“Help! There’s an autistic person in our congregation!”

The Christian Church’s Attitude Towards Disabilities (including autism)

I have been a Christian for most of my life. However, I’m sad to say , it is my personal belief that the most hostile and least caring environment for many autistic individuals and their families is the local Christian church. Why is this so? Should loving your neighbour exclude autistic people, simply because they are different? Did Jesus say “let the children come to me, and do not stop them (unless they are autistic )?”

I have heard so many people who have been excluded or driven out of their church family because they happen to be autistic or parents of autistic children. Some of is overt, and deliberate discrimination, but much of this is covert and based on lack of understanding and failing to accept or adapt to the social and sensory differences of autistic people.

Some of these negative attitudes stem from the Christian Church’s traditional attitudes towards disability in general.

Throughout the history of Christianity, attitudes towards disability (and difference) have varied greatly. In parts of the Bible, physical disability is portrayed as a punishment for sin. In the writings of the New Testament, Jesus performed many miracles, including healing the disabled. Some Christians still identify sin as the cause of disability. Although the Bible makes no reference to intellectual disability, still today there are Christians who believe that autism, like other illnesses and disabilities exists as a punishment for sin.

In contrast , Jesus describes disability as not being due to a person’s sin, or those of the parents, but “happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

In the Middle Ages, some scholars and priests continued to believe that disability was a punishment from God for committing sins, and would find Biblical texts to support their arguments. Others however, took the view that that those with disabilities were more pious than non-disabled people. For example consider the case of Brother Juniper.

One of Saint Francis of Assisi’s original followers, Brother Juniper was well loved by Francis for his devotion and profound humility. However, according to the Little Flower of St. Francis, Juniper did not always understand the accepted standards of social interaction.

Once while visiting a sick friar, Juniper asked him if he could be of any service. The friar asked for pig’s feet to eat, as it would give him great consolation. Brother Juniper, feeling compelled to help the sick friar, took a knife from the kitchen, went into the forest and found a group of pigs feeding. Juniper caught one of the pigs, swiftly cut a leg off, and ran back to the kitchen to prepare it (leaving the rest of the pig in the forest). Unknown to Juniper, the man in charge of the pigs was standing there watching it all happen and quickly informed his master of the situation.

When St. Francis confronted Brother Juniper, he was entirely confused why the master of the pigs would be upset at what he did. In Juniper’s mind, he was doing a charitable deed and there was nothing wrong with cutting off a pig’s foot to help someone else out. Brother Juniper was eventually able to win over the angry master with his humility and simplicity.

There are many other similar stories regarding Brother Juniper’s inability to recognize social cues that make it possible he was “on the autism spectrum.” In the end, despite his apparent defects, Saint Francis was famous for saying, “Would to God, my brothers, I had a whole forest of such Junipers.”

Martin Luther, however, held the view that disability was caused by sin, and is recorded to have recommended to the Prince of Dessau that a young boy with disabilities be drowned. When this suggestion was rebuked, Luther told the prince that Christians should pray for the Devil to be removed from the boy every day.

Today, disability is still linked with sin in some denominations of the church and in some cultures where Christianity is the predominant religion, particularly in some African nations , including Ghana and Ethiopia.

In Ghana, people with mental illnesses and neurological disorders are routinely sent to prayer camps linked with Evangelical and Pentecostal churches to try to overcome their disorders. In some of these camps, people may be chained to objects for prolonged periods, deprived of food and provided with poor sanitation. Disabled Christians also also report feeling unwelcome when attending church.

Such cultural behaviours are not mutually exclusive to darkest Africa. Many families of children with disabilities in the USA report feeling excluded from Church services because of the attitudes of other members of the congregation. Furthermore, Christian groups often support so called “miracle cures” for autism including forcing children to swallow or be injected with bleach, prevented from taking life-saving vaccinations and “miracle pills” akin to the snake oil pedlars of the Wild West!

Before us Brits wring our hands and think ourselves superior and more educated in our attitudes towards disability, prejudice and ignorance remains in many churches and congregations in good old blighty!

Some of this stems from traditional adverse attitudes and misconceptions towards autism. For example:

• Autistic people may be pre-considered to be dangerous, disruptive or present socially inappropriate behaviours
• Autistic people, or their behaviours, may be misinterpreted as tantrums, or signs of mental illness or craziness
• Autistic people might be regarded with fear, suspicion, punishment
• Autistic people may be directly, or indirectly, excluded or ostracised by the Church or congregation

How Common Is Autism & Does It Really Matter To The Church ?

There are estimated to be more than 700,000 autistic people in the UK, but it could be over 1 million as many remain undiagnosed, or are are discovered later in life. Statistically therefore, there are likely to be about 80 autistic people in the average parish. This makes it far more than most physical disabilities, and certainly wheelchair use.

There is, consequently , a likelihood of autistic people already in any local church undertaking any number of roles. It is unlikely that many would have notified the church or congregation of their autism for fear of rejection, ridicule or criticism. Many fear the responses, because of the myths, born out of ignorance and misunderstanding of what it means to be autistic. Or, they may not even yet realise that they are on the autistic spectrum; many are discovered later in life.

Is autism a good thing for our churches? Yes! If a church is to grow , it must not exclude, potentially over 1% of the population on the grounds of their disability or neurodiversity.

How to welcome autistic people into the Church

Generally, things that help autistic individuals help nearly everyone else too. These include:

-Easy instructions
-Environments where you can think, and pray, and enjoy, rather than being overwhelmed
-Friendly, welcoming leaders who want to make things work, rather than find excuses not to
-A church where autistic people are recognised and enabled as disciples, leaders, prayer partners, and in many other roles
-A church that is a safe and respectful place for all.

Did Jesus know about autism?

Let us consider the character Nicodemus. He usually approached Jesus in the quiet and dark, away from the deafening crowds. He could not understand metaphor (such as the concept of “being born again”), and Jesus had to re-explain it to him. Later, Nicodemus grabbed a rule book to try to save Jesus. Finally, at the tomb, Nicodemus staggered up the hill with an extraordinary amount of herbs and spices.

All of this could be interpreted as possible autistic behaviour. For those of us who are autistic, it is a comfort to see such a recognisable figure at Jesus’s side!

Making Sense Of Communion

For many church congregations, holy communion is an important and integral part of worship. However, it can be quite a daunting and confusing experience for anyone new to the congregation , more so for an autistic individual. Society has lots of hidden and unwritten social rules and church society is no different. Understanding these social rules often does not come naturally to many autistic individuals. Also, each church denomination may have different procedures around communion, and sometimes how the communion service is delivered varies even within a church denomination.

Questions may include. Is the bread and wine passed around? Who holds what and in what order? Is there a single loaf or small pieces of bread or wafers? Are there individual cups or a shared cup? Are you expected to stand or kneel at the altar-rail. What are we expected to do, and what words do we have to say? Finally, when & how do we return to our seats? And then there are the social and sensory considerations around sharing the peace. Do we hug or shake hands. How long for? What if you are hypersensitive to human touch or physical contact? It is such a minefield for many autistic individuals!

It comes as little surprise than that “…the autistic person can go through life without ever finding the deep uncritical love and affection for which they are so hungry…. Autism is love waiting to find love, but so misunderstood that this objective mostly fails.

But God is love, so where better should an autistic person go to find love than to the church, the body of Christ? But therein is the challenge for the body of Christ because most …do not understand autism. ”(Stan Walden)

Some Tips for the Church to Help Autistic Children and Their Parents

-Ask the child or young person what helps
-Even if they do not use spoken language, they may use technology, or picture clues, or signing, or gesture, to guide you
-Take time to listen, and learn
-A parent or carer may help interpret
-Don’t make assumptions!
-Many autistic children really want to listen and learn about faith, not attend a crèche and do fun activities
-Make sure they are as able to learn about God as everyone else
-Always assume competence

Some Parents’ Experiences from British Churches

The following quotes are from real parents, as provided to the Church of England:

“We had a family of four (now in church leadership), turn round and glare at us for a whole service…

“…someone from the leadership came to me as the worship finished and the sermon began, and asked us to leave because we would certainly become a distraction to the preacher…We didn’t go back.”

“I had to try five churches before I found one that offered me a welcome. The rest either ignored the phone calls or emails, or told me they were too busy to respond right now, week after week. Non-disabled friends had no such trouble. The unspoken message was, “We don’t want you here so we’ll ignore you until you go away”.

“I was a stranger and you did not invite me in… you did not look after me… I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” Matthew 25

Negative Reactions From Congregations About Autistic People:

• “Children with autism are due to bad parenting”
• “Parents and people with autism wallow in self-pity”
• “Autistic people are a nuisance”
• “Autism is an illness and needs to be cured”
• “Autistic people are in some way defective”
• “Disabilities are tragedies and people with disabilities are to be pitied “
• “We really wish that these people weren’t here”

Useful strategies

•Watch for clues from behaviour: (eg a child covering their ears)

•Provide clear, precise instructions-Keep it simple !

•Watch for difficulties with touch

•Maintain a low arousal approach

•Don’t insist on eye contact

•Expect social communication difficulties

•Allow processing time

•Engage in their special interests as a “way in”; use these to illustrate biblical themes

•Provide a quiet room or safe haven

•Give them responsibilities that they can handle

• It is rare for an autistic child to lie about a situation-in the case of suspected abuse , always take it seriously

Reflecting Again on the Traditional Church Response to Disabilities and Difference:

As mentioned earlier, the traditional church response was that disabilities were lessons used by God to teach us to empathise with others less fortunate. The Church regarded mankind as fallen, but the disabled more so than others. Jesus came to cure or heal those with infirmities, so the church should strive to imitate him by following His example. Heaven is a place devoid of imperfection , therefore disability is abhorrent to God.

What Should be the Correct Church Response?

People with disabilities, including autism are like everybody else, and everyone is unique and equally important in the eyes of God, irrespective of their culture, religion, abilities or disabilities. All of us are created by God and for God, each with a vulnerable heart and yearns to love and be loved and valued. We all have a mission and each of us is born so that God’s work may be accomplished in us.

The Church should make the buildings and congregations welcoming. This should be achieved through making reasonable adjustments and practical arrangements, with welcoming hearts. The Church needs to acknowledge these two simple truths, Autistic people don’t need healing, non-autistic (neurotypical) people need to be changed.

Ten Practical Ways Churches Can Help Autistic People

-Structure
-Visual communication aids
-Look at the positives-see the person as God sees them
-Talk with them to gain acceptance
-Provide a quiet area/time out room
-Use Social Stories to explain communion etc
-Give the person practical tasks/responsibilities
-Provide a listening ear/empathy
-Identify and remove triggers to behaviour
-Prayer and fellowship

Conclusion

I began by writing that although I have been a Christian for most of my life. Sadly, however, as an autistic and parent of two autistic children, in my personal experience the least understanding and supportive environment for my family has been the Church. By being more inclusive, adaptable, welcoming and appreciative of the value of autistic people, a more Christ-centred and loving church is achievable and desirable. With 700,000 plus autistic individuals within the UK, the vast majority of which do not attend any form of regular worship, the Christian Church , and indeed other religions, are missing out on a huge resource of gifts and talents that represent a substantial untouched demographic.

If you want to discover more about what it is like to be autistic, and how you can support autistic individuals and their families in worship, education or employment please comment below or contact me through my website https://wired4autism.co.uk.

And remember, we autistics are different, not less, we simply have a different operating system, which is pretty cool!