A model of inclusion: Parishes have special role in accommodating needs of people with autism, Catholic families say
April is Autism Awareness Month
Shannon Goodson understands the importance of flexibility.
Her son, Cameron, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was 2-and-a-half years old. The Goodsons of Holy Infant Parish in Ballwin have found that flexibility, along with open communication, are important elements of their son’s participation within the life of the Church.
Goodson said parish leaders — the priests, deacons and director of religious education — “all of them see us there. And they see he has a struggle with paying attention.” As a parent, being proactive is what has made her son’s faith journey fruitful, she added.
“I think that’s true for all parents of children with special needs,” she said. “The parents have to be their own advocates, and it’s nice when it’s received well. You hear those horror stories about how it’s not received well and people don’t want to accommodate. But we have been impressed with Holy Infant overall — we just have to let them know what’s going on and to be open when it comes to accommodations.”
Cameron is now 10 years old and attends fourth grade at a public school. When the Goodsons enrolled him at Holy Infant’s Parish School of Religion in first grade, Shannon offered to serve as a classroom assistant. This year, she has served as a fourth-grade classroom catechist.
At Mass, they make a point to sit in a front row to the side so Cameron has a good view of what’s taking place during Mass — as well as a quick exit to the side parking lot after Mass, where they don’t have to pass through a large crowd. When he received his first reconciliation and first Communion, the Goodsons spoke to the priests and director of religious education, Patricia Foley, about the accommodations he would need.
Creating a routine and structure has also been an important part of Cameron’s faith development. “He understands Communion and how to receive,” Shannon said. “I always tell him before we go up, you remember how to hold your hands and what to say. We coach him to make sure he remembers, and at some point, it will become totally natural.”
Understanding autism
Around the time Steve and Kathy Houston received an autism diagnosis for their son, John, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the prevalence of autism was one in 150 children in the United States. That prevalence has increased in the past 20 years to one in 36 8-year-old children, according to a report released last month.
The shift is in part due to an earlier diagnosis of autism in children, as well as an expanded understanding of its characteristics. The CDC describes autism spectrum disorder as a developmental disability that is caused by differences in how the brain functions. People with autism may communicate, interact and behave in different ways. It is primarily a genetic issue.
Church communities have a special role in providing support to individuals with autism. While there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to supporting people with special needs, having two-way communication between families and parish leadership is important.
Steve Houston said it wasn’t his intention for John to become visible within the parish community at Sacred Heart in Valley Park, but it just kind of happened that way. The Houstons moved to the parish when John was 6 years old, and the family made it a point to sit in one of the front rows.
“I was hypersensitive about his behaviors and didn’t want him to be a bother to people,” Steve recalled. “But the unintended consequence was that John got to see the full altar and all of the reverence (of the Mass), and he soaked it up like a sponge.”
John is now 28 years old, and he fully participates at Mass. He’s also assisted with his father as an altar server, and when he was younger, he attended Sacred Heart’s Parish School of Religion with teacher Clare Evertowski.
“What I didn’t quite realize early on was the capacity for people to genuinely care,” Steve said. “People should come to church, shed their judgement and realize that we all have our imperfections. Some are more obvious than others — John’s are rocking back and forth, or getting out of his seat and hugging someone. But they accept that now, and it’s his way of expressing himself.”
“God Loves the Autistic Mind”
When Father Matthew Schneider’s superiors reassigned him after one year of a three-year assignment as a school chaplain, he was surprised.
His superiors with the Legionaries of Christ told him the role was not a good fit, adding that they observed Father Schneider had challenges with social communication. The experience eventually led him to an autism diagnosis in his mid-30s.
Father Schneider, well-known among Catholics on Twitter, publicly announced his autism diagnosis on World Autism Day in 2019. In opening up about his diagnosis, he hoped it would help other Catholics with autism. Last year, he published “God Loves the Autistic Mind: A Prayer Guide for Those on the Spectrum and Those Who Love Us” (Pauline Books & Media).
There are two essential elements for a parish to create a welcoming environment for autistic people, said the priest, who now serves as a theology professor at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina. “The first stage is, I’m aware and understand the basic idea (of autism), and now I am willing to bring these people in and make accommodations,” he said. “The first step is necessary for the second part to happen.”
Many autistic people have a narrow threshold for sensory input, meaning that for some, including Father Schneider, certain lights might be too bright, or the sounds of a choir may be overwhelming.
Parish opportunities for socialization, such as social events and ministries, also can be challenging for people with autism, he said. As someone who has social challenges, he prefers to be in situations with others where he doesn’t have to worry about having to make a conscious effort to read social cues. Father Schneider also advocates for sensory-friendly Masses. He has created a map on his website, www.frmatthewlc.com, which includes sensory-friendly Masses across the United States and Canada.
Autism is a wide spectrum, and each person has unique gifts that they possess, he said. “For autistic people, we tend to value meaningful work more and relationships less,” he said. “In that sense, there are situations where we can do things that are meaningful and our special interests can translate into a huge help for the Church.”
>> April is Autism Awareness Month. Here are some ways parishes can increase awareness and create a welcoming environment for people with autism.
• Introduce yourself to a family in your parish that has been touched by autism. Autism can create social isolation for the family; connecting with others can build stronger communities and enrich the experience of faith.
• Some individuals may be unable to attend the entire Mass. They may need extra space in the pew or a place to have a break. Their parents may bring books or other religious items for them to keep them engaged during the liturgy.
• Parishes should offer sensory-friendly Masses that address sound, lighting and other sensory sensitivities. Consider offering a quiet, sensory-friendly space at church where autistic people may continue to participate in Mass.
• Every person is a gift from God and has a human and universal need of spiritual connection to our Creator and His Son, Jesus Christ. Even people who are non-verbal can acknowledge this connection through gestures or respectful temperament.
• We are all made in the image and likeness of God and, therefore, have inherent value and worth. The limitations of what we might be able to do are extrinsic to the measurement of our inherent human dignity.
>> Tips for parents of children with autism
• Contact your priest and introduce your child. Don’t assume he knows everything about autism. Offer information and communicate any accommodations that could help your child.
• Consider sharing your family’s story in appropriate situations, such as a retreat setting or within a parish ministry.
• Don’t give up hope if your child is having difficulties at church. The fact that you brought your child to Mass is great — they spent time in the presence of Jesus!
• Seek out other families with children who have special needs and form a parish ministry that supports and raises awareness of people with different abilities.
>> CDC data on autism
In March 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data on the prevalence of autism in the United States. The study identified one in 36 8-year-old children as having autism in data collected in 2020. This was more than what was found in earlier studies. (One in every 44 children had autism in the previous study.)
Data came from 11 communities (including Missouri) as part of the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. The Children’s Health Act of 2000 authorized the CDC to create the network to track the number and characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities in diverse communities throughout the United States. The network has been collecting and reporting data on autism from across the United States for more than 20 years.
To learn more about the CDC’s autism tracking activities, visit cdc.gov/autism.
Shannon Goodson understands the importance of flexibility. Shannon Goodson worked with her son, Cameron Goodson, while teaching a PSR class April 3 at Holy Infant in Ballwin. Shannon and Cameron … A model of inclusion: Parishes have special role in accommodating needs of people with autism, Catholic families say
Subscribe to Read All St. Louis Review Stories
All readers receive 5 stories to read free per month. After that, readers will need to be logged in.
If you are currently receive the St. Louis Review at your home or office, please send your name and address (and subscriber id if you know it) to subscriptions@stlouisreview.com to get your login information.
If you are not currently a subscriber to the St. Louis Review, please contact subscriptions@stlouisreview.com for information on how to subscribe.