Reproduced with permission from Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service

Integrating children with special needs into the church

by Simon Bass

Apart from schools, the Church is probably the largest provider of children's and youth work in the country. Activities range from groups for parents and tots, children's clubs, Sunday schools, after school clubs, youth meetings (including uniformed organisations) and a host of other activities.Simon challenges us to consider our attitudes and provision for children with special needs.As you read what follows you will find that lots of things don't need money or special equipment (though all these things help) but come down to attitude and practical things that we can do if we start to approach things differently.What can you do now and what can you work towards for the future?

What can we learn from Christs ministry?

Christ's ministry was to all, including those with disabilities and special needs - the person with leprosy (Matt 8:1-4) and 'the paralytic' (Matt 9:1-2, Luke 5:17-26), the cripple (Luke 13:10-13) and the 'mute', the blind (Matt 9:27-33, John 9:1-16).Jesus provided comfort and showed compassion, performing many healings.Those with illness and disability were drawn to Jesus and sought him out.It is also clear in Scripture that Jesus was drawn to those with disabilities. In John 5:1-17 Jesus went to where he knew 'a great number of disabled people used to lie' (v3 NIV).


Christ's ministry was also to children "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these."(Matt19:13 -15, Luke 18:15-17)

Christ's ministry and ours, as His ambassadors, is to children and therefore children with special needs.

As one of the largest providers of child care are our clubs, groups, activities and services open and available to children with disabilities and special needs?

Can we answer 'yes' to the following:

• Does your church / group have:

• a loop system?

• large print material?

• reserved parking spaces?

• handrails?

• ramps?

• is the church accessible?

Even if we can't answer 'yes' to these questions it doesn't mean that we can't minister to children (and adults) with special needs, but having these facilities will make it easier for children with special needs to attend our church / group.

Definitions

I have chosen to use the expression 'children with special needs' which includes children with disabilities and those with other conditions (such as A.D.H.D.). The term has different meanings to education, social services, the health service and the Church but I have chosen to use this term as it's vague, non-labelling and broad.

Watch your Language!

The biblical references given above include 'cripple' and 'mute'; many people are concerned about what is appropriate language to use when describing children with special needs. I like the expression 'labels are for jam jars'. We need to remember that language is evolving, we need to avoid labels; this has nothing to do with 'political correctness' but politeness. Our language often reflects our attitudes.

Psalm 139:13-14 describes us as being 'fearfully and wonderfully made'. Contrast this with the expression 'challenging children'. This suggests a confrontational attitude in the child when really it describes the difficulties experienced by others.

Our language needs to be sensitive so that we don't reinforce negative images. In doing so we can help children with special needs build up esteem, and help them protect themselves. (Children with a disability are more at risk of abuse).

Whilst some terms aren't helpful such as 'intellectually challenged', we should use terms in common use which are positive. Many people don't know what language to use; what we need to avoid is negative images.For example: 'suffering from', 'crippled by', 'afflicted', 'victim' -instead use 'child who has’ or ‘ child with….’.

The term 'invalid' literally means 'not valid' and the term 'handicapped' comes from 'cap in hand' and suggests charity and begging. A better description would be 'a child with a disability' or 'disabled child' (don't use the term 'the disabled'). Rather than describing a child as 'deaf and dumb' use 'child who is deaf with/without speech'. Similarly it is more appropriate to say a 'child with a learning disability' rather than 'mentally handicapped child'.

Our words can either be liberating or lethal.In Proverbs 12:18 it states: ‘Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.’ In Matthew 12:33-37 we are advised that 'For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks' - it is often not just the words that we use but the attitude behind the words.

Meet two Sunday School teachers talking about John Smith: 

Mrs. Do-Gooder:
Ah, look at the sweet, poor thing" (Pity)

"It's such a shame, he's such a beautiful little child" (pity)

"It can't be easy for his mother caring for little Johnny, he's been a cripple all his life. How she copes with his handicap I don't know.”

"His mum's always smiling, bless her, I don't know how she copes. Johnny's likely to be confined to a wheelchair. They do so much now for spastics but I think his handicap’s too severe".

"I've been affected by seeing Johnny. When you see children afflicted and suffering from their handicap it makes you want to do something. I tell you, I can't go by someone rattling a tin without giving something. We need to do more to help the handicapped"

"Bless him, and you know he's not retarded at all! He uses a deaf aid, and is quite crippled but he actually wants to be part of the youth group. I know he's 12, but I shouted to him, ‘Johnny I'm going to have words with your mummy to see if you can stay in the Sunday School for a few more years’. We need to protect him, the poor mite”. 

The other Sunday School teacher is Mrs. Sensitive

"Oh yes that's John he's quite a healthy young man, he'll soon be leaving Sunday School to move into the Youth Group".

"John's disability? Oh he has cerebral palsy. When his mother first told us about his disability, as Sunday School teachers we contacted Scope to get information about the condition".

"John has some difficulty with walking great distances and on occasions he uses a wheelchair. He has a hearing impairment and he uses a hearing aid and is a proficient lip reader".

"John can't wait to be part of the youth group and we are adding a ramp as there are steps up to the room used by the youth group, though if the ramp isn't in place in time, all the youth group have agreed to meet elsewhere until the ramp is fitted."

"I have a lot of admiration for John’s mum".

"No, not because of the way she copes with John's disability. No, my admiration for John's mum is in the way she copes with some people’s assumptions about John". 

(In helping John we should follow the example of Mrs. Sensitive and not that of Mrs. Do-Gooder.)

Practical Issues

To help integrate children with special needs into the various ministries in the church, as well as ensuring our language and attitude are welcoming, we also need to look at practical issues. Our buildings need to be accessible (see information on the Disability Discrimination Act 1995), and we need to consider the following:

• Talk with the parents, who will know what the child's needs are;
  Integrate children in age-appropriate groups;

• Look at the ratios of your groups; for some children you may need to use a volunteer as a personal helper;

• Have alternative materials such as drawings rather than text.

• Check out with the child what they want to do, and what they don't.

• Help others in the group feel comfortable (use Biblical teaching on everyone being special to God).

• Use visual and audio stimuli in activities and teaching materials.

• Learn a language - British Sign Language/ Makaton.

• Treat a child with special needs as you would any other child, speak directly to the child, don't use other people as conversational go-betweens.

• Seek help and materials from specialist groups and organisations.

• It is important that with all our activities we ask advice from children with special needs and their parents/carers and that we advertise accessibility.

• Many children with special needs respond to regularity and repetition.

• Be aware that for some children they may have hidden disabilities and conditions such as epilepsy, head injuries, attention deficits, mental health issues (check your First Aid Kit, have you got a qualified First Aider, have parents completed a General Consent form giving details of child's health, condition, medication etc)?

Remember that for some children this may be the first time they have integrated with other children who do not have special needs, and similarly it may be the first time those children who regularly come to your activity may have met with a child with a disability or particular condition. It is therefore vital that we make the occasion enjoyable for every child.

Unless we make people aware that our services and activities can cater for all children we will not see children with special needs in the church. Nobody is going to make a journey to a church if they believe they won't be able to gain entry because of steps etc. We need to let people know what our facilities offer.

Once one or two families with children with special needs start attending your church it is likely that other families will join. Having this ministry will not only produce rewards in seeing children with disabilities and other conditions being integrated within the church community but may also being an opportunity of presenting the gospel to their family and friends as well as to the children themselves.

We have a tremendous opportunity to reach out to all children. Our church should be a reflection of society. Jesus went to where he knew those with disabilities would be. We should do the same.

Simon Bass has written a book called 'Special Children, Special Needs', in which Simon examines practical ways in which the church can serve the needs of children with disabilities and their families.