Children with Disabilities

If we truly believe, as our work in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd tells us, that we are “led by the child” then we will meet each child in the atrium wherever they are on their faith journey. In the Rome atrium, there was a woman working on the Level II “Mystery of Faith” presentation, she was a person with a developmental disability. Sofia commented, “…in here she has clarity.” It is really that simple! Once a child with disabilities is accepted into an atrium, many practical tasks remain: assessing the child’s abilities, identifying a catechist, and determining which materials are appropriate. Linda Sgammato, CGSUSA Advisor for Children with Disabilities and Director of Special Religious Education, Catechetical Office, Archdiocese of New York offers words of greeting here.

Unless you are the parent of a child with a disability or a special education teacher you may not feel you are knowledgeable enough to work with children who have disabilities. It is helpful to have a basic understanding of the various types of disabilities that children in your atria may have.

There are several sources you can turn to for this information including a Parish Resource Guide for Welcoming Children with Disabilities, “Recognizing The Gift,” that has been published by the Catechetical Office of the Archdiocese of New York, Linda Sgammato and Sr. Anne Ryan, PBVM, co-authors.