Last year, I blogged about special needs ministry for children with autism. It has become a forum of discussion for parents and children’s ministers to discuss the challenges of church for children with autism.
I stressed the importance of developing a unique approach and relationship with each child. I highlighted research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison that discovered, “autistic children shy from eye contact because they perceive even the most familiar face as an uncomfortable threat.” But the greatest insight comes from the answers to my question:
What advice do you have for ministering to special needs children?
Here is a summary of the insights.
WHAT WORKS
- Buddy System - children with special needs are paired with trained adults to assist them at whatever level is needed. Experienced volunteers trained by child psychologists and educators are a plus. (Example: Joy Zone)
- Childcare Nights (respite care) - childcare for children with special needs and their siblings so the parent(s) can relax. On-site doctors, nurses, and OT/PT’s is a plus. (Example: Revive)
- Community Outreach - go beyond the church walls and minister in the community because some parents will not attend church because they believe their child with special needs will disturb others or cannot be entrusted to others.
- Dual Classrooms - sometimes children with special needs participate in the same class as their age group, and other times the children with special needs are in a quiet room especially designed for them as not to be overwhelming or too stimulating.
- Separate Classroom - children with special needs are separated from the standard children’s classrooms but their parents and siblings are welcomed.
- Zachariah’s Way - trains churches how to better minister to people with special needs and their families.
- Prayer
TIPS
- Labeling their Identity - Do not refer to people by their disability. Say “children with autism” rather than “autistic children” because it can subtly change one’s perception of a child with autism.
- Every Child is Different - Determine how to reach each child. Children with autism don’t like too much stimulation. But children with other disabilities may thrive on it.
- Give Expectations - many children with special needs behave better when they know what is expected of them.
- Be Visual - Include inanimate objects need to be included in lessons. Things like puppets, pictures, and videos take the focus off the teacher and engages the child without intimidating him.
- Use Music - children with autism love music.
- More than Chairs - children with autism do not like to sit for long periods of time.
- Keep It Small - children with autism like small environments
- Ask & Research - do not tell the parent what you think. Ask the parents about the child then do some research.
- Don’t gossip.
- Love the child.
WHY IT MATTERS (stories from parents)
- I have a stepson who is autistic, and I tried to take him to church, I really miss going to church. My problem is I spent more time in the child’s room than I spent at church because the people who teach there are simply not educated in the needs of an autistic student. I have been looking into getting a tss or a pca to come and help during church but to no avail. It would be wonderful if more people truly understood instead of staring and whispering. (Stacy)
- I have a 20 year old son with Asperger Syndrome who loves the Lord deeply. Sadly the church environment has been the one place he has never been welcomed or encouraged to return. The secular world has been far kinder to him. Though he desperately wants friends and fellowship, the lack of encouragement within the church body has caused him to retreat further into his own world. He now refuses to try again. (Rhiannon)
- I have been very grateful for a Special Needs Sunday School class that was started. I feel comfortable with leaving him there and I am at least getting to hear a sermon once a week! (Sheryl)
For Discussion:
- What advice do you have for ministering to children with special needs?
Keep the insights coming!
[...] [UPDATE: A summary of insights from the comments may be found in the post "Autism Children's Ministr... [...]
[...] Autism Children’s Ministry Revisted June 3, 2009 Church Relevance [...]
Good post, but I’m afraid you took that divorce statistic out of context when quoting our Easter Seals and Autism blog. I am the moderator of the Easter Seals and Autism blog, and in the post you quoted
http://autismblog.easterseals.com/data-on-autism-and-divorce/
I expressed surprise that an expert claimed the divorce rate was that high. Data from our Easter Seals Living with Autism Study provided us with quantifiable information that families living with autism are significantly *less* likely to be divorced than families with children without special needs. Among those parents with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder and who have been divorced, only one third said their divorce had anything to do with managing the special needs of their children.
You can download the study here:
http://www.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ntlc8_living_with_autism_study_home&s_src=autism_study&s_subsrc=blog
@Beth
Thanks for the correction. I removed the statistic from the post, as to not confuse any future readers.
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Hi Kent,
Your question: “What advice do you have for ministering to special needs children?” conflicts with the advice you offer in your tips section: “Labeling their Identity - Do not refer to people by their disability. Say “children with autism” rather than “autistic children” because it can subtly change one’s perception of a child with autism.”
Let’s remember that they’re created as children first, then children who happen to have special needs. Just a check point to consider in wording your questions.
Your tips are excellent. Some children should be fully included with typical peers, some are more comfortable in a more structured, smaller setting. Read the family, read the child… they’ll let you know what’s best for that individual.
I have a 17 year old son with Down syndrome who grew up in the church. We encountered safety issues in Sunday school when fully included without the proper supports in place (such as the class going outside for a walk and leaving the “slower” one in the parking lot and an elder in the church found our 5-year-old sitting on the sidewalk by himself after the class had returned indoors.) I should have prefaced, our son was fully included in a typical school/typical classroom from K-grade 5 until we decided as a family to seek out a more specialized setting. Inclusion worked for us in the outside world through about grade 3, and we muddled through it through grade 5. Inclusion did not work for us in the church because trained “buddies” were not in place.
We especially saw a real need for a more structured setting for kids with special needs within the church around junior high. Of course, that need would arise per individual child, but that’s where it hit its pinnacle for us. We did notice that once there was a space/program available for children with special needs, a lot more families were ministered to through the the church and more families felt more comfortable bringing the entire family to church.
I’d highly recommend respite care/parents night out events… a much-appreciated way to minister to the community! Even for parents of 17 year olds! Can’t tell you how difficult it is to find a babysitter for a 17 year old!
@Kat
Thanks for your thoughts!
I realize that the wording of my question that I quote from my first post goes against my advice from this post, but I wrote it before I knew. And for journalistic integrity’s sake, I thought I should quote it as it is.
I’m late arriving here, but will add this anyway.
Actually what caught my eye was the spelling error “Duel Classrooms” instead of “Dual Classrooms,” but I can tell you, when our oldest was much younger, there was a lot of dueling going on!
While we couldn’t prove it, we felt that a big factor in his over-stimulation was fluorescent lighting. It was more noticeable at certain restaurants than at church.
What makes this more annoying is that over the next two years, our province is going to ban the sale of incandescent bulbs, even though the compact fluorescent ones aren’t lasting as long as the manufacturers claim, may emit some radiation, and cannot be disposed of safely. Oh… and drive some kids a little over the edge.
@Paul
Thanks for catching the typo! I will correct it to avoid any “misperceptions.”
Kent,
I want to say thank you for this post. I am burdened to begin a ministry reaching out to families with special needs children. We have a couple children with autism in our church, and I would like to provide encouragement to them through this process.
I just read “Autism’s Hidden Blessings” by Kelly Langston to get this ball rolling. I think it is a good book which opened my eyes to this need.
God bless,
mark
I am a campus minister (26 years) with two autistic children, one 13 and one 8. I am interested in exploring either beginning or joining an International Mission organization focusing on autism. Does anyone know anyone doing anything like that or a suggestion on resources to explore this possibility?