Practical Stuff -- What do you need?

So, you are a DRE or catechist and you have a parent sitting in front of you asking about catechesis for their child with special needs. What do you do?

The first think is to make sure you are on the same page as the parents. "What do you want?" Sometimes it is easy to unconsciously assume what someone wants. They want their child to receive religious education. What does that mean to them? Some parents may be thinking mostly about "getting" the Sacraments for their child. Others are thinking inclusion. Some want a special group program for people with disabilities. Some want one-on-one instruction. Some want to help; some want you to do all the work!

Listen carefully, then check that you are understanding them correctly. For example, "So, you are saying that you would like Steven to receive instruction in the faith, but due to his autism, you are worried about his need to move around and not sit still the whole hour. Is that correct?"

And there also may be an unspoken desire or fear in the heart of the parents. This requires prayerful listening, because these feelings can be hidden in the way they express the practical desires. They may be secretly asking themselves, "Are we welcome?" "Can we do this?" "Are we alone in this?" "Tell me it's not impossible! Give me hope!" You might need to be a cheerleader for them -- or for yourself --before you can move on. "I'm sure we can do something!"

Once you have a sense that you are on the same page, the answer to where and how to catechize -- and the practical tools needed to teach the child -- can be determined. I recommend using a standard checklist. I created the checklist below based on the information I've been asked to provide for respite workers or summer camps for our son. You can create your own checklist, or use mine. However, I warn you that this is a sample form only! Before doing any checklist -- yours or mine -- get permission from your pastor and/or diocesan authorities. There may be legal issues they would want to address. With that being said, here is a sample form:

Checklist for Religious Education For a Child with Special Needs:

Name of child_____________________
Date_________
Grade______
Parent(s)/Guardian_________________
Primary Diagnosis__________________
What adaptations/equipment does the child use at home and school? Please address reading, writing, and any accommodations made at school. (wheelchair, hearing aid, picture cards, large print, one-on-one aide, seating preferences, tape recorded lessons, testing accommodations, etc.)

How does your child communicate? (spoken word, written word, sign language, picture cards, etc.)

What are the child's likes and dislikes? Please be specific and list appropriate interventions should the child become upset. Also please list any comfort items or coping mechanisms the child uses in order to feel safe and be able to participate in class.

Does your child have any medical needs of which we should be aware? (seizures, severe food allergies, asthma, etc.)

Is there anything else you want us to know?

You will probably want to add other questions, but this gives you a place to start.

Sometimes going through a list like this gives a sense of confidence to the parents and the teacher, because it makes it clearer that this is not an impossible, insurmountable task. And having this information (especially the likes and dislikes) can help avoid potential bad experiences -- the kind of bad days that convince parents or teachers that they've taken on something "too hard."

I'll give you an example: Vacation Bible School. My son John. He has moderate CP and some sensory integration problems. If you did this checklist, you would find out that he is sometimes upset by very loud noises. So, you know that John should either skip the rowdy, loud youth-rally atmosphere of the opening and closing segments of the program or have a seat by the door, so he can leave as needed. But the Bible stories, crafts, and games would be fun for him. He would need a one-on-one aide to help him get places and do the crafts. Can you say "service hours" for a Confirmation student? Perfect! So, two simple solutions brought John to VBS.


Now you know what you need. So how do you make it happen? We'll get to that in other posts. Stay tuned.

Blessed be God!