Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Intellectual Disability: Preparing for Baptism

Last week, I had a post on Key Ministry's website offering ideas on how to prepare those with Intellectual Disability (ID) and Developmental Disability (DD) for baptism. If you missed it, check out the beginning of the post and then click the link to read. 


Baptism is a sacrament that many in the faith want to pursue. But, what if your loved one has an Intellectual Disability (ID) or Developmental Disability (DD)? Can they be successfully baptized? How do you help them understand and prepare for baptism?

As a Christian mother, I had a God-given desire to see my child with Down syndrome baptized a few years ago. At the time, she was 8 years old, nonverbal, and dealing with a myriad of health conditions.

I was puzzled, at first, on how to prepare and teach her, but then I realized I knew what to do. As a pediatric speech-language pathologist, I help children understand new situations and concepts all the time using multiple visual and auditory methods. I just needed to apply them to a religious act.



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