If you keep up with health news, you know about 1 in every 68 children is somewhere on the autism spectrum. The odds are even higher for boys – 1 in 42 boys will be diagnosed with autism or Aspergers. This means if you attend a church of a couple hundred people, several families may have at least one member who has been diagnosed with autism (New research is showing a strong hereditary link.)
While some congregations are starting to reach out and make their classes and services more inclusive, many don’t know how to help. Some may even be wondering why they should. I have talked with many families who have children with autism or Aspergers who go from church to church looking for Christians who will make them feel at home.
It doesn’t have to be this way. If we are truly reflecting God’s love, everyone should feel welcome, accepted and loved when they walk through the doors of our church. This may mean your church needs to educate itself on how to minister to families dealing with autism and Aspergers. Even if you studied special education in college, the information available has changed drastically over the last twenty years and you may need to get more accurate information.
Have you ever met a person who is trying to break a bad habit? Many times they have attempted more than once – usually with minimal success. If you talk to them long enough, you will often hear a lot of excuses for why they can’t break the habit they know is only harming them.
Have your ever surprised a young child with something they have wanted their “whole life”? If you have, you have probably witnessed pure, unsurpassed joy. In fact for many children, childhood is a time filled with joy. As time passes however, the joy seems to slowly seep out of life for many people and is replaced by what the French call ennui – fancy boredom.
Over decades of working with children and teens, I have seen what happens to kids who don’t get enough positive, meaningful parental attention. Whether it is upper middle class children with parents who work so much they barely see their children or children who are abused or abandoned by their parents, the resulting brokenness in the child never fails to break my heart.
One of the top mysteries for many parents is how to get their kids to talk to them. Oh, their kids are respectful enough to answer questions when asked. It’s just that the vast majority of the answers are one word or perhaps even a grunt. Some parents just give up and hope their kids will eventually grow up to be adults who have wonderful conversations with their parents.