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 (see below).
Upcoming Events
St. Andrew will host an event on Friday, October 9 for those who work with our special needs populations learn how to assist them in encountering and growing closer to Christ with creative lesson adaptations. Please click here to learn more.
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.
- Adults with Cognitive Disabilities/Mental Retardation: Approaches to Adult Faith Formation. A Resource and Idea Book (March 2003)
Catholic Lay Ministries and Apostolate
- Pathways Awareness Foundation
- CUSA: An Apostolate for People with Chronic Illness or with Disabilities
- Victorious Missionaries
- National Catholic Office for the Deaf
- L’Arche: A Place of Welcome
- International Order of Alhambra. (A fraternal order of Catholic men dedicated to assisting persons developmentally disabled by mental retardation.)
- 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
- 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.
Family Support Networks (Secular)
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- National Fathers Network (NFN)
- Sibling Support Project
- Our-Kids
- Diet and Nutrition for Special Needs Families Dealing with Food Allergies
- Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Diet Information
- 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:
Contact
Katie Fortunato 919-362-0685 x125, or
Bill Danjczek, Parish Council Liaison,