Today is Autism Awareness Day. Many people of faith are wondering how they can welcome, engage, and serve with persons with autism. Here are 7 tips, from my faithful autistic family to yours. Keep the format and ESPECIALLY the social routine for entering the learning time/space consistent and predictable. For instance, my Sunday school class always includes the children leaving their parents at the door, walking all the way across the room to the prayer area, and having the option of placing flowers or a felt candle in the prayer area. That routine eases the anxiety of children on the spectrum, because they don’t have to wonder what to do when they get to class. They have a built-in routine to participate. Another example…
writing, autism, & theology as a mother of joy
Posts tagged “church”
When I first came across the term “sensory diet,” I was skeptical. How would touching my food make a difference in weight loss? I think I even rolled my eyes a little at my son’s first OT (occupational therapist), thinking she was one of those people who thought babies should diet. It’s okay to laugh. A sensory diet isn’t a weight loss program. It’s a way to describe the activities and stimuli you provide for yourself or your special needs child to help regulate and integrate your physical (and therefore emotional and cognitive) experience in the world. The professionals at THIS LINK describe it much more fully and clearly. (Bookmark that link! It’s awesome.) In your home, a sensory diet might include heavy work…
For the next 40 days, I’m posting on my Facebook page a brief word of encouragement for people living with autism (in themselves or their families). Because our God is with us, concrete thinking is not a barrier to faith. Because our God is with us, we can ask God for help. But how do we teach these truths? Like all lasting things, as simply and as concretely as possible. That’s why I’m offering these free printables for you to download and use this Advent (and hereafter) to encourage prayers. Using the simplified prayer board is easy. Print out the cards. Cut them out. Use them to pray. The raised hand is “help.” The ear is “listen” or “hear.” The two hands together are…
Categories: autism, christian, concrete thinking, encouragement, faith, free giveaway, holidays, special needs child, spiritual formation, Uncategorized
Tagged: adhd, Advent, apraxia, asd, autism, Catholic, cerebral palsy, Christian, church, Down Syndrome, free printable, how to pray, Orthodox, prayer, simple, special needs
I’ve had several people ask me about the supports we take to help our children through church. Watch my tour in the video above. Below, I link the sources for the main items in the bag. The Amazon links are affiliate links, so I will receive ad revenue if you shop through them (though the cost to you is the same). Etsy links are not affiliate, though I own the Awetism shop for the visual schedule and Bible study core vocabulary board. Remember that you can find all of my free printables linked on my {Special Needs Resources tab}! Silicone slap bracelets (aff) Snug earmuffs (aff) Prayer rope (aff) Therapy brushes (aff) What Do You See at Liturgy? board book What Can I Do…
Categories: autism, christian, faith, family, Orthodox Faith, overcoming blocks, special needs child, spiritual formation, Uncategorized
Tagged: adhd, autism, church, church bag, haul, links, quiet bag, resources, sensory processing disorder, special needs, video tour
If you have a concrete thinker or a child with complex communication needs, the thought of studying the Bible in a meaningful way might seem like out of reach. This board will help. You’ve seen the visual schedules for church services, which come from the world of occupational therapy. This Core Vocabulary board is one of the interventions from the world of speech therapy that is proven to work. It builds understanding and use of language when adults model language while pointing to the pictures on the page and in the add-on page sections. Over time, even kids who cannot talk will gain a better ability to understand language and even to communicate using this method. Here’s a tour of the board: Like any…
Categories: autism, christian, concrete thinking, curriculum, encouragement, faith, family, free giveaway, homeschool, Orthodox Faith, special needs child, spiritual formation, teacher and writer, Uncategorized, vintage faith
Tagged: AAC, asd, Asperger's, autism, Baptist, Bible, Bible church, Bible for autism, Bible study, ccn, church, complex communication needs, core vocabulary, curriculum, Down Syndrome, Episcopal, Gospels, I speak autism, Jesus, lesson, Lutheran, Methodist, Non-denominational, orthodox church, parables, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, sensory needs, sensory processing disorder, special needs, speech therapy, Sunday School, teen group, youth group
Not feeling like part of the church social scene is one of the worries people mention most frequently to my co-author* Charlotte Riggle and me. How can people who are nonverbal or have slower language processing participate in a coffee hour, a potluck, or lemonade on the porch? How can someone let you know their needs when the room is so loud? What does a person have to do to get a chair? What about special food needs, which often accompany special needs life? To help alleviate these woes, I have put together a Church Social Conversation Board. It’s suitable for use by one person (e.g., me pointing to the symbols to speak to you), in partnership (e.g., me modeling the board’s use and helping…
I know I’m not the only parent who gets asked a few dozen times, “When is Feast of Peace?” or “When’s Communion?” I made this visual schedule of the Liturgy for my child who has trouble with sensory processing and transitions. I hope this helps lots of other parents, too! This is all part of my effort to make the Orthodox Christian faith more accessible to children and families with special needs. My friend Charlotte Riggle (author of Catherine’s Pascha) and I are hard at work planning a book on the subject. Grab these schedule pages, share with friends, and if you will, comment to let me know which issues you’d like addressed in our book. What do you love about the faith that…
