Catechesis for Those With Special Needs

“Children and young people who are physically or mentally handicapped...have aright, like others of their age, to know
the mystery of faith.’ The greater difficulties that they encounter give greater merit to their efforts and to those of their teachers.”
(On Catechesis in Our Time, 41)

This section is a brief outline provided to alleviate some of the fear, discomfort or misinformation that a catechist with a disabled student in his or her classroom may experience.

Learning Disability:

The most common disability a catechist will face in the classroom is the learning disability.

There are many different kinds of learning disabilities, some so severe as to prevent reading skills from developing. Some forms may not be obvious or even observable. They may be manifested by other symptoms, such as a short attention span, hyperactivity, inability to retain  information, or emotional immaturity.

When a catechist knows that he/she has a student with a learning disability in the class, the catechist has the obligation to find out as much about the student as possible. Through discussion with parents and other catechists involved with the student, a catechist can gain an understanding of the severity of the disability.

If, on the other hand, a catechist has not been told that one of his or her students has a learning disability, suspects that is the case, the catechist should contact the parents to see if they are aware of the problem, and if any steps are being taken to diagnose and correct it. With sincere effort, he or she may be able to alleviate or compensate for the problem. If the problem is severe enough that he or she does not think he or she can do what is best for the student while still teaching the other students, then perhaps the catechist can receive help from volunteers, such as grandparents, who could work with the student on a one-to-one basis. Often the time spent in a one-on-one environment guarantees the greatest benefit for the student. It is important to stress that while the student has special learning needs, it does not necessarily mean that he or she lacks intelligence. The secret to special education in this area is to find the means to stimulate intellectual activity.

Occasionally a catechist might have a student in class who does not seem to be on the same track as other class members. There is no real evidence of a disability, and yet there appears to be some difficulty. It is possible that this student learns in a different mode from the one being used to teach. Each of us has a different sensory path through which we attain knowledge. Some students cannot adapt to a learning mode other than their own, and so a catechist may need to take the time to present material in a different mode. There are four basic modes of learning.

 

1. Auditory: Some people learn primarily through what is heard or spoken. These students will retain what they hear read to them, or through what is presented during lectures. They will benefit from the textbook being read aloud by a catechist or other students.

2. Visual: Some people learn through what is seen. These students will remember, for example, what is written on the board, what they read in the book, and any visual information, such as artwork, flashcards, pictures, etc.

3. Tactile: Some people learn by means of “hands-on” activities. These students learn through writing out what they are to learn, tracing it with their fingers, by being able to touch the things that are associated with the lessons, anything that will be communicated through the sense of touch.

4. Kinesthetic: Some people learn through total bodily involvement. These students may need to physically move through the lesson by walking from one place to another in order to match questions with answers, pictures with concepts. Jumping onto the correct answer, or throwing bean bags onto the right answer traced on the floor will reinforce this type of learning.

Most students will be able to assimilate information through more than one, or all, of these learning styles. Some students, however, will only be able to utilize one. It is unrealistic to expect a catechist to teach every lesson by incorporating all four learning styles, but a catechist can easily use more than one. It will benefit those students with special needs, while other students will enjoy the change of pace.

A catechist may encounter other, more serious, physical or mental disabilities in the classroom.

Students with these disabilities are educated through special education classes in the public school system. Therefore, they must depend on parish-based catechesis for their religious education. Their parents, pastor and catechetical faculty should meet to  determine if the student’s special needs can be met by the parish program, and how they will be provided.

Some of these more serious disabilities are discussed below:

1. Physical or Neurological Impairment: Students with these kinds of disabilities normally do not have any special educational needs. Any special assistance that they require will come from making the learning area as accessible to them as possible, along with awareness that they may need special equipment or appliances in order to function in the classroom. Cooperation between the catechetical faculty and the parents is essential.

The emotional needs of these students should be taken into consideration when a catechist addresses their performance in the classroom. It is important to remember that some of the conditions present in these disabilities are progressive, and sometimes fatal, as in muscular dystrophy. Severe cerebral palsy may mask the student’s intelligence because of the inability to speak or control bodily movement. Address the student, not the disability.

These disabilities are oftentimes the most obvious, and perhaps the most disturbing to the other students in the classroom because of their physical manifestations. By educating the class with a brief explanation of the disability, the catechist can help the students to see that we are all different. However, do not make the disabled student an object lesson by pointing out his or her patience, suffering, etc.

2. Visual Impairment: People are considered legally blind if they have 20/200 vision in their better eye with correction. This means that they can see at 20 feet what a person with perfect vision can see at two hundred feet, even if they are wearing glasses. Visual problems are not all the same, and a catechist should be aware of the nature of the specific problem in order to help the student. For example, moving the student closer to the blackboard may be of help to some, but a student with tunnel vision may have to be placed far away from the board in order to get the whole picture.

These kinds of adjustments make contact with the parents imperative, although the student can usually tell a catechist what makes him or her more comfortable.

Be aware that the student may depend on auditory cues to gain information about the environment, such as the size of the classroom and the arrangement of the furniture. Don’t leave doors half open, or chairs sticking out in the aisle. Let the student know what is going on in the room, especially when other students react to some visible stimulus. Never grab the student to lead him or her to a seat; rather, lead. Have the other students introduce themselves so that they might be recognized by the sound of their voice. It isn’t necessary to avoid the use of words like “see” or “look.” They are a normal part of a blind persons’ vocabulary.

3. Hearing Impairment: This is perhaps the most difficult disability for catechists to deal with because it is a language and communication handicap, thus blocking the normal medium used for communication - spoken language. The student may depend on lip-reading for communication.

Bear in mind that only one-fourth of what is spoken can be seen formed on the lips. Lip-reading is extremely difficult, even for an adult proficient in this skill. Your speech should be clear, but not overly exaggerated. Don’t block the line of vision between the hearing impaired student and your face. The student needs to see your entire face with its expressions and lip movements in order to grasp the whole message. If any kind of group discussion is going on, the student will need to be able to look from face to face.

More than likely, the student who is deaf will be able to use sign language to communicate. In that case, the catechist should either be proficient in sign language, or request the services of a professional interpreter. Sign language is a true language, with its own grammar and syntax. It

cannot be learned from a book, and it takes a considerable amount of time to master. Sign language cannot be mastered without intensive instruction, but it is worth it to be able to properly and clearly communicate the truths of the Faith to a hearing impaired student.

Never refer to a hearing impaired person as “deaf-and-dumb” or “deaf-mute.” The former connotes a lack of intelligence, the latter is not always true. Hearing impairment usually results in speech impairment. Person with moderate hearing loss will have some difficulty making sounds correctly when they do not hear the sounds correctly. Some people with a severe hearing loss may have no usable speech at all, or choose not to use their voices. However, most people who are deaf are not mute, but have the ability to make sounds, and use their speech to communicate.

The catechist must be aware that a student with a moderate to severe hearing loss usually suffers from a language deficiency. His or her deafness blocks the causal acquiring of language which most people take for granted. Hearing impaired students often learn new concepts and vocabulary through formal instruction, not by overhearing them as most others do. Therefore, a catechist needs to make a conscious effort to introduce, explain and clarify the ideas being presented. The ability to sign does make this task easier, but as students who are deaf may not know the signs for new vocabulary, or the frame of reference from which a catechist is speaking, a catechist can’t always rely on sign language. The language deficiency of most congenitally deaf people applies to reading as well. The written word becomes as difficult as the spoken word. The average deaf person reads at a fourth to sixth grade level, while others may succeed at college level. With this in mind, a catechist may have to adapt a lesson to meet the needs of the student who is deaf.

In fairness to the catechist and the student, a catechist dealing with a student who is deaf should have expertise in either the education of the deaf or in sign language communication.

4. Mental Retardation: It is not likely that a catechist will encounter this disability in the classroom. The severity of the student’s disability will be the determining factor as to whether or not the student is placed in a catechist’s classroom. These students may receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist if they are able to distinguish right from wrong, and if they know the difference between ordinary bread and the Eucharistic species.