The vast preponderance of kids with disabilities who struggle at church can be characterized as having “hidden disabilities”…significant emotional, behavioral, developmental and neurologic conditions lacking outwardly apparent physical symptoms.
In the experience of our team, most parents of kids with hidden disabilities are reluctant to disclose their child’s disability to church staff or volunteers. They themselves may not be aware that their child has a disability. Many parents fear being judged by others in the church. They may fear that staff or volunteers will share information about their child’s condition they wish to keep confidential. As a result, many kids may be coming to your church who might benefit greatly from minor accommodations in your ministry environments or programming.
Here are ten signs to look for among the kids you serve that suggest they may not be obtaining the desired benefits of your programming, along with steps you and your team might take to successfully include them in the absence of any identified special needs ministry at your church. We’ll cover the first three today…the last seven in our next post.
Difficulties with self-control: The ability to control behavior is foundational to other executive functions. The more potential distractions are present in a particular ministry environment, the greater the likelihood kids will struggle with self-control. Consider whether your content and activities are appropriate for the child (not too simple, not too hard) and engaging.
Developmentally inappropriate inattention: A typical preschooler should be able to sustain attention for around five minutes-a teen or adult around 20 minutes without changing tasks or consciously refocusing on the task. The duration will depend upon the person’s level of interest in the activity or task, and the degree of distraction in the environment. Consider ways in which your ministry environments distract kids from the messages your team seeks to communicate.
Abnormal responses to sensory input, stimulation: Many kids with disabilities experience unusual sensitivity to sound, touch and light and distress when sensory input is overwhelming. Could earplugs help some kids bothered by the volume level in your large group worship experiences? Could kids bothered by the light or the noise find a place to serve somewhere else in the church during highly stimulating activities?
We’ll look at seven additional signs of struggle in our next post.
