Neurodiversity and the Church Part 5: Intellectual Disabilities
by Maci Sepp
When we first consider the notion of intellectual disabilities, we may initially have a difficult time pinpointing exactly what we mean. This was certainly the case when my peers and I tried to define it in a small group before class. Though a number of definitions exist – often involving the questionable qualifier of IQ scores[1] – intellectual disabilities typically refer to impairments that affect communication, self-care, social interactions, and academic achievement.[2] Despite the numerous gifts and contributions people with intellectual disabilities have to offer, society at large still tends to categorize them based on their usefulness and ability to promote progress. Regrettably, this is a mindset that persists in many churches today.
Right before the pandemic hit last spring, I was told about a church in the area that focused on the inclusivity of all people, especially those with developmental and physical disabilities.[3] What I remember most about this church was learning about their Sunday morning worship. On days when communion is served, their priority is for everyone to receive the Body of Christ in whatever forms that may take. This meant that between the wheelchairs, walkers, and meeting people in their pews, communion could take up the entire service. No sermon, no children’s message, no formal Scripture reading; just communion. The church identified what mattered most and simply made that their only priority. Progress and usefulness were not at all determining factors. What might have been considered obstacles for some became aspects of worship for this congregation to embrace. I only dream that I can someday witness it myself.
In addition to our fixed ideas about progress and usefulness, Benjamin Conner also asserts that we have essentialized images of who we believe God is, which interfere with our acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities.[4] Many of us cling to our purely intellectual, rational, symbolic ways of understanding God, and because people with intellectual disabilities often have limited capacities to think in such ways, they tend to either be completely ignored in theology or they are homogenized, colonized, demonized, romanticized, and pluralized by the non-disabled gaze. Once again, how and what we preach and teach in church matters. As leaders and educators in ministry, our theologies – good or bad – have the potential to critically shape our congregations in insurmountable ways. Thus, our image of God must be expansive and include people with intellectual disabilities.
To engage in the act of reimaging God, it is necessary that we stay in conversation with the leaders and educators of other churches, in addition to being attentive to our congregants. While every congregation has its own unique beliefs and practices, we can find value in listening to the experiences of our peers, taking notes on who or what they are reading, and learning what has and has not worked for their people. Many families with intellectual disabilities express interest in receiving more resources for raising their children, joining a support group, having a congregational advocate, offering respite care, and modifying religious education programs, to name a few.[5] The goal is not to reinvent the wheel. Rather, it is to glean the wisdom of others and use it to better address the particular needs of our congregations.
Maci Sepp is an M.Div. graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary. Her research interests include disability studies and disability theology, adoption ethics, and intersectionality.
[1] Stefan C. Dombrowski, “The dark history of IQ tests,” TED Ed Videos, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2bKaw2AJxs&t=1s. This video outlines the problematic history of IQ tests and how they do not account for the complex and differing perspectives of what we mean by “intelligence.”
[2] Thomas Armstrong, Neurodiversity in the Classroom: Strength-Based Strategies to Help Students with Special Needs Succeed in School and Life (Alexandria: ASCD, 2012), 93.
[3] Here, I am referring to the Friends to Friends Community Church in Ridgewood, NJ: https://www.friendstofriendscc.org.
[4] Benjamin T. Conner, “Intellectual Disabilities and Our Iconic Witness,” in Disabling Mission, Enabling Witness: Exploring Missiology Through the Lens of Disability Studies (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2018), 103.
[5] For a comprehensive list of desirable changes that families have expressed, see Courtney E. Taylor, Erik W. Carter, Naomi H. Annandale, Thomas L. Boehm, and Aimee K. Logeman, “Welcoming People with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families: A Practical Guide for Congregations,” Disabilities, Religion, and Spirituality Program, January 2014. In addition to statistics, this resource also outlines specific steps for implementation.
