March 9, 2009

Open Letter To: Churches, Synagogues, and all places of worship

Faith is what carries us through the day. We work today so that tomorrow may be better. There is no guarantee that tomorrow will come. This is neither a pessimistic or optimistic statement. Simply, this is a statement of fact.

Autism effects 1 in every 150 children in the United States. Every 20 minutes a child is diagnosed with Autism. 1 in every 94 boys will have Autism. There is no known cause, there is no known cure. Autism is not a disease. Autism Spectrum Disorders are categorized as a complex neurological disorder of the brain and most commonly effect social interactions, challenge the sensory system, and no two cases of Autism are identical. Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability. These are facts.

There is a time for action and that time is now. In September 2007, AutismSpot began serving families, caregivers, medical professionals, educators, and the community by providing access to FREE, unbiased information regarding the various services, therapies, and interventions that are available. It was our hope that educators could learn to better understand this complex disorder that was effecting children in their classroom. It was our hope to assist families struggling to identify and better understand the therapies their child so desperately needed. It was our hope to inspire, inform, and educate. Although we reach people in more than 150 countries today, our work is far from over.

Your faith is challenged when your child is diagnosed with Autism. I know, my oldest son was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum over five years ago. During the darkest hours, I turned to my faith which helped me cross the most turbulent rivers I have ever seen. As we sought out a place of worship, it was apparent that the more than ten churches we visited found our situation to be more than they could handle. We did not make it through a single service without being called out to deal with our son. Our child’s disability did not fit nicely into a manageable box with a set of standard practices and rehearsed protocols to follow. This is the world of Autism and it is not one that anyone would choose. A child does not wish to be agitated by certain sounds or lights, a parent does not want their child to fall into extreme tantrums, a family wants to believe that tomorrow might be a better day and they sometimes simply hope to make it through this day.

We have witnessed the “verbal support” given to Special Needs programs in churches, synagogues, and temples. Reality has shown that fewer places of worship actually implement these Special Needs programs. Sure, a buddy in the classroom can assist, but many of our children are not ready for that. There needs to be a room where the volunteers are trained and want to be working with our children on the Autism Spectrum. However, most places of worship only offer "inclusion" even though many of our children are not ready for that. For one reason or another, there is a demand for inclusion and this term “inclusion” has started to take on different meanings depending on what country you are in, or what region you live in. Acceptance, support, assistance. These are all needs that every person has. Places of worship are failing the Autism community. Telling families that they do not belong, that you are unable to support their needs, that the family will be responsible for starting and leading the special needs programs that will include Autism is wrong. These families who are desperately in need are coming through your doors in order to find hope. Families need to feel a part of the community, they need to have a break so they can better understand what their faith teaches about trials and triumphs. Regardless of your faith and belief system, there is a common ground that each religion shares, that is to help those in need. We were finally able to find a church that had a Special Needs classroom that accepted Sam, welcomed our family, and strengthened our marriage. After three years of attending the Special Needs classroom, he was able to move into a classroom with typical peers.

No place of worship should be seen as exclusive. No place of worship should turn their back on those who are seeking.

AutismSpot is offering our Special Needs Classroom Creation services at reduced rates so that you can become that beacon of hope so many are searching for. It is time to take action.

Kent Potter
ceo and founder
AutismSpot.com | SpotUniversity.com | projectLD.com

To receive more information on how to get started, please contact
jobara@projectLD.com
jespaillat@projectLD.com