Families with Special Needs Resources
The Families with Special Needs ministry at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church builds a coalition of social and spiritual support within the faith community to help families with special needs children of all ages grow in holiness to love and serve the Lord.
Below are some resources that may serve the faith interests of families with special needs children. If you would like to recommend the addition of a resource to this site, please submit your request to the ministry coordinator, Katie McDermott, ktmcd@nc.rr.com.
Church Perspectives and Policy Statements
- The Vatican
- Message of John Paul II on the Occasion of the International Symposium on the Dignity and Rights of the Mentally Disabled (January 2004).
- Documents for the Jubilee of the Community of Persons with Disabilities (December 2000). Includes a homily and address by Pope John Paul II.
- Conclusions of a Vatican Conference on the Family and Integration of the Disabled (1999).
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
- National Catholic Partnership on Disability. The Disability Voice of the U.S. Catholic Bishops.
- Catholic Perspectives on Disability Issues. Presents press releases, speeches and testimonies, articles, newsletters, and guest editorials, issued by the NCPD.
- Opening Doors to People with Disabilities, Volume I: Pastoral Manual (1995), Volume II: Resource File (1997)
- 1978 Pastoral Statement of the United States Catholic Bishops on People with Disabilities
- Welcome and Justice for Persons with Disabilities. A Framework of Access and Inclusion.
- Adults with Cognitive Disabilities/Mental Retardation: Approaches to Adult Faith Formation. A Resource and Idea Book (March 2003)
- U.S. Bishops Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities
- Catechesis with Persons with Disabilities: What's a Parish to Do? Designed to be used in conjunction with Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities, this publication provides basic information needed to include individuals with disabilities in parish religious education programs and related activities. Contact: Office of Religious Education, 1 Lake St., Brighton, MA 02135; phone: 617-254-4425, fax: 617-782-0213.
- U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship and the Use of Mustum and Low-Gluten Hosts (November 2003)
- Archdiocese of Atlanta
Catholic Lay Ministries and Apostolates
- National Apostolate for Inclusion Ministry
- Pathways Awareness Foundation
- CUSA: An Apostolate for People with Chronic Illness or with Disabilities
- Victorious Missionaries
- National Catholic Office for the Deaf
- Xavier Society for the Blind
- Faith and Light International
- Faith and Light: Guidelines for the First Year (67 pages)
- Handicapped Encounter Christ
- L’Arche: A Place of Welcome
- National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped
- International Order of Alhambra. (A fraternal order of Catholic men dedicated to assisting persons developmentally disabled by mental retardation.)
- Network of Inclusive Catholic Educators
- Misericordia Heart of Mercy. (Operated by the Sisters of Mercy under the auspices of the Catholic Bishop of Chicago, Misericordia supports adults and children with mild to profound developmental disabilities.)
- Clelian Heights School for Exceptional Children. (Operated by the Apostles for the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Greensburg, PA, Clelian Heights provides spiritual, educational, vocational, and residential programs for children and adults with developmental challenges.)
- Knights of Columbus Operation LAMB for Mentally Retarded Citizens in North Carolina.
- McGuire Memorial. (Operated by the Felician Sisters in Western PA, McGuire Memorial provides educational and therapeutic services for children and adults with mental retardation.)
Catechetical Resources
- Special Religious Education Development
- The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Program to Improve Catholic Religious Education for Children and Adults with Intellectual Disabilities. Available in English and Spanish from the Silver Burdett Ginn Religion.
- STAARS: Symbols Teach and Reveal Sacred in Secular by Susan Samangy DiPietro. A creative symbols workbook which assists the catechist using the Kennedy Curriculum. The "symbols" projects are coordinated with lessons in the Rose Kennedy Program. Contact: Grace Harding, Department for Persons with Disabilities, Diocese of Pittsburgh, 135 First Avenue. Pittsburgh, PA 15222
- Sacramental Preparation Booklets. An excellent series of four separate booklets providing innovative and extensive information for individualizing lesson plans to prepare for the sacraments of baptism, reconciliation, Eucharist and confirmation. Contact: University of Dayton, Center for Ministry with People with Disabilities (CMPD), phone: 888-532-3389.
- "Seasons of Grace" by Brigid O'Donnell. This is a sacramental preparation manual for mentally handicapped adults and teens with four self-contained courses on Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation, and Matrimony.
- Service Directory Model for Students With Special Needs in the Catholic Elementary School Systems. Contact: Hope Respecke, e-mail: hrespecke@msjdominicans.org, phone: 510-657-2468.
- "To God With Love, Adapted Religious Education Program Guide for the Benefit of Children and Adults with Developmental Disabilities". A catechesis program developed by Sister Eileen Byrne, O.P., M.A. of Catholic Community Services, The Vicariate for Human Services of the Archdiocese of Newark. Contact: Archdiocese of Newark, Vicariate Ministry, Catholic Community Services, 1160 Raymond Blvd., Newark, NJ 07102.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. A hands-on religious education program that while not designed specifically for special needs children can be used quite effectively for this purpose.
- "McGuire Memorial Awakening Spiritual Dimensions: Prayer Services with Persons with Severe Disabilities" by Father William L. Gillum, OFM Cap., M. Ed.
Family Support Networks (Secular)
- National Dissemination Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
- The Arc
- Family Village
- Parent-to-Parent Network
- National Fathers Network (NFN)
- Sibling Support Project
- Our-Kids
- Diet and Nutrition for Special Needs Families Dealing with Food Allergies
- Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet for Autism. Dramatic improvement has been achieved after implementing a GF/CF diet. Parents around the world have reported significant changes in bowel function, behavior, attention, language and sociability once gluten and casein have cleared the system.
- Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Diet Information
- Family Support Network of North Carolina
- GIFTSNC, Inc. Giving and Getting Information for Teaching Special Needs Children. Annual conference at Colonial Baptist Church, Cary, NC, August 15-16, 2008.
- Learning Disabilities Association of North Carolina
- Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- All Kinds of Minds. (Provides information to parents, educators, clinicians, and kids on neurodevelopmental approaches to learning.)
- Misunderstood Minds. (Three-part PBS documentary project on learning differences and disabilities.)
- American Camp Association. (Provides information and search capabilities for residential summer camps for children with disabilities.)
- Attachment Disorder Resources:
- Attachment Disorder Site
- Attachment Disorder Site Google Group for Parent Discussion
- Attachment Disorder Support Group
- Attachment.org Nancy Thomas Parenting
- RadKid. (Reactive Attachment Disorder & Detachment Issues.)
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