Moments in Leadership - Special Needs

 God's Special Children

Today I want to take a moment to discuss a topic that we don’t talk a lot about when preparing for the AWANA year, and that’s Special Needs.  This year, it has been a subject that has weighed heavily on my heart, and this post in particular has been swirling around in my head for a while.  

More and more children today are being diagnosed with various disabilities, and Autism Spectrum Disorders, in particular, are on the rise. Now there’s a lot of debate as to why we are seeing more diagnoses, but regardless of the reasons, club leaders must now face the reality of serving more children with disabilities and how to do that appropriately.

My son is a child with Autism… now that doesn’t at all make me an expert on children with special needs, but it does mean that I have a unique perspective when it comes to serving children with special needs in the AWANA Club environment. 

There is always a lot happening on club nights and my son struggles in the Club atmosphere, and often requires additional support to ensure his comfort and safety during club.  The first, and best, thing we did for him was to find him a “Buddy” who was committed to staying with him throughout club nights and helping him one-on-one during handbook time. This made a world of difference and is the main reason he was able to make so much progress in his HangGlider Handbook this last year. I am so thankful to his “Buddy” for their commitment in helping him be successful, and I am absolutely thrilled that they have agreed to again commit to assisting him in this new AWANA year.

My hope for all AWANA clubs this year is that their leaders realize the need to serve ALL children, and to be sensitive to the unique needs of children with disabilities. Taking some time to consider special needs and gain knowledge and resources in this area will allow clubs to reach children and families in the special needs community that often find it difficult to be fully involved in ministries such as this.

Lord Jesus, thank you 
for opening our eyes to areas of need 
that are often overlooked.  As we go through this 
AWANA year, I pray that we will continually find for ways 
to better serve all children and families that so 
desperately need to know you as their Savior!  
Give us a compassionate heart for those in need 
and wisdom to know how to serve them.  
In your holy and precious name we pray, Amen!

I highly encourage clubs that are seeking to better include and serve children with special needs to purchase the book, AWANA For Me: A Guide to Working with Children with Special Needs, from the official AWANA online store.  It contains a lot of great information about how to include children with various disabilities.