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Here's something I found on the Autism Society of America on Religion in the Christian Perspective:
"The Christian Perspective"
By Terri Connolly
The church experience is often one of generational tradition for many families. Other families recognize their need for a place of spiritual refuge and nurturing for the first time in their lives when they have children or at other trying times.
Christ's example of "agape," or unconditional love, is paramount to our understanding of the role of acceptance in the church. Too many parents and siblings, as well as the individual with autism, are asked to leave or feel so uncomfortable that they lose this most precious part of their lives, and at a time when they are most in need.
The behaviors associated with autism often present challenges for the family church experience, yet I often find myself wondering: "If not church, then where can an individual be accepted exactly as they are with unlimited love and inclusion?" Families of faith need to find a church where all of its members can be nurtured. By integrating the individual with autism as a regular member of the church, with resource help and community-wide education, the church becomes accessible to the whole family, and the family, in turn, is strengthened through shared faith experiences.
Tips to Supporting Inclusion
Initiate contact. lnitially, parents may want to contact the pastor or Sunday School teacher to introduce themselves and prepare them to provide a successful experience for everyone. Include information about educational goals and discuss communication methods.
Discuss your expectations. When attending a worship service, it would be wise to discuss with the worship leader what he/she might expect. In return, the worship leader should offer supports to the family, such as someone to stay with siblings should the parents need to leave during the worship service or to accompany the individual with autism to another comfortable place should he or she become distressed.
Be prepared. Most experienced parents know that all children and many adults become fidgety during church. Being prepared with a quiet object of concentration, such as a rubber band, pictures, books, or an object of visual focus, can be very helpful, particularly if it has religious significance to enhance the worship experience in a different way. Items that provide comfort and security at home might be made available at church.
Get acclimated. Since it is thought that many individuals with autism experience things holistically, attention should be given to the sights, sounds, and even smells within the sanctuary or classroom. A visit to the sanctuary and classroom in a church when they are empty might give the individual an opportunity to explore in ways that might be inappropriate when crowded. With special permission, one might also explore the organ or piano to prepare the individual for the sudden and sometimes loud sounds during worship.
Teach by example. The worship leader may comfortably acknowledge any distracting behavior with a simple, sincere acknowledgment. "So glad you could join our worship today, Tom," after which the worship leader continues as if Tom's participation is perfectly natural. The worship leader's acceptance is very important. Sensitivity and joint strategy planning are critical.
Develop peer partners. In order to help relationships and friendships blossom, peer partners who rotate responsibility for assistance can help to create a wide base of support for the individual while fostering a truer atmosphere of inclusion.
Help the individual feel welcome. Several adults or children should assume quiet lay leadership roles by greeting the individual with eye contact, a "Hi, Bryan," a high-five, a popular stylized handshake, or a pat on the shoulder. It is often this simple, yet critical initiation that communicates the gospel message. A kind of "underground" effort of greeting creates a wonderful atmosphere of acceptance.
Stand firm. Finally, the family should stand firm in their belief that we all have a place in the worship experience. When one member is missing, the experience of all is diminished.
Younger Children and Sunday School
In being part of the community of faith, all individuals need the opportunity for active participation. Doing what others do promotes a feeling of inclusion. For children in Sunday School, the following ideas have been successful:
Use the Bible. Encourage the child to hold the Bible open to the appropriate page. Use a bookmark or guide the child's hand to follow as others read aloud.
Ensure participation. Pass a ball or talking stick while sharing or learning parts of a memory verse. The child with autism is the assured a chance to participate with the help of another to communicate the message. A notebook from home could tell about experiences and add prayer requests, if necessary.
Rotate buddies. Remember to encourage multiple friendships and acquaintances by rotating peer escorts and buddies.
Use visual cues. Use extra visual cues, such as pictures, during a story at any age level. Quietly reword a story as needed so that it is understandable to the individual.
Encourage imitation. Encourage, but do not force, imitation of body postures, such as bowing one's head and clasping hands for prayer, standing to sing, and looking toward the person who is speaking. This will certainly vary with the individual, but it helps to create an attitude of prayer and participation.
Older Youth and Participation
Older youth and adults with autism can participate partially or fully in different ways, just as most youth and adults without autism. Encouraging participation and service to others is important for the individual as well as the community.
The following suggestions are based on the approach that was used with a particular individual with autism:
Greet people with a smile, and hand out service bulletins.
Gather up the bulletins and papers left in the pews after the service, restoring order to the sanctuary.
Carry the offering plates to the safe following the service. Deliver crackers and juice to the little ones in the preschool classes.
Collect and deliver Sunday School attendance records to the attendance clerk.
Assist in the delivery of cards or food to homebound individuals.
Participate with deacons in the packaging and delivery of food and toys to the needy during the holidays.
Christmas
Christians celebrate the birth of Christ with much pageantry, tradition, and cultural ritual. Augmenting the typical worship service adds to the richness of meaning, while making the celebration more personal.
Talk about the spiritual aspects of the Christmas time in normal daily conversations. Describe the upcoming ritual and pageantry through simpler methods, such as through pictures, role-playing, and storytelling.
Bring a special item that might represent some element of the holiday celebration that can be held during worship. It may be a piece of textured "swaddling cloth," a shiny star, nativity figures, or cinnamon sticks. One symbolic item brought forth at the right moment may become part of the holistic experience of celebration.
During the service, follow along in the bulletin and prepare the individual for the moment any loud, dramatic music is to occur. Covering the individual's ears and gradually uncovering them may work. However, be prepared if does not; what is musical to one person may be cacophonous to another.
Giving Gifts - A Unique Approach
One church that I know has a wonderful celebration in early December where they gather to recognize the natural talents and spiritual gifts of its members -a bit of a twist on the gift-giving theme. From young to old, with talents that range from the artistic and musical to gifts of compassion and hospitality, many are recognized and encouraged. It would be a wonderful tradition for any church to duplicate.
As for the individual with autism, I know of one individual who has amazing attention to visual detail, which could be displayed with examples of his or her favorite pictures. I know of another person who has the warmest smile I have ever seen. This friend also demonstrates amazing altruism, and would make a wonderful greeter.
Community Responsibility
Introduce the concept that the responsibility for every member of the congregation is a corporate, shared responsibility. This is a true fellowship. The participation and inclusion of individuals with autism should not rest on the shoulders of one or even a few volunteers who are "trained" or ''assigned." Children and youth will need guidance to facilitate inclusion, as will many adults. Gradually, the focus of special assistance should fade as everyone accepts shared responsibility.
It takes effort and intention to help a person with autism discover his or her gifts. But in doing this exercise, we all would be challenged to focus on what the individual can do. By providing for inclusion of one individual, we meet the needs of each individual in the family by allowing their full participation in a faith community.
"The Christian Perspective"
By Terri Connolly
The church experience is often one of generational tradition for many families. Other families recognize their need for a place of spiritual refuge and nurturing for the first time in their lives when they have children or at other trying times.
Christ's example of "agape," or unconditional love, is paramount to our understanding of the role of acceptance in the church. Too many parents and siblings, as well as the individual with autism, are asked to leave or feel so uncomfortable that they lose this most precious part of their lives, and at a time when they are most in need.
The behaviors associated with autism often present challenges for the family church experience, yet I often find myself wondering: "If not church, then where can an individual be accepted exactly as they are with unlimited love and inclusion?" Families of faith need to find a church where all of its members can be nurtured. By integrating the individual with autism as a regular member of the church, with resource help and community-wide education, the church becomes accessible to the whole family, and the family, in turn, is strengthened through shared faith experiences.
Tips to Supporting Inclusion
Initiate contact. lnitially, parents may want to contact the pastor or Sunday School teacher to introduce themselves and prepare them to provide a successful experience for everyone. Include information about educational goals and discuss communication methods.
Discuss your expectations. When attending a worship service, it would be wise to discuss with the worship leader what he/she might expect. In return, the worship leader should offer supports to the family, such as someone to stay with siblings should the parents need to leave during the worship service or to accompany the individual with autism to another comfortable place should he or she become distressed.
Be prepared. Most experienced parents know that all children and many adults become fidgety during church. Being prepared with a quiet object of concentration, such as a rubber band, pictures, books, or an object of visual focus, can be very helpful, particularly if it has religious significance to enhance the worship experience in a different way. Items that provide comfort and security at home might be made available at church.
Get acclimated. Since it is thought that many individuals with autism experience things holistically, attention should be given to the sights, sounds, and even smells within the sanctuary or classroom. A visit to the sanctuary and classroom in a church when they are empty might give the individual an opportunity to explore in ways that might be inappropriate when crowded. With special permission, one might also explore the organ or piano to prepare the individual for the sudden and sometimes loud sounds during worship.
Teach by example. The worship leader may comfortably acknowledge any distracting behavior with a simple, sincere acknowledgment. "So glad you could join our worship today, Tom," after which the worship leader continues as if Tom's participation is perfectly natural. The worship leader's acceptance is very important. Sensitivity and joint strategy planning are critical.
Develop peer partners. In order to help relationships and friendships blossom, peer partners who rotate responsibility for assistance can help to create a wide base of support for the individual while fostering a truer atmosphere of inclusion.
Help the individual feel welcome. Several adults or children should assume quiet lay leadership roles by greeting the individual with eye contact, a "Hi, Bryan," a high-five, a popular stylized handshake, or a pat on the shoulder. It is often this simple, yet critical initiation that communicates the gospel message. A kind of "underground" effort of greeting creates a wonderful atmosphere of acceptance.
Stand firm. Finally, the family should stand firm in their belief that we all have a place in the worship experience. When one member is missing, the experience of all is diminished.
Younger Children and Sunday School
In being part of the community of faith, all individuals need the opportunity for active participation. Doing what others do promotes a feeling of inclusion. For children in Sunday School, the following ideas have been successful:
Use the Bible. Encourage the child to hold the Bible open to the appropriate page. Use a bookmark or guide the child's hand to follow as others read aloud.
Ensure participation. Pass a ball or talking stick while sharing or learning parts of a memory verse. The child with autism is the assured a chance to participate with the help of another to communicate the message. A notebook from home could tell about experiences and add prayer requests, if necessary.
Rotate buddies. Remember to encourage multiple friendships and acquaintances by rotating peer escorts and buddies.
Use visual cues. Use extra visual cues, such as pictures, during a story at any age level. Quietly reword a story as needed so that it is understandable to the individual.
Encourage imitation. Encourage, but do not force, imitation of body postures, such as bowing one's head and clasping hands for prayer, standing to sing, and looking toward the person who is speaking. This will certainly vary with the individual, but it helps to create an attitude of prayer and participation.
Older Youth and Participation
Older youth and adults with autism can participate partially or fully in different ways, just as most youth and adults without autism. Encouraging participation and service to others is important for the individual as well as the community.
The following suggestions are based on the approach that was used with a particular individual with autism:
Greet people with a smile, and hand out service bulletins.
Gather up the bulletins and papers left in the pews after the service, restoring order to the sanctuary.
Carry the offering plates to the safe following the service. Deliver crackers and juice to the little ones in the preschool classes.
Collect and deliver Sunday School attendance records to the attendance clerk.
Assist in the delivery of cards or food to homebound individuals.
Participate with deacons in the packaging and delivery of food and toys to the needy during the holidays.
Christmas
Christians celebrate the birth of Christ with much pageantry, tradition, and cultural ritual. Augmenting the typical worship service adds to the richness of meaning, while making the celebration more personal.
Talk about the spiritual aspects of the Christmas time in normal daily conversations. Describe the upcoming ritual and pageantry through simpler methods, such as through pictures, role-playing, and storytelling.
Bring a special item that might represent some element of the holiday celebration that can be held during worship. It may be a piece of textured "swaddling cloth," a shiny star, nativity figures, or cinnamon sticks. One symbolic item brought forth at the right moment may become part of the holistic experience of celebration.
During the service, follow along in the bulletin and prepare the individual for the moment any loud, dramatic music is to occur. Covering the individual's ears and gradually uncovering them may work. However, be prepared if does not; what is musical to one person may be cacophonous to another.
Giving Gifts - A Unique Approach
One church that I know has a wonderful celebration in early December where they gather to recognize the natural talents and spiritual gifts of its members -a bit of a twist on the gift-giving theme. From young to old, with talents that range from the artistic and musical to gifts of compassion and hospitality, many are recognized and encouraged. It would be a wonderful tradition for any church to duplicate.
As for the individual with autism, I know of one individual who has amazing attention to visual detail, which could be displayed with examples of his or her favorite pictures. I know of another person who has the warmest smile I have ever seen. This friend also demonstrates amazing altruism, and would make a wonderful greeter.
Community Responsibility
Introduce the concept that the responsibility for every member of the congregation is a corporate, shared responsibility. This is a true fellowship. The participation and inclusion of individuals with autism should not rest on the shoulders of one or even a few volunteers who are "trained" or ''assigned." Children and youth will need guidance to facilitate inclusion, as will many adults. Gradually, the focus of special assistance should fade as everyone accepts shared responsibility.
It takes effort and intention to help a person with autism discover his or her gifts. But in doing this exercise, we all would be challenged to focus on what the individual can do. By providing for inclusion of one individual, we meet the needs of each individual in the family by allowing their full participation in a faith community.
