epilepsy

Haircut, Sir?

Haircut, Sir?

My son James has his hair cut about four or five times a year. As long as we keep to a routine, all is fine. Any change would be enormously difficult for him, and therefore for us. The reason I share James’ haircut story is to illustrate that routine and familiarity are fundamentally core to the coping mechanisms of many children and young people with additional needs. And just like the routines followed by special needs families, churches have opportunities to make similar choices regarding children and young people with disabilities in church-based work as well.

How Do I Know If My Special Needs Child Can Have Faith?

How Do I Know If My Special Needs Child Can Have Faith?

It’s a question many Christian parents of a child with special needs or a disability ask, and it’s a question that can be really hard to answer, especially when the child in question has limited communication. But perhaps there are clues that we can piece together: things that Jesus did, or understanding the ways our child responds to God. In exploring this, it might stretch and grow our own understanding and faith in God, too.

Why Additional Needs Parenting Is Like A Poker Game

Why Additional Needs Parenting Is Like A Poker Game

Whatever your experience with the game of poker, there is a lot about the game that is very much like additional needs parenting.

Children of the Bible and My Autistic Son

Children of the Bible and My Autistic Son

The Bible is full of stories about children and young people: Mary, Joseph, David, Samuel, Esther, the widow’s son and Elijah, Naaman’s slave girl, Jairus’ daughter, etc. In thinking about some of these stories, I found many parallels in their stories and my son James.