Few special-needs children find welcome in U.S. churches
Many churches and other places of worship routinely fail to welcome children with disabilities or to meet the needs of their families, a University of Tennessee researcher has found.
Parents who sought religious education for their special-needs children were met with responses ranging from a general lack of acceptance to an outright refusal to provide for the family's needs, said Susan Speraw, an associate professor in the UT College of Nursing, who conducted a study titled "Nurturing Faith."
The study, conducted between January and May 2005, interviewed 26 parents of 44 children with special needs. The children suffered from conditions ranging from autism and cerebral palsy to mental illness and mental retardation.
The study found that an overwhelming majority of parents reported negative experiences with the congregations they visited. Speraw said the parents actively advocated for their children, even teaching religious education classes themselves or offering to provide a support person, but received little accommodation from the churches.
"Lack of welcoming was associated with profound disappointment, disillusionment, and sometimes crises of faith for parents who felt alienated from religious sources of support," Speraw said. "On the other hand, people whose children were welcomed felt a sense of community and a strengthened faith."
Parents who sought religious education for their special-needs children were met with responses ranging from a general lack of acceptance to an outright refusal to provide for the family's needs, said Susan Speraw, an associate professor in the UT College of Nursing, who conducted a study titled "Nurturing Faith."
The study, conducted between January and May 2005, interviewed 26 parents of 44 children with special needs. The children suffered from conditions ranging from autism and cerebral palsy to mental illness and mental retardation.
The study found that an overwhelming majority of parents reported negative experiences with the congregations they visited. Speraw said the parents actively advocated for their children, even teaching religious education classes themselves or offering to provide a support person, but received little accommodation from the churches.
"Lack of welcoming was associated with profound disappointment, disillusionment, and sometimes crises of faith for parents who felt alienated from religious sources of support," Speraw said. "On the other hand, people whose children were welcomed felt a sense of community and a strengthened faith."
posted by Bill Dockery at 2:09 PM
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