"But what if we don't want to add another program to our church?"

It's easy nowadays for churches to become all about programs. In the words of Jason Stellman in Dual Citizens: Worship and Life between the Already and the Not Yet,

The first questions pastors often hear from visitors to their churches concern programs: “Do you have a young married couples ministry? How about an alcoholics’ recovery program? What activities does your youth ministry offer? And do you have anything for my green-eyed, left-handed pre-teen daughter who loves ferrets and plays the oboe?” The assumption seems to be that since the church is primarily a means for social interaction, it should provide “Christian” versions of whatever club or subculture we feel drawn to, no matter how narrow or age-specific.

Often churches are hesitant to cater to every sub-group in their congregation, lest the parts of the body of Christ be segregated and the Gospel get buried under all the programs. And while this is certainly a valid concern, special needs ministry simply can't be likened to a program for green-eyed, left-handed pre-teen girls who love ferrets and play the oboe.

Why not? Well, for one, those green-eyed, left-handed pre-teen girls can

• participate in other programs, 
• worship with others (you know, the right handers with brown and blue eyes),
• understand the Gospel as it is shared to anyone else and share it with others, and
• serve within the church.

Can individuals with special needs do those things at your church? Some can, depending on the extent to which their disabilities affect them, but many cannot at most churches.

My role as special needs ministry coordinator at our church isn't to create new programs. It's to identify barriers to ministry for these families and to remove those obstacles.

Special needs ministry isn't a new silo of ministry in your church. It's about making sure that every part of your church is accessible and welcoming.