Autism and faith communities: Medical and psychiatric challenges to understanding and inclusion
Mary Dell, MD, DMin, The Ohio State University
Late in my medical fellowship, in the wee hours of the morning, I was summoned to the Emergency Room to evaluate a medically complex, autistic boy brought in for a combination of acute medical and behavioral concerns. I completed the assessment, wrote the indicated prescriptions, and left voicemails regarding follow-up appointments. As mother and child were leaving she turned around and said, “Thank you, doctor, this is all well and good, but here’s my real question. You see, my preacher is scared of us and the church forgot us. Can you tell me, will my child ever understand that God loves him?” I recall mumbling something about while no one now can predict how her son would progress in terms of speech, language, and cognitive functioning, I believed that he already knew the love and care of God through her unfailing love and care of him. She seemed comforted by this bit of impromptu E.R. theology and took her son home, but over the years I have been haunted from time to time by her question, “Will my child ever understand that God loves him?”
Autism is a disorder of brain development with onset in early childhood. It affects the development of verbal and nonverbal communication, social interaction, and creative or imaginative play and thinking. Common features include repetitive and ritualistic behaviors, spinning, running in circles, hand flapping, self-injurious behaviors, aggression, sleeping and eating disturbances, and diminished pain sensitivity. Autism affects 1 in 88 children, 1 in 54 males, two million Americans, and many millions worldwide. In addition, many with autism have serious medical concerns, including epilepsy, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, genetic, autoimmune, sleep, and other disorders.
Autism does indeed test the wholeness of body, mind, and spirit espoused by most faith traditions. Though physical disabilities have been addressed in the pastoral theology, and religious sociology and education literatures, thoughtful scholarship about autism and its implications for affected individuals, their families, and faith communities is scant. Non-medically trained religious professionals and laity typically are unequipped to handle neurological, medical, and behavioral needs common in autistic individuals with complex medical conditions. Many vocalizations and behaviors often seen in autism – motoric hyperactivity, tics, spinning, automatisms, stereotypies, random loud sounds, extraneous noises – are disruptive and not tolerated in corporate worship and other activities. Most buildings are not safe and properly able to contain individuals who wander and require extra supervision. Perhaps most importantly, the very nature of impaired communication and deficits in interpersonal relationality inherent to autism are profound challenges to understanding and communicating feelings and abstract theological concepts critical for relating to any deity and other humans in religious communities. This paper will review medical, neurological, and psychiatric challenges faced by autistic individuals, their caregivers, and faith communities as all strive for inclusion of autism across the lifespan. Elements of successful pioneering programs, primarily Protestant, will be highlighted. Most importantly, emphasis will be given to the gifts and graces that autistic individuals and religious groups from all traditions have that enrich everyone involved.
Late in my medical fellowship, in the wee hours of the morning, I was summoned to the Emergency Room to evaluate a medically complex, autistic boy brought in for a combination of acute medical and behavioral concerns. I completed the assessment, wrote the indicated prescriptions, and left voicemails regarding follow-up appointments. As mother and child were leaving she turned around and said, “Thank you, doctor, this is all well and good, but here’s my real question. You see, my preacher is scared of us and the church forgot us. Can you tell me, will my child ever understand that God loves him?” I recall mumbling something about while no one now can predict how her son would progress in terms of speech, language, and cognitive functioning, I believed that he already knew the love and care of God through her unfailing love and care of him. She seemed comforted by this bit of impromptu E.R. theology and took her son home, but over the years I have been haunted from time to time by her question, “Will my child ever understand that God loves him?”
Autism is a disorder of brain development with onset in early childhood. It affects the development of verbal and nonverbal communication, social interaction, and creative or imaginative play and thinking. Common features include repetitive and ritualistic behaviors, spinning, running in circles, hand flapping, self-injurious behaviors, aggression, sleeping and eating disturbances, and diminished pain sensitivity. Autism affects 1 in 88 children, 1 in 54 males, two million Americans, and many millions worldwide. In addition, many with autism have serious medical concerns, including epilepsy, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, genetic, autoimmune, sleep, and other disorders.
Autism does indeed test the wholeness of body, mind, and spirit espoused by most faith traditions. Though physical disabilities have been addressed in the pastoral theology, and religious sociology and education literatures, thoughtful scholarship about autism and its implications for affected individuals, their families, and faith communities is scant. Non-medically trained religious professionals and laity typically are unequipped to handle neurological, medical, and behavioral needs common in autistic individuals with complex medical conditions. Many vocalizations and behaviors often seen in autism – motoric hyperactivity, tics, spinning, automatisms, stereotypies, random loud sounds, extraneous noises – are disruptive and not tolerated in corporate worship and other activities. Most buildings are not safe and properly able to contain individuals who wander and require extra supervision. Perhaps most importantly, the very nature of impaired communication and deficits in interpersonal relationality inherent to autism are profound challenges to understanding and communicating feelings and abstract theological concepts critical for relating to any deity and other humans in religious communities. This paper will review medical, neurological, and psychiatric challenges faced by autistic individuals, their caregivers, and faith communities as all strive for inclusion of autism across the lifespan. Elements of successful pioneering programs, primarily Protestant, will be highlighted. Most importantly, emphasis will be given to the gifts and graces that autistic individuals and religious groups from all traditions have that enrich everyone involved.