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in Together Jesus
First Eucharist Preparation
Suggested Accommodations for Students with Special Learning Needs Mary Pat Carter
Page numbers following the headings in this document refer to the Teaching Guide for Together in Jesus First Eucharist Preparation.
One of the most common dreams of parents of children who have disabilities is for their child to
have friends and experience a sense of belonging to
a caring community of people. What an opportunity we have to help this happen in the religious education setting, where the goal is to help and guide children to live as Jesus did!
The purpose of this guide is to help you as a catechist feel comfortable in including children who learn differently as part of your religious education class. Some general guidelines follow:
• Focus on the child’s strengths, on what the child can rather than can’t do.
• Ask the parents of the child for suggestions or ideas: They have years of experience to share with you.
• Sometimes class members are the best resource of all. Ask the students for ideas as you plan for an upcoming class, e.g., “If we do...what are some ways we could include John in this activity?”
• Understand that the child with a disability does not have to grasp every concept at the same rate as the other students. Repetition of an idea at home, or in small groups with another student for extra practice, is acceptable.
• Many things in life are learned through trial and error. It’s okay to make mistakes!
In these pages you will find alternate activities or minor changes in the lesson plans to teach students who are nonverbal, have gross or fine motor impairments, have limited ability to read and write, or have intellectual disability. These recommendations are intended to spark your own creativity.
Note: Students with motor difficulties will need assistance with their stickers. When you design an activity, ask yourself, “If I do this activity, is there someone who couldn’t participate?” If the answer is yes, then ask yourself, “What could I do differently so Marie can take part in it?”
Lesson 1
I BELONG TO A COMMUNITY
OPENING PRAYER (page 12)
To help the children learn the song, put the words
in large print on poster board or chart paper. If a student is nonverbal he or she can hold his or her name instead of saying it out loud. If children are going to stand in a prayer circle, place a student using a wheelchair in the front row. It may also be easier to have the students sitting in a circle or semicircle.
I BELONG TO A COMMUNITY (page 13)
Seat students with hearing impairments where
they can see the teacher’s facial expressions and mouth as discussions take place. For a student with a visual impairment, have enlarged pictures of people attending Mass from other books. For a nonverbal child, prepare responses to some of the questions ahead of time as pictures or word cards. (Only 2 or
3 cards would be necessary for the brief discussion.) For children with intellectual disability, the vocabulary may need to be simplified with questions such as “Who goes to church with you?” or “Whom do you see at church?”
WE SHARE FAITH IN JESUS (page 13)
For students who cannot write, tape-record the interview. For a nonverbal student to conduct
the interview, the teacher may need to provide a letter explaining the task in more detail. Again, the interview could be tape recorded. The concept of a community of believers could be explained as a group of people who all believe the same thing. Students
© 2001, 2011 Pflaum Publishing Group, Dayton, OH