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 neurodivergent 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 neurodivergent needs are not always obvious to others in terms of how we process and relate to our faith. What is widely accepted as "good practice" by the majority may simply not work for neurodivergent people. Sometimes, we do not even realize ourselves what we need - only that things don't seem to fit, and we're not sure why. Many of us struggle with feelings of disconnection from God, our faith, and the Church. We may also experience a sense of spiritual impostor syndrome: that is, we may find it difficult (if not impossible) to be authentic before God when we have been repeatedly - and incorrectly - told that our way of being is not proper or acceptable. We have likely been conditioned to mask our needs in order to belong or be accepted. How, then, can we reconcile this with the idea that God loves us unconditionally, and that He designed us to be as we are? Which "self" does God love: Our authentic, messy, needy, unmasked self? Or do we have to suppress all that in order for God to love us, too?
Neurodivergent burnout is a very real problem facing many individuals. This, too, has repercussions in the spiritual life. So does past trauma. Oftentimes, healing is needed before spiritual growth can begin. This point is unfortunately often overlooked by many well-intentioned people who simply do not know the extent of the impact of being neurodivergent.
Finally, there are many questions surrounding the spiritual needs of individuals whose speech is limited, who require more global neurological support, and those needing frequent or constant co-regulation from others. None of these need be obstacles to spiritual growth; in fact, it is essential for people regarded as "profoundly autistic" to realize their value to the Body of Christ: the scope, validity and potential of their contributions to the community, their capability as fellow disciples, and their belovedness by God. We are glad to help facilitate this connection in any way that is mutually accessible.
The staff at Autism Consecrated offer spiritual direction to individuals who contact us, drawing from both our professional backgrounds in psychology and theology, and our lived experiences as autistic people ourselves. We strive to look more closely at neurodivergent needs, seeking ways to understand, explain and accommodate challenges and obstacles to 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 between autistic individuals and others in the faith community, or particular challenges you may be facing within your own interior life and circumstances. We aim to point you toward resources speaking to specific needs as we draw upon our knowledge base of current, neuroaffirming best practices (NOT outdated, disproven and unsustainable methods calling for masking and suppressing autistic expression). We hope to foster better understanding and comprehension on every side.
If you are a neurodivergent individual with spiritual support needs, or you are reaching out on behalf of someone close to you... if you are a parish staff member looking to better serve the neurodivergent people in your community, or anyone else 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.