Autism and sitting through church

[Guest guest]

and Schmid know what it's like to watch an autistic son struggle with sitting through a mass and they wonder about other families who avoid church altogether, because it's just too hard.

They know how hard it is when the sounds, sights and perfumes in the church can make children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) anxious and feel the need to make noise, move about and just want to flee.

has joined forces with Patti Banks, who also has an autistic son, to begin “All God's Children Autism†ministry at St. ph Catholic church in South Lyon. They want to give families like their's a place to go and feel welcomed.

“Catholics have autism as well, where are these kids?†asked. “Families need support and the perfect place for that should be from their church. I want to start with a catechism program to bring back families who have left and a sensory friendly room for them to attend mass and not feel like they're being disruptive. The parents don't have to be concentrating on their kids the whole time and missing out on mass.â€

has provided a questionnaire on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/agcmin, to gauge whether or not there is a need. Initially it drew responses from eight families and seven of those said they didn't go to church because of their child's autism. Schmid and Banks are looking for more Facebook visits.

“We are just getting started and we're trying to get the word out there,†said. “I know there are people who have stopped going to church. Our hope is that we can make this successful at our church and then teach other people to do it at their churches so we aren't missing people out there who really need it.â€

describes her son as “amazing, he's just amazing.†But learning to deal with his behavior that results from the autism has been a challenge. ie is six, is brilliant at math and has been promoted to second grade at Salem Elementary School. He was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism that causes a lot of behavior issues. Little tasks can become overwhelming. When ie walks into a grocery store, for instance, his heightened senses accentuate the humming of the fluorescent lights; the odors from the bakery and fish counter are maximized. Autistic kids also tend to process every comment as literal. There are no blacks and whites.

“He was our first (ie has a brother, ie, 4 and a sister, Clara, nine months) and we had nothing to compare him to,†said. “We realized that there was more than him being a strong personality and quirky. We would give his brother time out and it would work. Just a time out with him would take two hours and it never seemed to help.â€

Teachers and staff at Salem have taught ie and the Schmid's how to deal with his behavior.

“I don't know what we would have done without them,†Schmid said. “We've been so blessed with all the people there. They have changed his life and ours.â€

Volunteers teaching catechism, however, don't always know these techniques and an autistic child's behavior can escalate.

For more information visit “All God's Children Autism Ministry at St. ph Catholic Church†on Facebook and fill-out the survey provided. Hard copies of the survey are also available at St. ph's.

Call St. ph Church at . Schmid and Banks can be contacted by e-mail at allgodschildrenministry@... or www.facebook.com/agcmin.

dandreassi@... , ext. 262