4 Bible Time Tips for Families of Kids with Special Needs
Bible time to encourage the spiritual development of the children is one of the duties of believing parents. It requires time, patience, and diligence. For parents of kids with special needs, it also requires extra perseverance and plenty of creativity. A blog post at Do Not Depart by Caroline Flory offers tips for parents who want to include their children in daily Bible time.
The Importance of Bible Time for Kids with Special Needs
Flory first explains why Bible time is important for kids with special needs. Here’s what she says:
- Anything positive where we include children with special needs helps boost confidence in their own social and communication skills and worth.
- The more they (or any of us, really) hear God’s Word, the deeper those truths permeate.
- Inclusion in family activities with people of varied ages exposes kids to new concepts and social strategies.
Bible Time Tips for Including Kids with Special Needs
She then offers these four tips:
- Give your children opportunities to participate. Flory’s son uses sign language to stay engaged in the conversation.
- Help them memorize Scripture. Even if it takes longer for your child with special needs, memorization can lead to eternal benefit.
- Surround your kids with Scripture expressed in various mediums. Music is especially effective. It helps truths stick in the heart, help kids express feelings, and increases positive attitudes.
- Allow some choice. Allowing kids some choice helps them maintain focus.
Flory explains each point in greater detail in 4 Tips for Including Kids with Special Needs in Family Bible Time. The post is packed with links and resources related to Bible time and kids with special needs.
How Do You Involve Kids with Special Needs in Bible Time?
How about you? What do you do to keep all your kids engaged in family Bible time? Your ideas are welcome here, so leave a comment.
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By Jolene
Jolene Philo is the author of several books for the caregiving community. She speaks at parenting and special needs conferences around the country. Sharing Love Abundantly With Special Needs Families: The 5 Love Languages® for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities, which she co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman, was released in August of 2019 and is available at local bookstores, their bookstore website, and Amazon. See Jane Sing!, the second book in the West River cozy mystery series, which features characters affected by disability, was released in November of 2022.
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You’re welcome, Caroline. Thanks for your work in this area, too.
Thank you so kindly for featuring my post from Do Not Depart! It’s absolutely a blessing to include all children of all abilities in family Bible study time, even with the added challenges! I so appreciate you encouraging families in this, too.
Kerith,
Thank you for that tip. You make it sound so easy…which it should be:)
For the last three years, I have been homeschooling our 17yo with moderate cerebral palsy. Each day we start with a Bible lesson from a devotional book for kids. Although the book is written for much younger girls, it still has a lot of value bringing values and God’s Word to a level she can understand. Start with the basics and move forward. And always make sure they understand God’s love for them!