Special needs ministry Q&A: Liability, AWANA, number needed for a class, age groupings
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This week I'm taking a break from policy - which I'll come back to for at least a post a week in the next month or two - to answer some questions posed in a comment by Tammy a couple weeks ago. Yesterday I kicked off these answers with a reminder that every church and every person is different (and not by accident, but rather by God's good design!) and no single answer will work for every situation. And then I took a stab at questions related to age-appropriate classes, high-sensory youth programs, and the inclusion of adults with special needs.
As I tackle this set of questions, I once again invite YOU to chime in with more questions or different answers. We all have something to contribute to this discussion!
As I'll discuss more tomorrow in one of my responses, the question is how much liability your church is comfortable with. Some churches don't ever administer medication; some do so on Sunday mornings; and still others only do so on out-of-town trips. Each church made a decision about the level of medical liability they were comfortable with, and each set policies accordingly. Those policies range from "we don't administer medication, but parents/caregivers are welcome to return to do so" to "we do in the following circumstances, given by the following people, with the following procedures..." Note that each "yes" usually requires more policy-writing than a "no" does - I don't say that to encourage you to say no, but to advise you to say yes wisely.
Most churches - even the previous church I served with in a rural area with fewer average attendees than my Sunday school class at my current large church - have a lawyer. If you are concerned about issues of liability with regard to any aspect of your ministry, you may want to involve that person in the conversation, at minimum to review your written policies.
Now back to the question at hand... Do I think it's unwise for a child or teen to push a wheelchair? If they are physically able to do so safely (i.e. not a small child) and mature enough not to treat it like a game, then I don't see a problem with that.
As I did with one of the questions yesterday, I'm going to answer this with more questions: Can the child memorize and communicate verses in a non-traditional way (with a picture system like PECS, with a computerized device, with sign language or other physical communication)? Reciting a verse doesn't just mean you speak it. Are you willing to adapt expectations so that, like the situation I mentioned above, you can celebrate a child with special needs learning one verse in a year while his classmates learn ~30? (Please say yes! We did. It was precious.) If memorization isn't happening, how can you include the child in other ways? While one of the primary goals of AWANA is memorization, I know it involves other components too. My husband is a celebrity at church among three- to five-year-old kiddos because he tells the story and leads the puppet show for that group at AWANA, and a child who doesn't memorize verses can still be included in story time. My daughter brings home crafts and coloring pages, and a child who can't memorize verses could be include with those. While kids are reciting their verses at the end of class, only a few kids are reciting at a time while the rest are doing something else; even if he isn't involved in the memory time, he can participate in the "something else" if it's planned to include him too.
Another option might be a separate activity for kids with special needs during AWANA. I'll be observing this fall at a local church who has a class at AWANA specifically for kids with special needs. One of our families participates in that ministry, and they love it.
Check out my concerns yesterday about age group consideration for the second question. If you're asking if its okay for a birth through elderly class, then no, I don't think that's wise and I don't think many of the parents of kids in that class would feel comfortable with the adults being there too. How you split up ages beyond that will depend upon your volunteer team and the needs at your church, but make sure you approach the decision with prayer and wisdom rather than knee-jerk reactions.
It's also wise to ask, "What benefit does the person get from being in a younger class? Is there any way we can adapt for that same benefit to be experienced in an older class?" Notice that the emphasis here is on our need to adapt and not any effort to force the person to adapt to us.
Could you create a separate class? Why or why not? Where would you have a separate class for that age group? What can you do in a separate class than you can't do in the typical class? In public school, any time a child is removed from a typical class to receive services in a special education setting, special ed law requires the team to provide a justification for that removal. The principle in practice is called "least restrictive environment," and it's a good one for churches to consider too. If someone is removed or excluded from a typical setting, you need a good reason for it.
~+~
I'll have the last set of questions from Tammy tomorrow, so please come back then!
Until then, what else can you add? Any more questions or different answers? Any other thoughts?
As I tackle this set of questions, I once again invite YOU to chime in with more questions or different answers. We all have something to contribute to this discussion!
Should a child or youth be allowed to push someone in a wheelchair? aren't there liability issues?First, let's clarify one thing: if you work with people, there are liability issues. We can't avoid liability unless we sit in a room by ourselves and never communicate with anyone. Are there liability issues with allowing a child or youth to push someone in a wheelchair? Yes. Are there liability issues with allowing a child or youth to set foot on your church property? Yes.
As I'll discuss more tomorrow in one of my responses, the question is how much liability your church is comfortable with. Some churches don't ever administer medication; some do so on Sunday mornings; and still others only do so on out-of-town trips. Each church made a decision about the level of medical liability they were comfortable with, and each set policies accordingly. Those policies range from "we don't administer medication, but parents/caregivers are welcome to return to do so" to "we do in the following circumstances, given by the following people, with the following procedures..." Note that each "yes" usually requires more policy-writing than a "no" does - I don't say that to encourage you to say no, but to advise you to say yes wisely.
Most churches - even the previous church I served with in a rural area with fewer average attendees than my Sunday school class at my current large church - have a lawyer. If you are concerned about issues of liability with regard to any aspect of your ministry, you may want to involve that person in the conversation, at minimum to review your written policies.
Now back to the question at hand... Do I think it's unwise for a child or teen to push a wheelchair? If they are physically able to do so safely (i.e. not a small child) and mature enough not to treat it like a game, then I don't see a problem with that.
Should a non-verbal child be included in AWANAs where the main goal to reciting memorized Bible verses?First, remember that goals don't have to be the same for all kids. We have had kids with special needs participate in AWANA and only learn one verse in the entire year.
As I did with one of the questions yesterday, I'm going to answer this with more questions: Can the child memorize and communicate verses in a non-traditional way (with a picture system like PECS, with a computerized device, with sign language or other physical communication)? Reciting a verse doesn't just mean you speak it. Are you willing to adapt expectations so that, like the situation I mentioned above, you can celebrate a child with special needs learning one verse in a year while his classmates learn ~30? (Please say yes! We did. It was precious.) If memorization isn't happening, how can you include the child in other ways? While one of the primary goals of AWANA is memorization, I know it involves other components too. My husband is a celebrity at church among three- to five-year-old kiddos because he tells the story and leads the puppet show for that group at AWANA, and a child who doesn't memorize verses can still be included in story time. My daughter brings home crafts and coloring pages, and a child who can't memorize verses could be include with those. While kids are reciting their verses at the end of class, only a few kids are reciting at a time while the rest are doing something else; even if he isn't involved in the memory time, he can participate in the "something else" if it's planned to include him too.
Another option might be a separate activity for kids with special needs during AWANA. I'll be observing this fall at a local church who has a class at AWANA specifically for kids with special needs. One of our families participates in that ministry, and they love it.
How many people w/disabilities are needed before a class should be set up for them? is it ok to have 1 class for all ages?We just had a family leave our church, but we were planning to launch a separate class during the 11am service just for their son. I know that sounds a little odd, but consider this: (1) We weren't able to include him during that service for sensory stimulation reasons, and (2) That made us realize that he probably wasn't the only child who would have trouble with the 11am children's ministry setting. Just as I mentioned in my answer yesterday about starting an adult class, odds are good that for each person with special needs in your church there are a handful at home who don't think being included at church is even an option. You can create a class for the one child and then increase your outreach ... you know, the whole "if you build it, they will come" principle. (I'm sure you can guess the movie quote this time. Yesterday's was from The Land Before Time. I have a two-year-old son, which means I watch those far more than any grown-up shows!)
Check out my concerns yesterday about age group consideration for the second question. If you're asking if its okay for a birth through elderly class, then no, I don't think that's wise and I don't think many of the parents of kids in that class would feel comfortable with the adults being there too. How you split up ages beyond that will depend upon your volunteer team and the needs at your church, but make sure you approach the decision with prayer and wisdom rather than knee-jerk reactions.
At what age is a person too old to attend a younger class of typical kids?Our policy is to include a person with their same-aged peers whenever possible. In the couple of instances when we have a person in a younger class, the decision of "too old" is less about age and more about physical development (for example, is the child too large for this class, compared to the size of his/her classmates? when a child is bigger than the younger classmate, safety issues can arise).
It's also wise to ask, "What benefit does the person get from being in a younger class? Is there any way we can adapt for that same benefit to be experienced in an older class?" Notice that the emphasis here is on our need to adapt and not any effort to force the person to adapt to us.
how do we determine if the person should be included in a regular class or needs a special class & what if there isn't a special class for an individual's age group?I have to pull out that classic answer here: It depends. What is a "regular class" like at your church? How committed to inclusion is the rest of your leadership (staff and/or volunteer)? What else could you try to include the person in the typical setting?
Could you create a separate class? Why or why not? Where would you have a separate class for that age group? What can you do in a separate class than you can't do in the typical class? In public school, any time a child is removed from a typical class to receive services in a special education setting, special ed law requires the team to provide a justification for that removal. The principle in practice is called "least restrictive environment," and it's a good one for churches to consider too. If someone is removed or excluded from a typical setting, you need a good reason for it.
~+~
I'll have the last set of questions from Tammy tomorrow, so please come back then!
Until then, what else can you add? Any more questions or different answers? Any other thoughts?