Special needs ministry Q&A: Liability, AWANA, number needed for a class, age groupings

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This week I'm taking a break from policy - which I'll come back to for at least a post a week in the next month or two - to answer some questions posed in a comment by Tammy a couple weeks ago. Yesterday I kicked off these answers with a reminder that every church and every person is different (and not by accident, but rather by God's good design!) and no single answer will work for every situation. And then I took a stab at questions related to age-appropriate classes, high-sensory youth programs, and the inclusion of adults with special needs.

As I tackle this set of questions, I once again invite YOU to chime in with more questions or different answers. We all have something to contribute to this discussion!

Should a child or youth be allowed to push someone in a wheelchair? aren't there liability issues?
First, let's clarify one thing: if you work with people, there are liability issues. We can't avoid liability unless we sit in a room by ourselves and never communicate with anyone. Are there liability issues with allowing a child or youth to push someone in a wheelchair? Yes. Are there liability issues with allowing a child or youth to set foot on your church property? Yes.

As I'll discuss more tomorrow in one of my responses, the question is how much liability your church is comfortable with. Some churches don't ever administer medication; some do so on Sunday mornings; and still others only do so on out-of-town trips. Each church made a decision about the level of medical liability they were comfortable with, and each set policies accordingly. Those policies range from "we don't administer medication, but parents/caregivers are welcome to return to do so" to "we do in the following circumstances, given by the following people, with the following procedures..." Note that each "yes" usually requires more policy-writing than a "no" does - I don't say that to encourage you to say no, but to advise you to say yes wisely.

Most churches - even the previous church I served with in a rural area with fewer average attendees than my Sunday school class at my current large church - have a lawyer. If you are concerned about issues of liability with regard to any aspect of your ministry, you may want to involve that person in the conversation, at minimum to review your written policies.

Now back to the question at hand... Do I think it's unwise for a child or teen to push a wheelchair? If they are physically able to do so safely (i.e. not a small child) and mature enough not to treat it like a game, then I don't see a problem with that.
 
Should a non-verbal child be included in AWANAs where the main goal to reciting memorized Bible verses?
First, remember that goals don't have to be the same for all kids. We have had kids with special needs participate in AWANA and only learn one verse in the entire year.

As I did with one of the questions yesterday, I'm going to answer this with more questions: Can the child memorize and communicate verses in a non-traditional way (with a picture system like PECS, with a computerized device, with sign language or other physical communication)? Reciting a verse doesn't just mean you speak it. Are you willing to adapt expectations so that, like the situation I mentioned above, you can celebrate a child with special needs learning one verse in a year while his classmates learn ~30? (Please say yes! We did. It was precious.) If memorization isn't happening, how can you include the child in other ways? While one of the primary goals of AWANA is memorization, I know it involves other components too. My husband is a celebrity at church among three- to five-year-old kiddos because he tells the story and leads the puppet show for that group at AWANA, and a child who doesn't memorize verses can still be included in story time. My daughter brings home crafts and coloring pages, and a child who can't memorize verses could be include with those. While kids are reciting their verses at the end of class, only a few kids are reciting at a time while the rest are doing something else; even if he isn't involved in the memory time, he can participate in the "something else" if it's planned to include him too.

Another option might be a separate activity for kids with special needs during AWANA. I'll be observing this fall at a local church who has a class at AWANA specifically for kids with special needs. One of our families participates in that ministry, and they love it.

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?
We just had a family leave our church, but we were planning to launch a separate class during the 11am service just for their son. I know that sounds a little odd, but consider this: (1) We weren't able to include him during that service for sensory stimulation reasons, and (2) That made us realize that he probably wasn't the only child who would have trouble with the 11am children's ministry setting. Just as I mentioned in my answer yesterday about starting an adult class, odds are good that for each person with special needs in your church there are a handful at home who don't think being included at church is even an option. You can create a class for the one child and then increase your outreach ... you know, the whole "if you build it, they will come" principle. (I'm sure you can guess the movie quote this time. Yesterday's was from The Land Before Time. I have a two-year-old son, which means I watch those far more than any grown-up shows!)

Check out my concerns yesterday about age group consideration for the second question. If you're asking if its okay for a birth through elderly class, then no, I don't think that's wise and I don't think many of the parents of kids in that class would feel comfortable with the adults being there too. How you split up ages beyond that will depend upon your volunteer team and the needs at your church, but make sure you approach the decision with prayer and wisdom rather than knee-jerk reactions.

At what age is a person too old to attend a younger class of typical kids?
Our policy is to include a person with their same-aged peers whenever possible. In the couple of instances when we have a person in a younger class, the decision of "too old" is less about age and more about physical development (for example, is the child too large for this class, compared to the size of his/her classmates? when a child is bigger than the younger classmate, safety issues can arise).

It's also wise to ask, "What benefit does the person get from being in a younger class? Is there any way we can adapt for that same benefit to be experienced in an older class?" Notice that the emphasis here is on our need to adapt and not any effort to force the person to adapt to us.

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?
I have to pull out that classic answer here: It depends. What is a "regular class" like at your church? How committed to inclusion is the rest of your leadership (staff and/or volunteer)? What else could you try to include the person in the typical setting?

Could you create a separate class? Why or why not? Where would you have a separate class for that age group? What can you do in a separate class than you can't do in the typical class? In public school, any time a child is removed from a typical class to receive services in a special education setting, special ed law requires the team to provide a justification for that removal. The principle in practice is called "least restrictive environment," and it's a good one for churches to consider too. If someone is removed or excluded from a typical setting, you need a good reason for it.


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I'll have the last set of questions from Tammy tomorrow, so please come back then!

Until then, what else can you add? Any more questions or different answers? Any other thoughts?

Special needs ministry Q&A: Age-appropriate classes, high-sensory youth programs, and adult involvement

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Jury duty took the full day yesterday, but I knew I would eventually be dismissed because it was a medical malpractice case in which one of the key witnesses was my former neurosurgeon. (As one of my friends with rheumatoid arthritis put it on Facebook yesterday, "Haha you and a medical case? What were the chances you wouldn't know the doctor?" Yes, my friends, there are some benefits of having a couple of autoimmune diseases and being the rare bird who has unusual complications with each one... you know most doctors in town and are rarely eligible for a medical malpractice jury!)

Meanwhile, the friend who made that comment just has a rheumatologist. She hasn't collected the array of specialists I have. Each case is a little different, and hers and mine haven't followed the same course, even though we have the same disease, similar treatment, and even the same doctor for a while.

I bring that up because, as I dive into Tammy's questions from last week, I want you to be reminded that each situation is unique. More often than you'd probably like, I'm going to answer, "Well, it depends." When I was a brand-new special education teacher, I scoured book after book and website after website looking for the perfect answer I could apply universally in my classes. Did I find it? Nope. And neither will you as you look for the perfect answer that you can apply across the board to every person with special needs at your church.

Remember, it's not the disability you're serving with, it's a person. Ministry isn't formulaic; it's relational. When we see the person and not just the diagnosis, it becomes obvious that our answers won't be one size fits all. Jesus wasn't predictable. When we draw from him - his love, compassion, and strength - our ministry responses probably won't be either, because viewing each situation through his eyes will allow us to see the nuances that he created in each one. While I would give my son a band-aid for a scrape on his knee, I wouldn't try to slap a band-aid on his mouth if he were vomiting. No single solution works in all cases.

And one last disclaimer: some of my answers might raise more questions. Please feel free to ask them! I love blogging more when it engages others; without discussion, it sometimes feels like I'm shouting into the mysterious beyond. (Brownie points for whoever can identify that movie reference!)

Now, onward to the questions...
how are age groups decided for classes of people w/intellectual disabilities?
It depends. (See? Can't say I didn't warn you!) If we're talking about a separate Sunday school class for people with disabilities, there are two important things you must remember: (1) intellectual disabilities do not always impact physical development (unless the intellectual disability is the result of a condition affecting both) and (2) intellectual disabilities do not necessarily affect the onset of sexual maturity. Most folks at our church are too quick to picture a sweet young boy with Down syndrome as our image of special needs without remembering that Down syndrome is only one area of special needs and that the boy will grow up. (Also, just as my sweet girl with no disabilities can be disobedient, it's condescending to think that the "sweet boy with Down syndrome" is always sweet. He's a boy, first and foremost, which means he has a range of dispositions that include sweet and not so sweet too!) It's easier to get churches on-board to welcome that "sweet" boy and his family; it's harder to get churches to welcome him as an adult. That's not okay, but it's the reality I've seen, so I don't want to sugar coat the realities here.

Connie Hutchinson, the Director of Disabilities Ministry at Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, CA, and the mother of an adult daughter with special needs, shared a story at the Accessibility Summit this year about when an older man in a mixed age class continuing pursued her then teenage daughter romantically. He - having developed physically and sexually at the same rate as other men - desired companionship; however, not having developed intellectually at the same rate, he didn't understand that inappropriateness of his advances due to the age difference. This story illustrates why I definitely advise against adults and kids being mixed into one birth through elderly special needs class and why I advise wisdom for other wide groupings as well.

At our church, we have a separate class for adult, and some older teens do attend that class. When we add another separate class - which we will probably need to do during one of our services, because the children's ministry program then can be overwhelming for kids with sensory processing disorders - it will be for elementary students. This will leave a gap in preschool, which isn't always a problem because the differences among kids isn't always as obvious then, and for those who do need early support, we either accommodate the setting with a one-on-one buddy or modify it by keeping a child in a younger class, if the child's size isn't too large compared to the younger kids. (We only consider younger placements in preschool and for special circumstances; it's preferable to include a child in a same-age class whenever possible.) And it will also leave a gap for middle school and lower high school, which we do plan to fill eventually. We're just not able to fill that need yet, and we're trying to be wise about what where we say "yes, NOW!" and where we say, "yes, but not yet." (I hate that last answer, but it's impossible to give all "yes, NOW!" answers without depleting your ministry. Aim for growth to fulfill the future yeses; be willing to say "not yet" so you can execute today's yeses and have a foundation to build on for tomorrow's yeses.)

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 their 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?
 This kind of scenario is why we're planning to begin a separate class for elementary-aged students with special needs during our third service. (Right now, it's a "yes, but not yet" but it's fast becoming a "yes, SOON!") The typical classes during that hour start in small groups and then combine into a large-group setting that is loud and busy. We're okay with creating a different setting because we have more inclusive options for families during our other services (and because we also offer inclusion during that hour too, though it can be hard for some kids, given the setting).

I would work to creatively figure out a way to include that teen without substantially changing the program. Sometimes it is wise to change the program, but youth typically like the loud music and eliminating all loud music could exclude many other kids (at least it would at our church), so how can we include all of them in unique ways? Is there an area of the room that isn't as loud? Could he wear earplugs or some other device to muffle the noise so he could stay in the room? Can you have loud music at the beginning and then drop the volume so that he could enter at that point? Is there a quiet room nearby where he could go with supervision (at least two adults) if the sensory input is becoming too overwhelming? If a separate setting is deemed necessary for that portion of the youth program, what other portions can be adapted to include him? (In other words, if you decide that you'll say no to inclusion in the instance described, where can you yes?)

We have had some older kids with special needs help as teachers in younger classes, but they need a role of more than just a student in the class because the size of a teen isn't appropriate for him to be a member of a preschool class, even if he is cognitively functioning at that level.

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).
 Do you want my honest gut reaction? Start a class. As I've examined special needs ministries across the country, I've found that adult ministries are rare. Most occur when members of the children's special needs ministry grow up. My church is a little odd in that our adult ministry to include those with disabilities was more established and developed that our kids' ministry; that's rarely the case. If you have one adult who is interested, it probably won't take much outreach to find a few more adults to make up a class. Few churches are stepping up to include adults with disabilities. Be the one in your area that steps up where others step back or turn away.

Until then, could they fill another role? We have several adults with special needs who joyfully hand out bulletins as worshipers enter each service. They get the opportunity to contribute to the body in a meaningful way, and they love it! It also sends a strong message to every person who enters our church, showing that we acknowledge the value God has given each person and that we offer a place for each one to use his or her gifts for the greater good of the body. (Check out 1 Corinthians 12, starting in verse 12. It's a good passage for thinking about this sort of thing!)

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I assume one aspect to each question: prayer. Pray. Pray. And then? Pray. You can't figure out the perfect answers for your situation, and neither can I. But God? He knows the answers before you ask.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" {Matthew 7:7-11}

I'll be prayerfully answering questions for the next couple days. Any other questions? Any different answers? (Don't feel like you'll step on my toes if you disagree - your perspective is valuable, and my answers aren't flawless!)

And thanks for reading. Seriously. I am passionate about special needs ministry, and I love writing about it. I would do so even if no one else showed up, but I'm so encouraged that you do come visit my corner of blogland. Thanks. You're a blessing.

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!