CLAIRE AUSTIN

BIOGRAPHY

Claire Austin, an internationally recognized educational consultant, specializes in the creative use of literature for children.

In 1994 she founded Imaginative Resources for Children(SM), an innovative service that critically evaluates books to help children through challenging times. In addition to working as a bibliotherapist, she has developed therapeutic libraries for hospitals, schools and children's agencies; designed multicultural education; planned programs to promote emergent literacy in children at risk of reading failure; created exhibitions of literature to promote children's sensitivity to family variety; and, guided the introduction of new media for hospitalized children.

Educated at the London School of Economics and Cambridge University (in the United Kingdom) and at UCLA (in the United States) Claire now evaluates children's literature and resources to advise on materials with which to best support and educate children facing life challenges.

Her clients range from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Kaiser Permanente, The California Association of Private Schools Organization, St. Francis Medical Center, and The Jewish Bureau of Education in the United States and University College School and The New Learning Center in the United Kingdom to parents, educators, physicians and mental health professionals. Her commitment to children in the community includes being a Board Member of Imagination Station Children's Theater and Chair of the Pediatric Art Committee at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

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