Including Children with Mental Retardation in the Religious Community

The Effect of Coaching on a Faith Community Volunteer’s Use of Effective Teaching Behaviors

“…As in many community activities, most people who teach in church school classes are volunteers and are often not equipped to implement effective teaching behaviors with children with disabilities (Goldstein & Ault, 2015). Some children with disabilities do not have the opportunity to participate in religious education other than a segregated class for children with disabilities (Collins et al, 2001). The results of this study indicate that a volunteer with no experience or training in working with children with MSD could be taught to use effective teaching behaviors when working with children in inclusive community activities.…”

“…However, Shogren and Rye (2005) reported that, even when people with intellectual disability attended services in places of worship, they often did not participate in religious education classes or social activities. Collins, Epstein, Reiss, and Lowe (2001) stated that when people with intellectual disability take part in religious education, they tend to be placed in segregated classes rather than included in religious education classes with peers without disabilities. This type of segregation may be more common in larger congregations, perhaps due to the fact that larger congregations tend to have enough members to provide classes only for individuals with disabilities (Ault, Collins, & Carter, 2013).…”

“…They also do not reflect the natural proportions of people with and without significant disabilities that occur in the community (Ault et al). According to Collins et al (2001), "Leaders of religious education programs can adopt the policy that all students with disabilities are included in classes that serve students of the same age" (p. 53). It is important to create inclusive religious education programs to meet the needs of all children.…”

Praying With Lior (Trachtman, 2007): The Myth or Reality of Intellectual Disability

“…Lior has an enormous eagerness for his bar mitzvah. As the Lieblings (stepmother, father, two sisters, and brother Yoni) engage in exhaustive preparations for Lior's bar mitzvah, the viewer sees Lior continue to daven (pray) in his tree house, on a backyard trampoline, in the synagogue, and in his Hebrew class (Collins, Epstein, Reiss, Lowe, 2001). Lior received attention and experienced assimilation from his immediate family and his spiritual family (Vogel & Reiter, 2004).…”

Significance of a Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony for Parents of Jewish Children With Developmental Disabilities

“…Researchers have examined the role of religious beliefs and religious organizations as sources of support and coping resources for these families (Fewell, 1986;Skinner, Correa, Skinner, & Bailey, 2001;Weisner, Beizer, & Stolze, 1991). Further, the question of how to educate children with disabilities in the religious community has been raised with greater frequency (Collins, Epstein, Reiss, & Lowe, 2001).…”