No barriers to learning about God

Catechists connect with experts and resources to better teach children with disabilities.

PRISCILLA GREEAR | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 02.15.08

MIAMI SHORES | On the Jan. 22 anniversary of the legalization of abortion, speakers at a Miami catechetical conference emphasized that being pro-life also means ensuring that children with disabilities can learn and grow in faith alongside their peers.

The workshop was held at St. Martha Parish hall to provide about 65 directors of religious education, catechists and other educators some guidance on how to teach children with conditions including autism, Asperger’s disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, and processing and learning disorders.

Lily Rangel–Diaz, director of the Center for Education Advocacy in Miami, challenged teachers to consider how they can better include these children in religious education programs.

“It’s not a matter of whether we’re going to do it, but how we’re going to do it. It’s all God’s children all the time, and then you figure out how to do it. We are the body of Christ and with God all things are possible,” said Rangel–Diaz, a member of the National Council on Disability for the past seven years.

Rangel–Diaz is concerned that too many parents feel the church cannot accommodate their children.

“We need to work on finding these children and bringing them to Jesus. No child should be denied access to religious education and the sacraments, and it does happen. The church can’t be pro–life and be against inclusion,” she said. “The most cost–effective and efficient way of providing any education to students with disabilities is through inclusive education.”

She said that a good threshold of whether to teach a child alongside peers is whether the child can read, even with assistance.

But Mary Dodge, pastoral director of the archdiocese’s Schott Communities in Cooper City, a center for people with disabilities, told attendees that inclusion can happen in many ways and “in my mind, doesn’t necessarily mean mainstreaming.”

“We are there specifically to guide you, to be a resource, to be a support, in some cases to take children if you don’t have resources,” she said. “The main thing with kids is we want to do what is best for them.”

Typically, catechists, most of whom are volunteers, do not have special training in this area, said Elizabeth Levitz, archdiocesan director of religious education. The workshop was an effort to support them.

“I’m sure just about every parish has some kids like that,” she said. “That’s the biggest thing, that people know where to go if they need information, to figure out what to do in their own parishes.”

She wanted to address autism in particular because it now appears to be widespread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data in 2007 that found about 1 in 150 8-year-old children in several U.S. states had an autism spectrum disorder.

Another resource is the Unicorn Children’s Foundation, which supports children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Sharon Alexander, the foundation’s executive director, encouraged catechists to meet with children’s parents to learn their issues. She advised educators to incorporate a variety of teaching methods to accommodate children’s various learning styles, whether tactile, visual or auditory.

“We need to adapt the curriculum and environment to make it the most effective learning environment possible,” she said. “It’s one of the most rewarding experiences when you see these children getting the message and learning. Really embrace these children and their families.”

Amparo Martinez, director of religious education at St. Kevin Parish in Miami, has found success in her classrooms by pairing older student volunteers with children with special needs.

“It’s hard, not easy, but can be done if we’re pro-life,” she said.

Haydee Hernandez is grateful that her grandson, who has Asperger’s, has received religious instruction at St. Kevin after having to leave a Catholic school because of his special needs.

“We need to incorporate them in society. Don’t be afraid of these children, loving children. They are here to teach us how to love each other,” Hernandez said. “This today is a blessing for me to see that the archdiocese is making people aware of a big problem.”

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