When my son, Nicholas, was about three he asked us why monks got married? We were completely confused, explaining that monks do not marry, they live a cloistered celibate life. He became agitated and loudly insisted that WE said they did. We asked Nick to explain himself and he explained to us that every night, we say, “Blessed art thou a Monk’s Woman.!”

For us, that was a good lesson in how easily any child can misunderstand what is said. Our little girl, Anya, has a mild form of autism. She takes things very literally and clichés, metaphors, even some examples are lost on her. It can have some funny repercussions….. Don’t ever ask her to hop into the car or she will remind you of a little bunny!

When working with children with disabilities, it is helpful to remember to say exactly what you mean and mean exactly what you say. Abstract concepts, such as, “God is everywhere,” may be almost impossible for them to grasp. Baby Jesus in a manager is a much easier thing for them to hang onto.

An awareness of this will change the dynamics of your classroom. It is difficult to change the way we speak to accommodate a few children, but it will also deepen our own faith as we search for better ways to communicate the faith to these kids. God bless.

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With seven kids at home it can be difficult for me to concentrate on anything for longer than a few moments! Imagine then, what it is like for a child who suffers with attention problems, learning problems or other neurological issues, to pay attention in Faith Formation Class.

One of the ways to make our classrooms a place where learning can happen is to remove the extra distractions from the environment.

1/ Do an inventory of your classroom space. Are there bright lights? A lot of pictures on the walls? Does a noisy heater go off periodically?

2/ Once the distractions are identified, make a list of which things could be changed. Can you use task lighting instead of overhead fluorescent lighting? Can you keep the door closed to minimize hallway noise?

3/ Opt for one main display rather than a lot of little ones. Having one focal point is easier for kids with disabilities to look at. Be sensitive to very bright colors that are scattered all over the room.

4/ If possible, limit class size or add additional aids to your class. In our classes, we often use teenagers to help out. If there is a child in your class that is identified with special needs, consider having a one-on-one helper for that child.

5/ Don’t ask that child’s parents to be your classroom helper unless they offer. Most parents of kids with disabilities would welcome a little time to themselves. Having their kids safely in class for an hour may give them the time they need to pray, run errands, or just recharge their personal batteries.

6/ Have fun. Kids with special needs often see the world in a unique way. They may open your eyes to a new view of your Catholic world.

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There are as many types of disabilities and special needs as there are children in our classes. I have researched some different programs, with the help of John Silva, and would like to give an overview of what types of issues the special needs community is facing and what steps are being taken to overcome them.

1/ Dietary issues. Many children these days have issues with gluten or wheat products. This can create a problem when it is time for Communion. These issues are being addressed by the Council of Catholic Bishops  [http://www.nccbuscc.org/liturgy/celiasprue.shtml] This population of people can either receive low-gluten consecrated hosts, or receive just the Precious Blood to accommodate their dietary restrictions.

2/ Physical issues. In accordance with state and federal laws all churches and places where faith formation takes place should be able to physically accommodate wheelchairs, or any other form of physical assistance.

3/ Autism spectrum or non-verbal disorders. Many new programs are using a primarily visual learning style to help teach people who cannot learn through traditional methods. http://thebostonpilot.com/article.asp?ID=13005  , http://www.autismreligiouseducation.net/  these sites contain information on this type of learning.

I have contacted several of these programs and will provide updated information as I receive it. We have made huge strides in this area, but need to continue in these efforts to effectively serve all God’s children.

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Teaching the Special Needs Child

By Mary Lou Rosien

I discovered a wonderful special education catechism program out of St. Michael’s Church in Bedford, MA. Polly Herz was kind enough to provide me with an overview of their amazing program. I was going to tell you the high-lights, but she has written such a comprehensive description that I am going to include the entire thing.

Saint Michael’s Religious Education

Children with Different Learning Abilities

By Polly Herz with Pat Marks

Our class consists of 8-10 students who vary in age from 9-18. Each of our students has special needs, most typically, but not exclusively, cognitive delay and/or autism spectrum. There are two catechists who rotate responsibility for teaching each week. Each class is 45 minutes long. We are assisted by high school students, parent volunteers, and other adults from the parish. Generally our ratio is 1:1. This has been an important feature of the program, because much of the real teaching takes place via the connection between the assistants and the students.

The tables are arranged in a u shape. There is a small prayer table in the center, and an easel with a nyloop-covered poster board.

We begin each lesson with a prayer. Next, we sing “He’s got the whole world in His hands” and with each verse, we present a picture of a student. The student whose picture is held up comes to the front, takes his or her photo, and places it on the nyloop board. The board has Mayer-Johnson Boardmaker symbols (picture communication symbols) affixed to it, and the student places the photo next to the symbols for “Jesus” and “loves”. Everyone applauds and we continue with the next photo. After the students are greeted, we greet the assistants and the teachers (no photo or song, just names).

After the greeting, the theme of the day’s lesson is introduced. Themes are derived from the year’s curriculum. Lessons have included beatitudes, commandments, and sacraments, generally following and adapting the themes in the St. Mary Curriculum by Cathy Boyle. We may use Mayer-Johnson symbols to illustrate the lesson if appropriate.

We try to present themes in practical terms. For example, for a lesson on prayer, we may talk about what prayer is, namely, talking to God. When we talk, we may ask for help, say thank you, say we are sorry, etc. For a lesson on the Holy Spirit, we may talk about how the Holy Spirit is our helper, helping us to live the way Jesus wants us to.

We then read a book that supports the theme. Pat Marks has a wonderful library, and we use the public library as well. We read certain favorites every year for holidays.

Next, we have a craft related to the theme. This can vary from making a poster, painting an ornament, creating a book, sewing a scene, gluing a model of the Nativity, completing a puzzle, making candles out of tubes, etc. The teacher who is responsible for the lesson organizes the craft in advance, so each student has a kit with all pieces and supplies. An assistant works with each student to complete the craft and reinforce the lesson.

Craft time is followed by snack time. Finally, we say a closing prayer together.

Our overall goals are to share an awareness of God’s love and His gifts with our students, and to teach the principles and beliefs of our Catholic faith. We strive to provide a positive, lively, and meaningful environment. We enjoy great support from Pat Marks and from our students’ parents.

For further information:

www.mayer-johnson.com

Books:

Stone Soup by Heather Forest (Classic about sharing, read at Thanksgiving with props)

Santa’s Favorite Story by Hisako Aoki (Santa himself retells the story of Jesus’ birth)

God’s Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu (appropriate for Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

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In our RCIC class we have a delightful little boy who has some attention issues.  The teacher confided in me that she was becoming stressed by the demands of teaching all the students and managing this child’s behavior while trying to educated him at the same time.  I decided it was time for a parent/teacher meeting. Here are some of the tips I learned while planning and implementing the meeting:

*Before the meeting, talk to the teacher (if that person is not yourself) and provide information and support to them.  Ask them to be part of the parent/teacher meeting.

1/ Start out the meeting by reinforcing with the parents how glad you are that the child is in your program and if possible, mention some specific areas that he/she excels in.  For example: “Johnny always asks such wonderful questions.” (You don’t have to mention at this time that he just blurts them out while some one else is talking.)

2/ Ask the parents how they think the lessons and classes are going.  What does the child share at home about his/her time at Faith Formation?

3/ Gently, inquire whether the child has some attention (or other) issues, if the parents have not yet shared this information.

4/ Brainstorm with the parents about what changes could be made to increase the child’s positive experience (and the teacher’s too).

These are some of the things we came up with to deal with the student in our class:

*We asked an aide with experience in the field of special needs to assist in that class.

* The parents volunteered an older sibling who started attending classes with the young man, sat with him and helped him stay focused.

* Parent’s shared that the child’s ADHD meds were given earlier on that day and were wearing off by class time.  They offered to give him a caffinated soda prior to class to help him focus. (This only works with some ADHD kids, please don’t try it with others or you will have the opposite effect!)  Making the parents your partner in this process of problem solving is crucial to success.

Since our meeting this child has done really well and he and the teacher are happy.  Hope these tips can help. Good luck and God bless.

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