Special Needs Faith Formation & Spirituality Catechesis

The Special Needs program provides Faith Formation opportunities for students with Special Needs. The program is designed to instruct children with special needs such as Autism, ADHD, and Down syndrome. The students can be placed in a classroom setting with an aide or receive one-on-one instruction depending on an individual child's needs.

The program acts as a link to the typical needs Faith Formation & Spirituality catechesis as it provides class assistance with knowledge on how to understand, and journey with children in this category that are placed in the class setting with other students.

Rationale: The child with disabilities has the same needs as the rest of us; however, this child requires specific accommodations to nurture his or her relationship with God.

Objective: The parish is the proper place for catechetical and missionary activities, and all souls living within the bounds of the parish are the unique spiritual responsibility of the pastor. It is the parish to which families and those with special needs look for their catechetical formation.

Purpose and Scope: In an atmosphere of welcoming, caring and sharing, this position seeks to provide a safe, quiet, joyful, religious environment where the children with Special Needs (kindergarten to 18 years old) of St. Andrew the Apostle establish a relationship with God and can work according to their own pace and ability.

Class times - Children attend one session per week:

• Tuesdays & Wednesdays (3:45-4:30pm & 5:00-5:45pm)

Please contact Kim Doyle, Coordinator of Special Needs Religious Education, at kdoyle@standrewchandler.com, if you are new to the program.

Volunteers Needed

Adults are needed in the classroom! Training is provided. Safe Environment Training is required and available at St. Andrew for new volunteers or online if renewing. For more information, please contact Kim Doyle at kdoyle@standrewchandler.com.