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ADNet
Anabaptist Disabilities Network PO Box 959 Goshen, IN 46527-0959
E-mail: adnet@adnetonline.org Visit our website: http://www.adnetonline. org Donate to ADNet!
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Anabaptist Disabilities Network
PO Box 959 Goshen, IN 46527-0959 Phone: 574-535-7053 Ph/Fax: 877-214-9838
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Vanessa Yoder
Student Associate Vanessa Yoder discovered her career interest in working with children with disabilities during a year in the Service Adventure program. While living and serving in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she thoroughly enjoyed her work as an assistant to a special education teacher. The Service Adventure experience was part of what motivated Vanessa to volunteer for ADNet as a Student Associate in the 2009-10 school year. She also brought to ADNet the experience of several summers working at a day camp with children who have autism.  Vanessa (in blue shirt) hangs out with a group of her students in Albuquerque “I have had the opportunity to work with five different autistic children, all of whom I have fallen in love with,” Vanessa writes. “My observations of how these children have been treated by the other children has really impressed upon me how important it is for children to be made aware of what autism is and why children who have it behave differently,” she adds. “I think it is especially important for children in churches to be loving towards children with autism since that may determine whether or not a family continues to attend church.” Vanessa is a native of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania and a member of Maple Grove Mennonite Church in Belleville. Her work with ADNet overlapped her senior year at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, where she majored in elementary and special education. She focused her work for ADNet on helping people to better understand children who have autism. Vanessa's contributions to ADNet coordinated with an honors research project at Geneva College. She developed resources (see box in right column) for teachers and youth leaders for building understanding of autism among groups of children so that they are more capable of being loving and inclusive towards their peers who live with autism. “I really desire for children to be able to show Christ's love towards others, regardless of their disabilities,” Vanessa commented. ADNet greatly appreciates Vanessa's contributions of additional resources that support congregations in welcoming and including individuals with autism within faith communities. |
Sunday school teachers, youth leaders and other adults have a vital role to play in promoting understanding and acceptance of children on the autism spectrum. For tips and tools to promote understanding choose from the following resources: Explaining Autism to Children and Youth in a Church Setting (includes a review of Helping Kids Include Kids with Disabilities, by Barbara Newman) Accepting Autism: May 2010 Issue of ADNotes is a one-page condensed resource for Sunday School teachers and others working with children and youth on the autism spectrum. Bibliography: Encouraging Acceptance of Youth on the Autism Spectrum Encouraging Acceptance of Youth on the Autism Spectrum in Sunday School Classes and Youth Groups. The unabridged (10-pages) paper which was the source of the material in the above two resources.
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