Autistic Perspective:
Pastoral and Spiritual Needs
AUTISM IS DIFFICULT TO PUT INTO WORDS.
(So is spirituality.)
There are many people who help nurture our spiritual growth. Members of our faith community - whether in leadership positions or in the pews with us - are those who most often play key roles. We look to such persons as models in the ways we develop our relationship with God.
Being autistic can present challenges to how we connect with our faith, how we connect with others, and how we connect with God. Ideally, our mentors in faith and spiritual directors will seek to understand our processing and relationship style in such a way that we learn to thrive exactly as we are. Yet, as many of us know, our autistic needs are not always obvious in terms of how we process and relate to our faith. Sometimes, we do not even realize ourselves what we need - only that things don't seem to fit, and we're not sure why.
The staff at Autism Consecrated would like to offer our backgrounds and lived experiences to help others look more closely at what these needs are, seeking ways to understand, explain and accommodate autistic challenges in our faith and spiritual development. We are available through email contact to discuss specific needs and situations which may arise - whether in general at the parish level, or more specifically between autistic individuals and those at all levels in the faith community - to foster better understanding and comprehension on every side. We strive to point you toward resources which speak to your specific needs as we draw upon our knowledge base of current best practices in supporting neurodivergent individuals, especially from the perspective of autistic people ourselves.
Whether you are an autistic individual with spiritual support needs, or a parish staff member looking to better serve the autistic people in your community, or anyone in between: here we are. We pray we can be of assistance.
We are also glad to pray for you on your journey!
Please reach out to us if we can be of assistance, and feel free to explore our website.