Indispensable People
Making the Gospel Accessible to people of ALL abilities so that they may know Christ, grow in Him, and serve Him with the gifts He has given them.
Indispensable People
Bridging the Gap: Serving All Ages in Disability Ministry
We explore the critical differences between serving children and adults with disabilities in church settings, offering practical strategies for creating inclusive environments that honor each person's unique needs and life stage.
• Over 65 million Americans have disabilities (25% of population), yet 80% aren't inside church walls
• Children with disabilities benefit from predictable routines, visual schedules, and transition warnings
• Sensory considerations are vital for kids who may struggle to communicate their needs
• Communication support through visuals, picture schedules, and written cues helps bridge understanding
• Adults with disabilities deserve age-appropriate treatment that respects their dignity and independence
• Relationship desires and questions require sensitive navigation, especially with intellectual disabilities
• Communication methods are typically more established in adults, requiring patience rather than development
• Maintaining age-appropriate groupings and activities supports everyone's dignity and growth
• Both age groups benefit from buddy systems, though implemented differently based on age
• The ultimate goal is making the gospel accessible to everyone regardless of ability
For deeper dives into these topics and more, check out indispensable-people.com and visit Amazon to purchase the books "The Indispensable Kid" and "Gospel, Accessibility and the Indispensable People."
Hi, my name is Tracy Correll and welcome to Indispensable People. I'm a wife, mom, teacher, pastor and missionary, and I believe that every person should have the opportunity to know Christ, grow in Him and serve Him with the gifts that he has given, no matter their ability. Over 65 million Americans have a disability. That's 25% of the population. However, over 80% of them are not inside the walls of our church. Let's dive into those hard topics biblical foundations, perceptions and world-changing ideas. Hey, hey, and welcome to this episode of Indispensable People.
Speaker 1:Today we're going to be talking about serving kids versus serving adults In a church setting. What kind of is similar? What's different? How can we make specific accommodations that will take into context those differences? And, first and foremost, I always say a lot of people are less intimidating by providing care or ministry to people who are younger kids, but I have to be honest, typically older people are a little bit more set in their ways and easier where kids were kind of consistently figuring out. However, I do understand that the idea of little people, little problems, big people, bigger problems comes into play and how that impacts what we do. So let's really take some initial steps into looking at the differences when we're thinking about working with children with disabilities, we need to consider that they often require a distinct amount of support simply because they're kids, right? Kids are figuring things out, no matter if they have a disability or not. They're trying to gauge their environments and see who the people are that they are engaging with and how that will impact what they do and how they do right. And so that is with or without a disability. But here are some things that we need to consider when we're taking in, more specifically, the accommodation, setting up the environment and preparation for serving kiddos. Routine and structure are, um, very, very helpful, uh, especially um for um kids who might feel unsure, might lose focus, um have a bit of anxiety, um, with whatever they're dealing with, um, and so they thrive on predictable routines, and you can put in place some visual schedules. You can verbally go over what is going to be happening and also provide warnings for transitions as they come, such as in 10 minutes we're going to, in five minutes, in two minutes, in one minute or after. You know first this, then next are really great statements to use. All of those kinds of supports are really really very helpful, also taking into consideration the sensory needs that may pop up, and the younger the child is, the less they're going to be able to communicate those needs. So watching out, being very observant, is going to be a very good strategy to keep with you.
Speaker 1:For instance, just recently I was in a classroom with two three-year-olds and the one little guy was happy and playing and just checking things out. It was his first time with us at our church and he was having a grand time kind of investigating and observing and so he was moving from space to space and from toy to toy and he happened to sit down in what we call our egg chair, which spins, and it closes up and as it spins it kind of makes kind of like a kind of noise. And my other little guy, who has been at our church for a very long time he's familiar with all the things in the space he started to kind of wince and cry out and eventually not at first, but eventually he started to cover his ears, which then told me hey, he doesn't like that sound. Now I can't stop the other little guy from doing every single thing that he was doing, but I can offer some support to the child who did not like the sound that was happening and now you'll see some discomfort, but this was extreme discomfort. He was crying, he couldn't focus on what he was doing because the noise was bothering him, and so I was able to offer him some noise canceling headphones. We could have also moved to another space in the room. We could have given him opportunities for a break if it was necessary in those moments.
Speaker 1:But taking into context all of those types of things, in another consideration we had a little guy who was given instructions and asked a question, and he answered the question no. However, his physical body showed yes, and so, trying to help him understand what his words were saying and what his body was saying, he became very frustrated and so whenever I stepped out of the room with another person to take them to the restroom the other volunteers the anxiety, the frustration grew in that individual. When I came back in the room they had turned the lights off and what they were doing is they were removing some of the sensory input to help kind of balance out where his frustration was. So he didn't have so many things coming at him to sort through, and so they removed some of those other situations and then that individual became much calmer. So sensory considerations really do impact a child quite intensely, and if we have the opportunity to sort through them or to eliminate some or to dull some of them with the tools that we have available, we definitely want to be able to do that.
Speaker 1:Another layer that is going to heavily impact kiddos is communication, and that's simply because, especially at young ages, they may or may not have developed those. It might be because it's delayed, or it might be because they're just that young without our typical communication, and that might be. Maybe they're not going to verbally communicate with us, but they can point or they can gesture or we can observe their facial expressions. We can also offer visuals to explain what we're doing. We can put those visuals into if then statements or next then statements. They're really great, easy things to have a few pictures of what you're doing available, and the great thing about church is we have similar schedules all the time, so we can offer those types of things easily worship games, craft, snack, bathroom, prayer, coloring, whatever different activities that you have going on at your church that are repetitive, and you can even write on a dry erase board first, then and after. First you can put the picture that you're going to be doing and then a picture after the word. Then, and it can be as simple as that. You can make a laminated printable sheet if you'd like, but you do what works for you and what you have access to, and it makes easy use for the child. You can also write out or draw what is going on.
Speaker 1:I have a little guy who was a crazy avid reader when he was super duper young, was diagnosed with autism but struggled to slow down and to focus and to listen, and so writing those words that he could read were really great to help him know what was expected or what was coming, or a question that I wanted to ask him in the moment. Also, he was able to use the intelligence that he had and he was excited about, which was his ability to read, as opposed to highlighting the things that he struggled with. So that was something that worked really, really well. And those are just some basic things that we consider when we're talking about kids.
Speaker 1:We're going to talk about adults, and I'm going to tell you that a lot of the things that I just suggested for children do apply to adults. You're going to have a great need for routine and structure. You're going to need to make some sensory considerations and some communication support. However, they may be more able to communicate those needs to you. They also might be more set in those routines and setups so that it's easier for you to fall into place with them. You're not figuring that out, which with kids, they're growing and they're changing and so we're going to grow and change with them. With adults they get kind of more set in their ways. I'm not saying that you are not gonna have an occurrence where something changes or something worked previously and no longer works now, but you will have less of a struggle in figuring those things out. They're going to be a little bit more predictable.
Speaker 1:So let's take into more consideration the specifics that are going to impact adults or individuals who are just a little older, with disabilities. And the number one thing that I'm going to suggest is going to be very, very important is respect, dignity and respect that we need to take into consideration with adults because they are adults. So even if they have you know, the intellectual capacity of a young child or prefer things that a young child does like you know cartoons and you know certain characters and things like that we want to uphold that dignity and respect to their adult level. We want to value their independence and allow for it as much as possible, and we want to engage in asking them to help make decisions about their choices right. We don't have to make all those decisions for them if they can do that themselves or we can help them think through the process of it. We might also need to consider that there might be some life skill support things that we will need to do within the church. We may need to have you know things ready for bathroom use and you know reminders to use the restroom reminders hey, flush the toilet, did you wash your hands? You know steps like that that you might have to put into place. Even though they're adults, they might need some of that support Reminders about what you know, guidance in conversations and participation, turn-taking, that kind of stuff that might come along with it.
Speaker 1:Another thing that you're going to encounter that can be a very, very tricky subject is relationships. I used to work with a gentleman and he always used to tell me he was in his 50s when I worked with him and he would always tell me he's not giving up, he's going to get married someday. And you know some people with disabilities. They do get married and they live out that life and some people do not. And a lot of times we need to look towards the guardian and the direction that's being given by the parent or the guardian so that we can be supportive in the conversations. I think that it can be a very, very tricky, tricky, tricky topic. But do I say that marriage for people with disabilities, especially outside of an intellectual disability? That's so far not off the table. So it's not a ridiculous conversation.
Speaker 1:Where it does become a bit more tricky is the intellectual disabilities, where understanding of relationships and balancing those relationships and consequences of being involved in relationships and the ability to handle the emotionality that comes with relationships, that's when it becomes a lot trickier. So I have some really great friends with disabilities who are married and have successful marriages and so very happy for them and would have never questioned their relationships. So I don't want it to sound in that direction, but there are layers that become much more difficult to handle, especially the more intense the intellectual disability is. But also we want to understand and validate that they want what other people have, which is, you know, friendships and relationships. And if my peer is having a girlfriend or a boyfriend and or they're at marrying age and they're having children, it is not unreasonable to feel those same desires. So those will become things that you will navigate. And again, if there's a guardian in their life or a parent in their life that is helping to guide and direct, it is great to look to them for some direction in that area, but also engage in those conversations and validate the want but also recognize the challenge.
Speaker 1:Another thing to take into consideration are the complex communication needs as a child. They're still working on it, they're establishing it, they're figuring out. The growth potential is there as they get older. Again, it's going to kind of balance out and become less of a growth thing. Now don't get me wrong, because that is.
Speaker 1:I experienced working with an adult. She was in her 30s when I met her, but she didn't speak a word until she was 18 years old. And it is broken, unstructured sentences that she speaks in. But she is still able to communicate in words in which she was told and her parents were told when she was younger that she would never speak. So don't hear me on the fact that the communication won't exist or won't change, but it is much less frequent of a change and going to be more consistent in how it's done. The great thing about that is that whether they use their verbal capabilities or they're using a talker or other communication devices or sign language, they're going to be more established. But that means that we then need to become comfortable in navigating those.
Speaker 1:A lot of times, an individual using a communication device just really requires a little bit of patience because it takes time to get the stuff inputted so that you can stop for a minute and hear what they have to say and engage in that. So that's something to consider. Also, you might want to start to learn some things. A great start is some basic sign language. Even individuals who do not speak ASL fluently do use signs to indicate things like restroom. Thank you, please more you know that kind of stuff. That could be very beneficial as you go ahead. Now, something to take into consideration that's going to have similar. You can use buddy systems for both kids and adults. Similar, you can use buddy systems for both kids and adults.
Speaker 1:I think there are great ways to pair children with other children or teens as they grow. It is not as appropriate to do that with an adult. You're not going to pair a child with an adult, that's going to be not as conducive. But you are also going to want to consider that in pairing those buddy systems you want to create opportunities for growth and friendship and development. So putting people who have similar likes and dislikes together would be a lot of fun engaging in different activities that both likes.
Speaker 1:The other thing that you're going to want to consider is, as events get planned whether they are disability ministry specific or they are just churchwide we want to consider keeping age appropriate events At VBS. If it is for children from a certain age to a certain age, then that's the age that we stick to. We highly recommend that you don't place people out of their age groups. One thing that I do see that kind of waves a little bit, but that also hits our teenagers a little bit different too, is our church hosts a trunk or treat and we'll often get teenagers and then we also get adults with disabilities. We have encouraged our adults with disabilities to get dressed up and help pass out the candy, because the event is more tailored to individuals who are younger. So there are some crossovers, that kind of break that mold. But again, we really try to stick with age-appropriate groups and provide support within those groups. Whether it's a women's event, a men's event, obviously they're meant for adults. We try to keep adults with those things and kids with kids things. That just makes the most sense and causes for less confusion and better support within those activities. Again, so much else is very much across the board, you know, having flexibility, including, you know, supports for each age group, considering accessibility within your church, training and equipping your volunteers, all of that kind of stuff.
Speaker 1:Serving adults and children with disabilities in a church setting requires understanding to their unique needs and adapting our approaches accordingly to their unique needs and adapting our approaches accordingly.
Speaker 1:We want to make sure that we meet the needs of the people that we serve, that we treat them with dignity and we grow with them as they continue to grow, and we do that so that, through our environmental setup and through the considerations that we've made for them and their age groups, the gospel is accessible and that we can reach all people for Jesus, and that's really the key. Thanks for tuning in and I hope you'll listen again. This is Indispensable People, because we believe that God is for all and so is the church. Do I know everything about disability ministry? Do I have all the answers. Have I done everything perfectly? I have absolutely not, but we are going to continue this conversation so that people of all abilities can have the opportunity to know Christ, grow in Him and serve Him with the gifts that he has given them. For deeper dives into these topics and more, check out indispensablepeoplecom and visit Amazon to purchase the books the Indispensable Kid and Gospel, accessibility and the Indispensable People.
