Journey
Who is the Special Needs program intended for?
This new ministry to children with special needs will focus on children ages 5-11 who are diagnosed under the Autism Spectrum Disorder. This will also include children with special needs that may not be included under the Autism Spectrum Disorder, i.e Down syndrome AND children diagnosed with emotional disorders such as anxiety, PTSD, depression, etc.
Who is this Special Needs program NOT intended for:
Since this is a new ministry we are not currently prepared to include children with specialized physical needs such Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy,-------- just to name a few
What Exactly is Autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or autism is a developmental disability considered the result of a neurological condition affecting normal brain function, development and social interactions. Children and adults with autism find it difficult or impossible to relate to other people in a meaningful way and may show restrictive and/or repetitive patterns of behavior or body movements.
There are five developmental disorders that fall under the Autism Spectrum Disorder umbrella and are defined by challenges in three areas: social skills, communication, and behaviors and/or interests.
- Autistic Disorder: this involves moderate to severe impairments in communication, socialization and behavior Asperger's Syndrome: people with Asperger's syndrome usually function in the average to above average intelligence range and have no delays in language skills, but often struggle with social skills and restrictive and repetitive behavior
- Rett Syndrome: A key indicator of Rett syndrome is the appearance of repetitive, meaningless movements or gestures
- Childhood Disintegrative Disorder: involves a significant regression in skills that have previously been acquired, and deficits in communication, socialization and/or restrictive and repetitive behavior
- Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS): includes children that do not fully meet the criteria for the other specific disorders or those that do not have the degree of impairment associated with those disorders
What do we provide?
If your child’s disability is such that they are unable to benefit from participating in a traditional Sunday school or Children’s Church ministry, they will benefit by attending specialized classes designed especially for them. Journey is currently available only on Sunday mornings during the 10am church services. The Journey ministry provides:
- Each child with the opportunity to participate at their ability level
- Bible/scripture lessons presented in small group or even individual settings for the children so they may better understand the message of Christ
- Each of these children is paired with a “Buddy” when attending on Sunday morning. A Buddy is an adult mentor that gets to mentor alongside the same child each week. This allows us to better understand the personalities of each of these very remarkable children
What do we not provide?
- Therapy
- Behavioral modification programs
- Medical intervention (only in emergency situations.)
How do I enroll my child in Journey?
The first step is to contact the special needs ministry director, Bob Nooe by Email or EMail Loretta Standley in the Children’s ministry office. A meeting and interview time will be set up with the parent or guardian so that you may be able to express your child’s needs and the placement for your child.
It is very important that you contact us before your first planned Sunday in the JOURNEY program, so we can make arrangements and be more completely prepared to provide your child with the support that they need. Click here to download the enrollment form. What if I need to miss a Sunday service?
All we ask is that you call 316.425.0655, our Central Kids Hotline, as soon as you know you will not be attending to let us know. If it is very last minute, please call before 8:45 on Sunday mornings. This will allow us to make other plans in advance.