Weekly round-up! {8/8/11}

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I'm off to jury duty now. I've never done this before, and I'm not quite sure what to expect! I'm planning to bring a notebook to sketch out some more Access Ministry plans, policies, and dreams, so hopefully the waiting time - which I've been warned will be plentiful! - will be productive. I'll share more on that later, but for now ... enjoy this round-up of links from last week!

Did you love Amelia Bedelia as a child like I did? If so, you'll love this post comparing her literal interpretation of idioms with the challenges some people with special needs, such as Asperger's, have understanding figurative language.

This post set off a bit of a firestorm online. The original one was an opinion piece for the Associated Baptist Press about the church's (negative) response to families with autism. I saw a couple of follow-up, first a Christian perspective Get Up and Get that Kid Out of Here! and then a secular one Autism and the Community: Looking at Church. While I was discouraged by the opinion piece because I hate hearing stories about people with disabilities being excluded from church, I was encouraged that others were unsettled by it too.

I found this article in the NY Times interesting: kids with dyslexia may also have problems processing auditory information. The takeaway for the church? If you ask a question, understand that someone with dyslexia might have difficulty processing it. As you teach a lesson, check periodically to check for understanding, especially if you're relying primarily on auditory instruction (or, better yet, involve other senses in your instruction, such as visuals, movement, touch, or smell).

My friend Barb, who is also foundress of Snappin' Ministry (Special Needs Parent Network), discusses in this post her tough summer and ponders how people who don't know Christ can handle life as a caretaker to children with special needs and an elderly parent with health needs.

This post from The Gospel Coalition was a great reminder for me right now as I'm recruiting volunteers for Access Ministry at our church: The Sin of Insecurity

A pastor at a Christian church who considers himself an atheist, preaches about enjoying this life because it's all you have, and describing the story of Jesus as a nice myth? Yep, that describes the pastor and movement being seen in Denmark and other parts of Europe right now. What we do at church is pointless without a clear understanding of why - rather, for Whom - we do it.

And, finally, churches who are engaging in special needs ministry who showed up in my news feed this week:
I mentioned church names in the list above so that you might notice a trend: in denominations ... or, rather, the lack of one. Disability ministry isn't denomination-specific. I began life at a Moravian church, spent most of my childhood in a Lutheran church, had short stints in a Roman Catholic and then a Methodist church, and have served and been served in Southern Baptist churches for the past eight years. This isn't a denominational endeavor. This is, as my friend Katie would say, "a capital C Church" thing. It's about Jesus.  

I hope y'all enjoy this round-up of links each week as much as I enjoy compiling them. Have a great Monday!

(And please come back tomorrow as I begin answering the questions from Tammy that I posted last week. Feel free to add any other questions in the comments section of that post!)

Fridays from the Families: Reflections on VBS planning with special needs in mind

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I am so happy to welcome Becky back to the blog! She was my very first "Fridays from the Families" guest blogger - writing then about helping kids with special needs adjust to church renovations - and it's a blessing to have her join us once again. She blogs about life with Mozart, Picasso, and Princess at paintingwithpicasso.blogspot.com.

We’re a family with 3 children, one of whom has special needs. Our children attended 2 different VBS’s (Vacation Bible Schools) this summer and I wanted to try to gather a few thoughts that might help you as parents or as VBS leaders prepare for a child’s successful attendance at VBS.
  1. Nighttime VBS’s are tough – it’s been a long day for the leaders, and it’s been a long day for the kids. It’s been a longer day for kids struggling with special needs, and it’s likely that they’ll be getting to bed a little later than usual each night. I’m not suggesting you change to daytime VBS’s (although, have you considered that option? My kids attended a daytime one & it was great  – for them and me!), but rather bear in mind that kids with special needs are often are heavily reliant upon a schedule, and VBS is new to their schedule. Often the evenings are “down time” for kids with special needs, after long days of therapies and regularly-planned activities. It will probably take a couple nights for them to really understand this change to their routine – and by that time, the week is nearly done. 

  2. If there’s a way to offer an “open house” for families of kids with special needs, prior to your VBS, it would be helpful. This would give the kids and their parents a chance to walk through all the areas that will be used, see the props, know what will happen at each station, meet the staff, take pictures to assist in picture schedules, and experience the environment in a small group rather than in a large group where they’re more likely to feel a little bit more out of control. This will also give an opportunity for families not associated with your church, to walk through and see how their child will best be able to participate in your VBS. For example, do you have a way for their wheelchair-bound child to get from one floor to another? Will they slip on slick floors with their crutches/braces? Are there water fountains that their children can easily access? These are all questions that you, as the church worker, know the answer to. However, these are things that we, as parents, would rather see for ourselves, than trust someone to answer for us.

  3. Children with special needs often do not like walking into/arriving to large crowds of people. Consider having the option of children with special needs arriving at your VBS before everyone else. For example, if you plan to have kids arrive at 6:15pm, be strict with this time – don’t open the doors before then. Allow children with special needs to enter the building a few minutes earlier (10-15 minutes earlier), possibly through a separate entrance so they can avoid the crowd and already be seated when you open the door for the other children.

  4. Ask questions.
    • Parents – ask ALL the questions you need to ask in order to feel comfortable with sending your child to a particular church’s VBS. Feel free to call the church sometime prior to VBS and setting up a meeting with the VBS leader to discuss your child’s particular needs.
    • For VBS leaders/workers – ask all the questions you need to in order to feel comfortable caring for a child. Also, be willing to field questions from parents of children with special needs. We, as parents of special needs kids, are definitely NOT looking for free babysitting. We have a tough time trusting our kids to school staff, therapists, and all the other regular people in our lives – we’re sure not out to dump our kids on some local church people to enjoy some quiet time. What we want is some normalcy for our children – an attempt to let them participate in those things that the neighborhood kids enjoy.
  5. Parents – if your child seems insecure consider staying in the building. So pack a book for the first night, or something else that will occupy your time. Many children are nervous being left alone and it may help you, the child, and the staff, just to know you’re in the building.

  6. Parents – if you know of another local family with special needs, whose children are participating in the VBS you’re attending, consider volunteering and then swapping kids for VBS – your kids could be in your friend’s group, their kids could be in your group. Often our kids will do better with another adult who understands the needs and knows how to help. Unfortunately, this would mean less free time for you, but it may be just the thing that’s needed to allow both families to come away from VBS having a successful week.

  7. Leaders – as mentioned above, the children with special needs are likely to be tired by the time the VBS program comes around. Many children have multiple therapies and have already worked hard physically, mentally and emotionally. Please keep that in mind. The summer schedule is usually different than the school-year schedule and that takes some getting used to. Additionally, all of their “normally-scheduled things” (therapy, appointments, etc.) may be at different times over the summer adding additional confusion to an already mixed-up schedule.

  8. Leaders - If you’re working to integrate the kids with special needs in with the other kids, you may want to consider adding one or two people to any group that has a child with special needs. This will allow for someone to walk a little more slowly with a tired child, or to sit down and take a break with a child during active times, yet still engage that child and make sure that they don’t feel left out. The saddest thing is to see a child who cannot participate in an activity sitting alone on the sidelines. It may not seem like a big deal at the time, but what you’re ultimately telling that child is, “You’re not as important as these others.” Try to make sure that all of what you do focuses on the preciousness of each child.

  9. Leaders - If you have a class comprised of only children with special needs, make sure you’re adequately staffed. This goes without saying. Remind your crew of confidentiality issues, safety concerns, and be vigilant.

  10. Leaders - Have fun! If you’re having fun (while watching the kids and doing all you need to as a leader), the kids will have a great time as well!

  11. Leaders - Pray. Plan. Prepare. Plan a little more. Prepare even more. And don’t stop praying! You have a unique opportunity to reach some wonderful children with the good news of Jesus! 

A final note from Shannon: because many churches have already completed their VBS programs for the summer, I will re-post this next spring as a reminder. It also might not hurt to bookmark it for yourself if you know you'll need it!

Special needs ministry policies: Questions worth answering

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This post is part of a series I'm writing about special needs ministry policies. I'll be sharing ours in full once they're finalized, and I'll also provide links to those of a few other special needs ministries as well. Here's a list of the other topics I've already addressed in the series:

I asked at the end of my first post in this series if anyone had any policy-related questions. Tammy responded with a great list, which I'll begin answering on Monday. I know, though, that answers to some of these question vary among churches, so my responses will only provide insights from me; while I know about the practices at several other churches, I've only served in special needs ministry at Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC, so my suggestions may be influenced by my own setting. Because of that, I would love to give you the opportunity to consider some of her questions, respond to them, and/or add some of your own questions in the comments.

Here's the list, taken from the comments section of this post:
how are age groups decided for classes of people w/intellectual disabilities?

what if a teen w/a preschool level of functioning & sensory processing difficulty cannot handle the loud music of the youth program? Should the other youth have to have thier music volume lowered? should the teen attend a younger aged class? should the teen be moved outside the classroom where it is quieter?wants to attend a grade school, or pre-school class?

what if an adult w/low level physical & intellectual abilities wants to come and we don't have an adult spec. needs class? (they don't fit in with children or youth or adults).

Should a child or youth be allowed to push someone in a wheelchair? aren't there liability issues?

Should a non-verbal child be included in AWANAs where the main goal to reciting memorized Bible verses?

How many people w/disabilities are needed before a class should be set up for them? is it ok to have 1 class for all ages?

AT what age is a person too old to attend a younger class of typical kids?

how do we determine if the person should be included in a regular class or needs a special class & what if there isn't a special class for an individual's age group?
Is it unfair to expect accommodation for an adult when there are no other adults requesting it?

what if the person vocalizes loudly during a church service or is distracting by their movements or other appearances? should they be required to go to the 'baby room', 'tv room'?

should people who have difficulty articulating, carry a tune, and/or are non-verbal be allowed to join the choir?

should youth w/special needs be allowed to participate in youth trips? what about liability & extra assistance/supervision?
 Choose a question, and leave a comment with an answer! Or leave a comment with one or more questions you'd like to add to the list. On Monday, I'll begin posting my answers.

Special needs ministry policies: HOW do you define roles? (specifically one-on-one support volunteers)

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This post is part of a series I'm writing about special needs ministry policies. I'll be sharing ours in full once they're finalized, and I'll also provide links to those of a few other special needs ministries as well. Here's a list of the other topics I've already addressed in the series:

As you consider special needs ministry, you need to define roles. I feel a little unqualified to raise this point because I haven't even written the description for my own role. Because our policies are incomplete right now, I've been prioritizing some sections and de-prioritizing others, and writing the job description for Access Ministry coordinator hasn't been near the top of the list. I will write it before I finalize the other policies, and I'll share it once it's ready!

This post, though, is about how we define one-on-one support volunteers in Access Ministry. We call those volunteers "buddies" in our ministry, so that's the term I'll use here. I know other churches that use "shadow" or "friend" or other names instead, so go with whatever works at your church!

Especially in a young or small inclusion ministry, it's hard for other volunteers to know what to expect from a buddy. Are they the teacher for that child? Are they just another helper for the class? Is it okay to ask them to go make copies or pick up the snack? If the child they're paired with is out of town, should they still come to the class?

Some of those questions can be answered with a policy, but some depend on the child and situation. Here's the draft of our written policy on the subject:
When a one-on-one buddy is provided for an individual with special needs in a class, it is important for that buddy and for the teachers to understand what a buddy is and what a buddy isn’t. The table below should help.
What a buddy is
What a buddy isn’t
IS a friend and support  for that one individual
IS NOT the teacher for that individual. The teacher for the rest of the class is the teacher for this individual as well
IS a helper so that the child can be included in the class
IS NOT solely responsible for the child’s inclusion
IS assigned to one individual, but able to help with other things if it does not prevent her from fulfilling her role as a buddy
IS NOT an extra person to get snack or set up craft time or make copies or do any of the other things you could use help with
IS trained with the curriculum to consider the needs of the child and possible modifications
IS NOT in charge of making all of those modifications
May need to assist the individual in the restroom with another adult
May not take the individual to the restroom alone; it is never appropriate for a volunteer to be alone with an individual with special needs
If you have any questions about the role of a buddy, please contact the Access Ministry coordinators.
 If you church has buddies in your ministry, I'd love to know how your role definition compares to this one. And, please, feel free to offer any suggestions - this is the draft, not a final version, so now is the best time for me to polish it!