Neurodiversity

Join us as we continue learning how to be loving and inclusive of all God's children. Each month, we will focus our attention on a key term and explore possible actions that we can take. This month, we consider "Autism Spectrum Disorder".

"People with ASD may behave, communicate, interact, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. They often have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention. The abilities of people with ASD can vary significantly. For example, some people with ASD may have advanced conversation skills whereas others may be nonverbal. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others can work and live with little to no support. It is important to note that some people without ASD might also have some of these symptoms."

From:https://www.cdc.gov/autism/about/index.html#:~:text=People%20with%20ASD%20often%20have,or%20repetitive%20behaviors%20or%20interests.

What can I/we do specifically?

Become familiar with the gifts, abilities, and needs of people with autism.
Language supports. Simplify our language, use concrete language, avoid idioms, say what you mean. Incorporate gestures, utilize visuals with spoken words, use repetition
Schedule supports. Provide structure such as clear communication of order, length of time, and transitions. Offer visual schedules with words and icons. Be predictable and announce transitions, using visual timers and first/then language. Be consistent. Limit choices among activities.
Sensory supports. Minimize stimulation from visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile sources. Provide/share information on quiet zones and sensory spaces as identified on the bulletin board at the Liturgical Library. Accommodate stimming behaviors.

Social supports. Model friendship with one another. Create structure and opportunities for relationships to form. Discuss disability publicly.

From: 4 Helpful Strategies for Welcoming People with Autism in Your Church

Resources

Autism and Your Church by Barbara Newman. This book gives the basics about Autism Spectrum Disorder as well as offering very practical ideas about how to welcome individuals with ASD and best accommodate for differences in children, youth and adult small groups.

Liturgical Library

We recognize that our brains and bodies all have different needs when it comes to focusing, learning, listening, and worshiping. Based on what we have learned through our recent nurture study on neurodiversity, we are currently creating a “liturgical library” of resources and materials.

Our liturgical library, located in the main hallway near the mailboxes, makes space for a variety of materials to engage people of all ages during worship. The items included allow people to more fully connect with and engage in worship by regulating sensory inputs.

Our library includes:

Fidgets and sensory aids: stress balls, infinity cubes, nee doh, thinking putty
Creation Station with markers, pens, colored pencils, and crayons; clipboards and paper, wikki stix and pipe cleaners
Engaging Resources: Moses’s tablets, lacing cards, labyrinths

How do you use the liturgical library?

Grab a bag and add items that you’d like to use to engage in worship. After worship, return your bag to the basket at the base of the library (keep any paper/creations you’ve made but return other materials with the bag). Following use during worship, we will clean and sort the materials to be ready for the following week.

Spaces for Worship

First Floor

Sanctuary with Prayground. You are invited to gather materials at the Liturgical Library to bring with you into worship. The prayground is home to puzzles, books, and stuffed animals appropriate for our youngest disciples.
Commons: Includes stations for young disciples, nursery, and the streamed worship service. Materials available include Legos, kinetic sand/Mad Matter, Thinking Putty, art materials, tangrams and fidgets. This space tends to be a little noisier but is used by fewer people.
Yoke Room: This is a beautiful quiet space with no access to the streamed worship service.

Second Floor

Centering Space Room 1: Includes stations for young disciples and the streamed worship service. There is comfortable seating available and quiet materials to support self-regulation.
Centering Space Room 2: Includes more active stations for young disciples who need room to move.
Harbor Room: This quiet space has comfortable seating, a small kitchen and bathroom. The service is not accessible in this space, but there are a variety of contemplative materials available.