Autism and the Imago Dei

Guest blog post by Deacon Mark Paine of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, UK

Deacon Mark Paine, who himself is autistic, is developing a Catholic theological understanding of neurodivergence. In this post, he reflects upon autism and how it reflects the Image and Likeness of God.

I have been reflecting on the Imago Dei—that we are made in the image and likeness of God.

It is a phrase we use often.

In sermons.
In teaching.
In conversation.

And rightly so.

But I am not sure we have fully reckoned with what it means when we speak of autism.

Because there remains, even now, an assumption—sometimes quiet, sometimes more visible—that autism is something separate from the person.

Something additional.
Something regrettable.
Something to be accommodated, if not overcome.

But that is not how autism is lived.

It is not at the edges.

It is woven through the whole of a person’s life.

Through how the world is encountered.
Through how others are understood.
Through how God is sought.

And that matters.

Because if we are to speak truthfully as the Church, we cannot say that autistic people bear the image of God apart from their autism.

We must say, more plainly, that they bear the image of God as they are.

Anything less begins to divide the person.

And that is not a Christian way of seeing.

 

The diaconal calling is, at its heart, a ministry of attention.

To notice.
To stand alongside.
To serve at the place where Christ is already present, often unrecognised.

And it seems to me that this is precisely where autism meets the Church.

Not as a problem to be solved.

But as a presence to be recognised.

Because there is, within autistic experience, a particular kind of attentiveness.

A concern for truth.
A resistance to pretence.
A willingness—sometimes costly—to remain with what is real rather than what is merely expected.

That does not always sit comfortably within our patterns of church life.

But discomfort is not the same as absence.

So perhaps the question is a simpler one than we sometimes make it.

Not whether autistic people can be included.

But whether we are prepared to see what is already there.

And that may take time.

It may take a willingness to look again at things we have taken for granted.

It may mean recognising that what appears unfamiliar is not therefore lacking.

But if the Imago Dei is truly present—
then it is already there to be seen.

And perhaps, quietly,
to be received.

For more reflections by Deacon Mark, visit his blog, Marcus Diaconus

What is – and is not – on our Youth Ministry Resource Page

The following text comes directly from our Youth Ministry and Catechesis link, which may be found here.

A Message From Autism Consecrated’s Co-Founder, Aimée O’Connell:

I know that many people who click through to this page will be looking for concrete resources.  Having been a youth ministry volunteer myself, I’m guessing you are here because you have a tried-and-true youth ministry program which reaches a fantastic group of young people – and yet, there are still some who are not participating in group activities or connecting well with their peers, and you suspect autism might be a factor.  Perhaps you are looking to intentionally welcome and invite the autistic youngsters in your parish to participate.  Maybe, too, there are one or two who have brought their autism to your attention, and you would like to know what can reach and help these kids in particular.

I need to start off by letting you know that you are not going to find answers or solutions on our website.  It is my belief that the ideas you have and the programs you are using are exactly right, exactly as they are.  Furthermore, it is also my belief that any program or activity designed solely for autistic people will either fall short or miss the mark entirely, which is why we do not offer such resources here.

How is it that I have such strong convictions, especially considering that I have a master’s degree in school psychology and extensive background in working with, and developing accommodations for, autistic youngsters?

For starters, I am autistic myself, and so I’m what I would call “insightfully biased.”  I also know, from many years of experience, that autistic people benefit far more from people getting to know them than from pre-packaged curricula and activities.  While we can speak generally about autistic tendencies and what might or might not be helpful, we autistic people don’t always match the assumptions others make about us, even those made in the best of intentions.  We often feel unknown because our needs and preferences fall outside the norm and are hard to guess… and, because we have a difficult time letting people get to know us.  Pre-designed activities may be just fine if they are a good fit for our personality and processing style, so long as you remember there is no single autistic personality or processing style.

In the bigger picture, youth ministry is often a difficult fit for autistic people for practical reasons relating to our sensory needs and social anxiety.  Group activities are hard, period.  They can be (but are not always) confusing, unappealing, loud, too fast, and difficult to connect to the concept or object lesson you’re trying to teach.  Many of us like the idea of faith-sharing but not the games.  Others like the games but not the vulnerability of faith-sharing!  Some of us would like to dive more deeply into our faith than youth ministry is able to go.  And some feel an enormous amount of pressure trying to be “faith-filled” and “have fun” at the same time, when we have been drilled for years that we need to behave differently in each scenario.  (These are not just hypotheticals; I have heard these comments, and plenty more, from autistic teens who would love to participate but find it too confounding).

What else might keep autistic teens from attending?  Group activities require a lot of social energy, which is often in short supply among autistics.  If we have already had a long day where most of our “socializing and behaving properly” energy has been spent, we might not have a lot left for youth group.  Or, if we only have one day when we can recharge between all the other things we do, we might decide it’s too much to plug youth group into that day.

So, what can you do, if you want to reach out to autistic kids and engage them in youth ministry?  Above anything else, GET TO KNOW THEM INDIVIDUALLY.  Meet with them on their terms, and do so enough that you really have a sense of who they are, what they like, and what they don’t like.  Get to know their processing style, their relationship style, their prayer and spiritual style.  Are they introverts or extraverts?  Do they like to pray silently, or out loud?  Do they enjoy music?  Do they enjoy singing?  What ways do they learn best – by reading, listening, visuals or activities?  Do they have particular interests or questions about the faith?  What ideas do they have as to what they would like to see or do to share their faith?  Do they enjoy service projects?  Individually, or with others?  It is not just autistic people who can benefit from questions like these.  Most people will be able to engage better when there is a balanced blend of  visual, academic and experiential spirituality!

What about those who are introverts, who need alone time to process information, who feel especially anxious in group settings?  The richness of our faith allows for many ways to meet these needs and still foster community.  As a professed Third Order Carmelite, I can vouch that prayer is a powerful act of service and a meaningful way to engage with the community, even if this is done by one’s self.  Consider inviting those with higher social anxiety to pray for each week’s youth group theme, or to be someone who takes intentions from the members of the youth group and dedicates time to pray for these needs, on their own schedule and terms.  Consider pairing prayer partners between autistic and nonautistic youth – because this, too, is faith sharing in the community, and, where two or three gather in Jesus’ name, He is there among them (Matthew 18:20).

Can nonverbal autistics be included too?  Absolutely.  Taking the time to get to know someone who has difficulty interacting can feel intimidating and challenging, but be patient with yourself.  Most of us speak and interact so automatically that we do not stop to consider other ways of just-being with one another!  Once we do, it is surprising to realize how many ways exist to share the love of Christ.  Engaging less verbal and nonverbal youth will yield good fruit for the entire community, and once you get to know them well, it will be much easier to see how they would like to be included.

While I can’t promise answers or solutions, I would love to offer insights and ideas that are compatible with the programs that you already use.  I believe it is very possible to create space within the existing community to welcome and encourage people on the autism spectrum – be they youth, adults or volunteers – by both recognizing the wonderful individuality of each person and considering ways that typical fellowship and faith sharing formats may be made easier on the senses to allow the quieter, more reflective participants to thrive.

If you have specific questions or topics that are of particular interest to your ministry area as pertains to autism, please use our contact form.  I am also very happy to pray for you and your ministry!  I would love to hear from you.