington resident, said. “Like ‘Ooo!’ or ‘Mmm.’ ”
'Open up a world'
Reading can help "open up a world" for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, said Craig Rustici, director of disability studies at Hofstra.
"The possibility of cultivating the imagination in the way that reading can, of seeing broader possibilities, of expanding horizons, I think those are all especially valuable," Rustici said in an interview.
Maureen Comerford, a librarian at Huntington Public Library’s Station Branch, runs the Next Chapter Book Club for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The group is currently reading “What Do You Want on Your Pancakes?: Short Stories for All.” Comerford said about eight adults typically attend in person every Monday, with another two joining via Zoom.
“We take turns reading through the book, basically everybody reads two pages. Some people need a little more help than others, and that’s fine,” Comerford said. “It’s important for everyone to know the library is for them, and they’re important, and they deserve a spot where they feel seen.”
DiStefano encouraged the group on the February morning to consider some of the weightier topics in the book, such as climate change and doping in sports.
Suzanne Liff, another leader and former special education teacher, from Port Washington, said she finds the club “inspiring.” She views herself as a "facilitator" who helps participants connect concepts they learn about in books to the real world.
“I love the idea of being able to bring something to make reading come alive and meaningful, to people who might not typically open a book and read it on their own,” Liff said in an interview. “It’s creating a meaningful, pleasurable, interpersonal experience for people who don’t have opportunities to interact with other people and share their life, and communicate.”
Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Funeral services for Pope Francis ... Highway worker safety ... Affordable housing lottery ... LI Works: LI Aquarium
Funeral services for Pope Francis ... Highway worker safety ... Affordable housing lottery ... LI Works: LI Aquarium
