Children with Special Needs at Church

Do you know children with special needs at church? Do you teach them, or wonder how you would if you were asked? I just read a beautiful article in the Ensign - a magazine produced by my Church - which gives tips on teaching children with cognitive disabilities. Written by a mother of a child with autism who teaches children with cognitive disabilities at church, this article is written for other teachers (or potential teachers) which I think applies to all of us! I'll share some of my favorite points, but I highly encourage you to read it yourself :).

• Meet with the child and his parents, preferably in their home where the child feels most comfortable, to get better acquainted with him. Ask what he likes, how he communicates and what motivates him.

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• Learn about the her disability. Use resources available on the church website and talk with her family
• In most cases, he should be in a class with his peers - this encourages friendships, an important part of feeling included and wanted. 
• Introduce her to her class. Share things that she likes to do as well as appropriately explain her disability so the other students can feel comfortable with her.
• Consider meeting with his school teacher for tips. The teacher may even want to come to Sunday school to give examples.
• Consider having a co-teacher, or an aid (preferably not her parent!) who will help her learn and stay on task.
• Teach with rich examples and learning experiences which interest several senses. ie: visual, auditory, and tactile.

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• Provide personalized support during irregular meetings or presentations. 
• Have him sit in the front pew where he can walk up to the stage and participate in the presentation yet also slip out of the room unobtrusively if necessary.
• In a talent show, consider going first so that her family can leave early if she gets agitated.
• Even if he doesn't have any speaking parts, simply being a part of the group is beneficial.

I hadn't even thought of several of these ideas! Evidently, each child is different and will require different adaptions, but this is a great start. 

Reading this article reminded me how much I love working with children who have cognitive disabilities!