And my answer is always: yes!

Inclusion allows our kids with disabilities or special needs to learn about Jesus with their peers. And, it allows our typical kids to grow in understanding and compassion for others. But there are times when, no matter how much your ministry desires to embrace inclusion, a separate space will be needed. So it’s helpful to have a both/and mindset. 

You know what else is helpful to consider when starting out?

This list:

1. Utilizing Space for Special Needs Ministry

Space, it’s not just the final frontier. Intentional space can allow your church to welcome people with higher-level sensory needs. If you have extra space, a nice, quiet area with low lighting usually does the trick in creating a quiet place for children who are easily overwhelmed. Equip the space with a few soft items such as bean bag chairs, weighted blankets, and quiet activities, and you have yourself a sensory room. 

I prefer to include all the kids in the same space. However, some children may not be able to participate if they do not have a separate space. Space may be what holds you back from having a separate quiet or sensory area, but it does not need to keep you from serving families with sensory needs. 

2. Inviting People

The greatest (and least expensive) resource you need. If space is not an abundant resource for you, how about people? Creating a one-on-one buddy system may make the difference between a family attending church, or not. 

I know what you’re thinking, “But we’re in constant need of volunteers for what already exists!” But did you know that buddies tend to be a popular volunteer position? This is especially true for youth who want to serve. 

A buddy’s one goal is to help a child be successful. And the outcome of that success is often an entire family attends your church, knowing their kid is safe and well-cared for. So it’s just good ministry math to add this role to your roster.

3. Traveling with Tools for Special Needs Ministry

Fun fact: the greatest tools I have used to serve children who are neurodiverse fit in one small backpack. If your church does not have a designated sensory space, a sensory bag may do the trick. I like to provide my buddies with a simple backpack to carry for the children they serve. 

What’s in the bag? 

It depends on the needs of the child, but here are a few favorites:

• Headphones
• Laminated picture schedule
• A fidget
• Playdough
• Timer

4. Sharing Awareness

Be curious, not judgmental; this is more than just a quote debated for who said it first (was it Walt Whitman or Ted Lasso?) it’s an invitation for everyone to learn and grow.

Create awareness amongst the church, volunteers, and even the children by helping everyone understand that different people learn, engage, and participate differently. Thus, meeting those differences with the same grace and diversity of resources can make all the difference when it comes to the strength of connection, the ability to be present, and the experience of feeling welcome.

Take a look at Luke 14 and ask the question of who Jesus was inviting to the table. The blind, the crippled, the lame, and the poor. (Also, if your church is stuck on what are the proper terms for families with special needs, Luke 14 will help you see that those terms change all the time.)

5. Establishing A Family Room

A new addition in many churches is a family-friendly sensory room. This is a space that allows parents to listen to the message being streamed while their children are safely in the room with them. These rooms are equipped like a sensory room with low lighting, soft seating, and quiet activities like fidgets. The upside is there is no need for additional volunteers and parents get to connect with one another.

In a perfect world, I would offer an inclusive buddy ministry with the option of a quiet, separate sensory room. But most of us don’t live in that space-abundant, perfect world. So we do what we can with what we have, taking the steps we can now to move forward into our next.

A family our church served in a weekend respite program could not safely be welcomed in our Sunday service until we made a few significant changes. It took us two years to make those changes. But each little step forward kept us moving in the right direction until, eventually, the entire family could be present on Sundays.

So what do we do, in the meantime, when it’s not safe for a child to attend without a separate space for special needs ministry? 

We welcome families safely by using the resources we have, understanding that for some of our families, the safest answer for their children may not be no, it just might be not now. Hear me: this is not a no. Instead, it is an opportunity to work with the family, walking through the list above to consider the best, safest way to welcome their whole family. 

And if you want to talk through what a first step can look like in your ministry world, please click here and let’s connect. 

Kerri-Ann Hayes

kerri-ann.hayes@ministryarchitects.com

Kerri-Ann Hayes has been a children’s and family ministry leader in Central Florida since the late 1990s. She has led children’s ministry in both single and multi-site churches. Kerri-Ann has a Disney family heritage, a hospitality management background, and a love for the local church that all shifted nicely into the world of family ministry. During her years of serving families, Kerri-Ann developed a passion for those struggling to find their place in the church due to the special needs of their children. She loves supporting and equipping churches to be accessible to families with special needs or traumatic backgrounds and is the author of The Accessible Church. Kerri-Ann and her husband, Tom, live in Clermont, Florida, where they raised their three children.

The post 5 First Steps to Creating an Inclusive Special Needs Ministry appeared first on Ministry Architects.

But hold on! We can intentionally plan for, even expect, these children to come through the doors of our church and right into the fun of VBS. 

If a child enters your doors in a wheelchair, you may quickly think through how to accommodate them, but what about children who have invisible challenges such as autism, anxiety, or ADHD? If we are expecting these children to be a part of our VBS, there are a few things we can do to be prepared: 

1. Expect Them To Be There

If you anticipate 100 children at your VBS, how likely is it that you will have some kids who need additional assistance to participate with your typical children?

Here are a few numbers to keep in mind as you plan for the fun of VBS:

• 1 in 6 children (17%) aged 3-17 were diagnosed with a developmental disability as reported by parents 
• 1 in 36 children has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

2. Utilize Care Forms

If parents share on their child’s registration that they have a diagnosis, follow up with a simple intake or care form. This collects information regarding a child’s likes and dislikes and what to do if the child gets overwhelmed. Be sure to notify the parent that the information will be shared only with those working closely with their child.

3. Recruit Buddy Volunteers

Add the role of a buddy to your list of volunteer needs, even if you aren’t sure you will need them. If you expect 100 kids, it would be great to have at least five buddies. If you don’t have anyone specific who needs a buddy, add the buddy to a group that could use some behavioral support.

4. Train Your Team

Start by sharing the above statistics to cultivate awareness with your staff and volunteer team. 

Remind your team that not all behavior is misbehavior. Sometimes, behavior is communication. We can find out what behavior is saying by asking a few simple questions. Is the room too loud? Are the lights too bright? Is the child overwhelmed? 

Train all of your volunteers on how to work with children with special needs. The volunteers do not need to be experts. However, a basic understanding of children with autism or ADHD and who to talk to if they need additional help will go a long way. 

5. Provide Support Tools

Provide group leaders or buddies with tools to help a child be successful at VBS. A laminated picture schedule of the events of the day or a timer will help with anxiety and transitions. A fidget, or something recommended by the parent, may help a child keep their hands busy and their minds focused. Put these items in a backpack for the group leader or buddy, and their group will be good to go! 

6. Create a Sensory Space

Even with buddies and a plan in place, VBS can be overwhelming. The number of people, sights, and sounds can cause even our typical kids to need a moment of quiet. Creating a sensory quiet space for children to retreat to with buddies when they get overwhelmed can help a child catch their breath and get back on track. It does not need to be a fancy room. A corner of a room away from the activities, an office with dimmer lights, or a tent inside a room can create a quiet getaway. I know a church that used a six-foot table with a tablecloth over it that became a quiet fort. Whatever you choose, be sure to abide by your church’s safety policy. If a buddy needs to step away with a child, another volunteer needs to go with them.

7. Modify Activities

Include children with special needs in games with instructions they will understand. Help them to participate in games focused on cooperation versus competition. Be understanding if a child does not want to participate. Offer alternative crafts or simplify the steps, such as pre-cutting items needed for crafts for a child who needs extra assistance. Offer help only when needed. Children of all abilities like to do things themselves.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Let’s find ways this summer to ensure that all children feel welcome to participate in the fun of VBS and, more importantly, experience the love of God through his church.

Additional Vacation Bible School Resources: 

• VBS as a Bridge: Expanding Vacation Bible School throughout your community
• After VBS: How to prepare for follow-up NOW

Kerri-Ann Hayes

kerri-ann.hayes@ministryarchitects.com

Kerri-Ann Hayes has been a children’s and family ministry leader in Central Florida since the late 1990s. She has led children’s ministry in both single and multi-site churches. Kerri-Ann has a Disney family heritage, a hospitality management background, and a love for the local church that all shifted nicely into the world of family ministry. During her years of serving families, Kerri-Ann developed a passion for those struggling to find their place in the church due to the special needs of their children. She loves supporting and equipping churches to be accessible to families with special needs or traumatic backgrounds and is the author of The Accessible Church. Kerri-Ann and her husband, Tom, live in Clermont, Florida, where they raised their three children.

The post VBS for Everyone appeared first on Ministry Architects.

So much for well-made plans. 

All children deal with behavioral issues now and then, but what if that behavior tells you something else? What if the behavior communicates that this child needs accommodations due to special needs or trauma?

Dr. Karyn Purvis said it best: “Behavior is the language of a child who has lost their voice.” Whether you refer to these children as differently-abled, exceptional, or special needs, we all agree there are some children who need extra help to participate in our ministry successfully. 

Not sure these kids are in your ministry? Chances are that if you serve more than ten children, these kids are already part of your church. Here are some statistics to keep in mind:

• 1 in 6 kids has a diagnosed special need, whether medical or developmental 
• 6.1 million children/students have been diagnosed with ADHD
• 1 in 44 children/students has been diagnosed with autism

As ministry leaders, we aim for everyone to feel welcome in our church. With that in mind, it may be time for us to find out what is behind our kids’ behavior. When a child enters the church in a wheelchair, we consider the accommodations they need to participate in the ministry. But what about children who have invisible challenges? Autism, ADHD, and anxiety play out in the ministry as behavioral problems when really, they are challenges a child needs help navigating. The good news is you don’t need a separate special needs ministry to welcome these families. You need a plan, and that plan can start with these steps:

1. Cultivate Awareness

People are our greatest asset when it comes to serving children with special needs. Train your team with a brief understanding of invisible differences and how they may impact your ministry environment. Volunteers do not need to be experts on autism; they need to be experts on the child in their group. Training a volunteer to sit near a child who needs additional help can change the trajectory of your morning. If a child is talking out of turn, a gentle reminder with a hand on their shoulder is often all they need to get back on track.

2. Partner with Parents

Partnering with parents can seem like an elusive goal for ministry leaders. When working with differently-abled children, it becomes much easier. Parents are the experts. If parents share their child’s challenges, seek them out for what works best for them both at home and school.

Have an intake form available for parents to complete before attending or when checking their child into the ministry. An intake form gives you important information to better serve the child. 

Parents may not disclose their child’s challenges for fear of rejection. Asking a parent, “How can we help your child be more successful?” opens a dialogue with the parent and builds a partnership. 

Some children have never been diagnosed. It is never the job of a ministry leader to suggest a diagnosis. You don’t need a diagnosis to serve a child. You can accommodate a child because you know they need extra help. 

3. Know Your Kids

Help your team become “empathetic investigators” by finding out what is behind the behavior. Develop a relationship by asking questions of a child struggling in your ministry. Try this approach:

• Ask-Words alone are often not enough. Visual aids help kids put words to their emotions. An Emoticon Chart is a simple tool that helps kids describe their feelings. This is a great starter for small group or class.

• Listen– Listen to what children communicate through their words and behaviors. Remember, behavior is a language.

• Plan-Have a plan in place when you know the child is struggling. Schools offer Individual Education Plans. Why not an Individual Ministry Plan? What does this child need to be successful? Having a plan for one child will serve the whole group.

4. Assess the Environment

How does the room feel to a child walking in for the first time? Is the music loud? Are the lights too bright? Is the room crowded? Be mindful of sensory needs. A child with supervision may step out during worship or sit in the back of the room. Knowing your child will help you answer these questions and have a plan.

We once changed our entire Sunday morning schedule with one child with ADHD in mind. The kids were moving and singing during worship, sitting during Bible story, standing for a game, sitting during the closing prayer, and traveling to small groups. Do you see a pattern? The outcome of just moving our schedule around served all our children, not just the child with ADHD.

5. Train Volunteers and Kids

Communicate clear expectations to everyone. Begin your time with what kids can expect and what you expect from them. We begin our time by sharing three expectations. 

Together we will:
Respect God
Respect leaders
Respect each other

When we experience behavioral issues, we connect it back to one of these expectations. Another clear expectation would be a visual schedule for my friends who need additional help. Understanding what will happen next gives participants a sense of control. Boundaries and clear expectations provide safety for everyone.

Having the desire to serve these families is the first step. You don’t need a sensory room or separate space. You need people, and you can start with one person willing to partner with a child. I like to encourage volunteers with the reminder that when they serve these children they help, not just the child, they help their family be part of the church, as well. 

So, where do you start? You start with one child. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

The post 5 Steps for Welcoming Families with Special Needs appeared first on Ministry Architects.