Suggestions and Resources for Helping ALL Children Feel Welcome

Neuro-diverse children — children with communication, social, and/or emotional problems — are often excluded or feel unwelcome at church. What does your church do to include children with special needs? How do you equip your volunteers?

Share your tips and techniques here.

Here is a helpful article to start the conversation. It's link will open the article at the Small Church Ministry website:

Understand 2 Types Of Special Needs Ministry For Your Small Church

This article by Holly Sharpe for Small Church Ministry has suggestions for ways even a small church can have a ministry that is inclusive (children with special needs are "mainstreamed" with their peers) or exclusive (a special ministry for special children).

The suggested inclusive accommodations do not interfere with what others receive from participating in Sunday school or worship, and they also ensure that children with special needs can be comfortable and participate without obstacles. For example, dimming lights and reducing volume, flexible seating, and teaching lessons in different ways (exactly what Workshop Rotation Model is meant to do!).

Regarding "exclusive ministry," the author says churches could "design programs and services around children with special needs and include typical peers." She describes in detail how her church held a VBS for children with autism.

The bottom line is that different children have different needs and what helps one child may not be what another needs. But even a small church can creatively make all children feel welcome, using the suggestions in this article. (And sometimes a small church is more able to be flexible and meet the needs of a diverse group of children!)