I wrote this article for a national Christian magazine and I thought it would be useful to post it here.
THE CHURCH AND AUTISM
I know that this does not apply to every church and would not suggest that it does, but the fact is from my experience of several churches over a period of 66 years as a Christian on different continents it is very relevant.
From my experience, the church and autism do not mix. We have a situation where the church will not change and the autistic person cannot.
Autism is a neurological condition that you are born with and have to cope with and make the best of things. I am autistic on the high end so what does that mean?
I am highly organized
I see things through from the beginning to end (I have been told this more than once).
Shoddy is not in my vocabulary.
I am not interested in anything that is half done.
I know of only one methodology which is seek and you will find. Until I find it I will not give an opinion.
I am happy to spend hours and hours and hours studying a subject until I have exhausted every option. For example, I have studied abortion from every aspect for at least 30 years so I know most of what pro-abortionist claim is lies or half truths.
I do not insult people when I give my views. I speak as I find the same as I expect others to do the same.
People that get offended by my direct responses usually have not made any attempt to find out how the autistic mind works.
I do not have much patience with people who give the impression that they know what they are talking about when it is obvious that they do not.
And I have a problem with leadership that is inflexible and who expect an autistic person to be flexible when they cannot be.
An autistic person deals with situations from facts not feelings.
There is much more that could be said but suffice to point out the basics.
Many leaders are afraid of someone who is autistic because they very often know much more than the leader because they have put in the hard work to know as in I have three university degrees and one theological degree.
How does a church get the best out of an autistic person?
They are valuable to have on the leadership team for their insights. They won’t ramble on about this, that or the other if it not their field of expertise.
If there is a ministry that needs sorting out, ask them for their input. They will say no if they have nothing to offer.
If a new ministry is to be started ask if they want to be involved. If they do not they will say so. They will not take it on just because they have been asked.
If they do accept an opportunity to start a new ministry, let them run with it. They cannot run it your way. They can only run it their way because your way may demand they do things which they are not capable of so you will get a half-baked ministry.
By all means, ask them to set out a plan of action. They will not be offended if you do that but don’t do what one church did to me and asked me to write a manual for the operation of home groups and when I presented it to the minister, he told the church that he had written it.
If the autistic person comes up with an idea do not dismiss it as they have put a lot of thought and research into it. As in one church I was in they said they were going to appoint elders and told us how. I told them it would not work because they were ignoring the teaching of scripture (I had done an extensive study of this subject).
They ignored me and within two years, all of the Elders had left the church. Now they have a “pastor” who does not conform with scripture and the church has gone from 130 to 30.
It seems some people never learn.
An autistic person who knows his stuff and most of them do, has only one interest in mind and that is what will benefit the church. He is not in it for what he can get out of it or what kudos he can garner.
An autistic person does not expect you to believe everything they say or accept everything they say as they know the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
What they do expect you to do is listen to what they have to say because what they have to say is worth listening to as in most cases they will not say anything unless it is worth listening to.
And finally, they get bored very easily if nothing is happening in the church except for the same old same old routine.
And finally finally, if the autistic person has the gift of teaching which a lot of them do because of their ability to unpack the scriptures start a bible study class for those serious about their faith for them to lead and teach.
And finally, finally, finally don’t interfere.
If an autistic person is on the low end they will have a behavioral problem as well that results in anti-social activity and in extreme cases will not be able to talk.
We have friends that have a 10-year-old autistic son and to date, he has not uttered one single word.
THE CHURCH AND AUTISM
I know that this does not apply to every church and would not suggest that it does, but the fact is from my experience of several churches over a period of 66 years as a Christian on different continents it is very relevant.
From my experience, the church and autism do not mix. We have a situation where the church will not change and the autistic person cannot.
Autism is a neurological condition that you are born with and have to cope with and make the best of things. I am autistic on the high end so what does that mean?
I am highly organized
I see things through from the beginning to end (I have been told this more than once).
Shoddy is not in my vocabulary.
I am not interested in anything that is half done.
I know of only one methodology which is seek and you will find. Until I find it I will not give an opinion.
I am happy to spend hours and hours and hours studying a subject until I have exhausted every option. For example, I have studied abortion from every aspect for at least 30 years so I know most of what pro-abortionist claim is lies or half truths.
I do not insult people when I give my views. I speak as I find the same as I expect others to do the same.
People that get offended by my direct responses usually have not made any attempt to find out how the autistic mind works.
I do not have much patience with people who give the impression that they know what they are talking about when it is obvious that they do not.
And I have a problem with leadership that is inflexible and who expect an autistic person to be flexible when they cannot be.
An autistic person deals with situations from facts not feelings.
There is much more that could be said but suffice to point out the basics.
Many leaders are afraid of someone who is autistic because they very often know much more than the leader because they have put in the hard work to know as in I have three university degrees and one theological degree.
How does a church get the best out of an autistic person?
They are valuable to have on the leadership team for their insights. They won’t ramble on about this, that or the other if it not their field of expertise.
If there is a ministry that needs sorting out, ask them for their input. They will say no if they have nothing to offer.
If a new ministry is to be started ask if they want to be involved. If they do not they will say so. They will not take it on just because they have been asked.
If they do accept an opportunity to start a new ministry, let them run with it. They cannot run it your way. They can only run it their way because your way may demand they do things which they are not capable of so you will get a half-baked ministry.
By all means, ask them to set out a plan of action. They will not be offended if you do that but don’t do what one church did to me and asked me to write a manual for the operation of home groups and when I presented it to the minister, he told the church that he had written it.
If the autistic person comes up with an idea do not dismiss it as they have put a lot of thought and research into it. As in one church I was in they said they were going to appoint elders and told us how. I told them it would not work because they were ignoring the teaching of scripture (I had done an extensive study of this subject).
They ignored me and within two years, all of the Elders had left the church. Now they have a “pastor” who does not conform with scripture and the church has gone from 130 to 30.
It seems some people never learn.
An autistic person who knows his stuff and most of them do, has only one interest in mind and that is what will benefit the church. He is not in it for what he can get out of it or what kudos he can garner.
An autistic person does not expect you to believe everything they say or accept everything they say as they know the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
What they do expect you to do is listen to what they have to say because what they have to say is worth listening to as in most cases they will not say anything unless it is worth listening to.
And finally, they get bored very easily if nothing is happening in the church except for the same old same old routine.
And finally finally, if the autistic person has the gift of teaching which a lot of them do because of their ability to unpack the scriptures start a bible study class for those serious about their faith for them to lead and teach.
And finally, finally, finally don’t interfere.
If an autistic person is on the low end they will have a behavioral problem as well that results in anti-social activity and in extreme cases will not be able to talk.
We have friends that have a 10-year-old autistic son and to date, he has not uttered one single word.
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