April is Autism Acceptance Month and we have several resources available for you! These resources are part of our Accessible Faith Initiative. Mark your calendar for the following upcoming events.
2025 Activity Toolkit
Have you heard about our Activity Toolkit? It’s a free resource that provides tips on how your place of worship can become more autism friendly. Some people think that you have to have a large budget to start a special needs ministry, but many of the tips we share can be done for free or for very little cost.
Our updated 2025 Activity Toolkit includes the following:
- Tips to Get Started
- Low Cost Activity Ideas
- Sample Social Media Posts
- Sample Church Announcements
- The Do’s and Don’ts of Making Your Place of Worship Inclusive for Autistic Children
- Disability Ministry Groups
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Testimonials from Participating Churches
- How Church Leadership Can Support Autistic Children and their Families
- How Parents Can Nurture the Faith of their Autistic Child
The updated toolkit will be available on our Activity Toolkit webpage on April 1, 2025.
Interviews
Special Needs Parenting
Are you the parent of a child with a disability? If so, you will definitely want to tune in to our upcoming interview with James and Tasandra Washington!
The Washingtons have a valuable perspective to share as educators and parents of a child with a disability. They share with us lessons they have learned over the years, such as:
- Advocacy tips for your child’s education
- The importance of a strong support system
- Balancing the care of your child with a disability while also caring for your other children
- Keeping your faith and marriage strong
Our interview with the Washingtons will air on our Facebook and YouTube pages on Monday, April 7, 2025 at 7:00pm EST. You will be encouraged and inspired by their journey. Tell a friend!
Starting a Special Needs Ministry
Rev. Sylvia Taylor has led the Special Needs Ministry at First Baptist Church of Glenarden for over 17 years! Her experience as an occupational therapist and minister has uniquely equipped her to lead this thriving ministry. Rev. Taylor encourages and uplifts special needs families all over the DC Metro area and beyond. During our interview, she shared many gems that will be helpful to any church seeking to start a special needs ministry. Topics discussed include:
- How to start a special needs ministry
- Tips on recruiting and retaining volunteers
- Getting buy-in and support from church ministry leaders
- Tips for inclusion in all church services
Our interview with Rev. Sylvia Taylor will air on our Facebook and YouTube pages on Monday, April 14, 2025 at 7:00pm EST. Her words of wisdom and encouragement will be just in time for Holy Week. Be sure to tune in!
About the Accessible Faith Initiative
Our Accessible Faith Initiative is designed to help places of worship become more autism friendly. Our main activities occur each year in April for Autism Acceptance Month. However, we provide support throughout the year for places of worship through our videos, infographics, toolkits, and more! Most of these items are available on our Resources Page.
If your church is doing an activity for Autism Acceptance Month, please let us know. We would love to share information about your event with our followers!
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and X so that you can stay informed about the work that we do. Thanks for your support!