Our Call As Christians To Support, Not Cure Autistic People

Over the past two decades, there have been major thrusts to cure what so many believe is a new disease. This supposed disease has been blamed on vaccinations. It still has no known cause. A whole movement, especially of parents of children who are believed to be afflicted with this dread disease, has sprung up. It is strong. It has gained limited attention of some in the media and of some in the government, at least in the US. Yet there are a growing number of us who question this supposed disease and what it actually is, and what those affected by it truly need.

Autistic People & the Church

When many of us Christians think of autism, we may think of nonverbal people, especially children, who have meltdowns. This is the picture of autism that many people first think of when they think of autism. But though this is an accurate picture of a good number of autistic adults and children, it's far from the complete picture. You can put a group of any 25 autistic people in a room. Each person's autism looks different from any other person's autism. As it's often said, "If you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism. I know that there are Christian congregations doing more to welcome and accept people with autism just as many are improving about welcoming people with other disabilities. The Christian community, for decades, have embraced people diagnosed with ADHD, which has traits that are like autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Yet it is only recently that the Church has begun embracing autistic people. Why?

My Own Experience

Let me share something of my own experience with the Church. When I was in my 20s, I remember a singles group that operated through a local church. One evening, we were playing ping-pong. When I took a few minutes to take a bathroom break, I overheard the guy a had a crush on at the time, say to someone, "You are sure better at playing this than Lisa." I was crushed! The people in the group were nice to me, but I never felt socially accepted. In one other congregation, in particular, I felt excluded and unwelcome. I had sought to get involved in the life of that particular fellowship, more than I remember ever doing. A few times, people would discuss me as though I could not hear them. Once, a member said to my spouse, "Are you sure she can handle her daughter?" Again, the members were nice to me, but never did I feel that I was "one of them." Granted, maybe some of this was my undiagnosed autism coming through as being not interested in them, or preferring to keep to myself. Yet this local church, like so many others according to my research, was not equipped to relate to or welcome people with disabilities, in general. I would get frustrated at the sheer lack of Christian books about disabilities. I found one two addressed to parishes about how to welcome people with disabilities and only one addressed to persons with disabilities themselves. Church, we can do better!

Parenting On the Spectrum & Finally Diagnosed On the Spectrum

Autism is unique among disabilities because it's so complex and the diagnosis of the autism spectrum has existed in only the past two decades or so. Actually, autism is a broad spectrum, with people with all levels of function. They range from those with classic, full-scale autism, who cannot speak and who need basic care, all the way to highly-functional Asperger's individuals who are often very successful. Therefore, pastors, church staff and members have no doubt felt themselves to be too busy or to have other priorities, to educate themselves about this condition. First of all, autism is a neurological condition that affects how the autistic person sees and relates to the world, to others, and to himself. How did I get aware of these things? This dis not happen until my own daughter was diagnosed with an ASD; before that, all I knew of autism was severely autistic, nonverbal classmates I encountered in special class settings, and saw in "The Rain Man." Months later, I identified myself as "possibly autistic" as I pondered all my differences growing up and now. It has been only recently that I've finally been confirmed as having an ASD, and after years of trying to find a qualified, affordable professional to check me out for an ASD. So I see two sides of autism, parenting a child on the autism spectrum and being diagnosed, as an adult, on the autism spectrum.

What Can Local Churches Do?

There are things every pastor, church staffer, and member can do, to be part of the solution. Number one, educate yourselves; I will give resources below where that can be done. You can find many others in a Google search. You can also educate yourselves about other disabilities. We make time for the things that matter to us. Welcoming all people into the Church should matter to us as it does to God. If you yourself have a relative with a disability or have a disability yourself, you may have to take the lead to educate those in your local church. Also, you can sign my autism petition, which I run on Change.org and on SignOn.org. I will include both links below, and I hope you will take time to sign it, showing support by calling on the US government to fund autism services for all, regardless of the ability to pay.

What are you doing to make all people feel welcome in your local congregation?

Please Sign My Autism Petition at Change.org.

Please Sign My Autism Petition at SignOn.org.

Autism Society--United States

National Autism Society--United Kingdom

My Holiday Wish: A Little Bit of Your Time To Show Me Your Support

I know that this is the busiest time of the year, with all the stresses of this holiday season making so many of us feel pressured to do it all, so that our families and our children will "have a decent Christmas." Or, if you are one of those whose at a rough patch in your life, especially financially, you are afraid and depress, right? I have a holiday wish appeal, but it should not stress you out as I'm not asking you for a penny. I'm only asking for a little bit of your time, and it would mean a lot to me. I'm appealing for your support, brothers and sisters in Christ.

What Am I Asking You For?

I'm asking you to show me your support for this blog, or for materials that I have included here. I know that so many of you have shown your support in different ways, by signing my autism petition, and circulating this petition. Many of you have visited one or more of my Facebook pages and "liked" them. Many of you have hit one of the "Follow" or "Subscribe" options at this BlogSpot, and have become regular followers. My holiday wish is to see this BlogSpot continue to grow. I have set it up to help the general public, and with your ongoing support, I can help more people and help them more effectively than I am now. This particular BlogSpot is for you in the Christian community, but it's for any visitor who is interested in God, Christ, and spiritual things.

Simple Ways To Show Me Your Support & Help Spread the Love & Truth of God To More People

1). Hit the "Follow" button that floats at the top of your screen as you scroll down this page, to become a follower of this blog.

2). Hit one of the multiple "Subscribe" options on this blog, to get my updates in your email inbox or in a Feed reader. It's FREE!

3). If you have not done so yet, please sign my autism petition at Change.org. If you have signed it, please send invitations from the site, so that others can sign, too.
4). If you have not done so yet, please sign my autism petition at SignOn.org. If you have signed it, please send invitations from the site, so that others can sign, too!

5). You can visit my God-centered Facebook page, to "like" it and/or to circulate it. I'm looking to keep this page growing, reaching more people with the message of God's grace!

6). You can visit my static page on this BlogSpot, which houses all 7 of my Facebook pages with "like boxes." With just 7 clicks on each box, you can "like" all of the pages without visiting any of them. You can also find them on my homepage and do this same thing there.

7. You can visit my static page on this BlogSpot, which houses my autism petition on widgets from Change.org and SignOn.org; you can sign both of them there, and share them too. All that can be done without visiting either site.

8). You can visit my static page on this BlogSpot, which contains a brief survey where you can give me your honest feedback on how I'm doing here, and tell me what you would like to see. This would help me know what you need and want!

9). Comment on any post. I wish that Blogger had a better commenting system, and that you did not have to set up an account to post a comment on a Blogger blog. I have no control over this, but I hope to figure out how to change or improve this commenting system, if I can.

10). If you like any post or this BlogSpot, please share! I have set up many "share" options.

Mobile phone visitors, I have not forgotten you! I hope to find out ways to make this blog fit all screens. Blogger, unfortunately, does not make that easy. I hope to resolve things on my end, so you can enjoy this BlogSpot too. I plan to set up a website and hope to link it to this blog, and make changes that will make this BlogSpot better so I can help more people, and help them more effectively! Warm wishes to each of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, over this holiday season!

Sincerely, in Christ's Love & Grace,

Lisa DeSherlia

The first photo that is found at the top of this post is by "natbell" and it can be found here; the second photo at the top of this post is by "Alvimann" and it can be found here. Both these photos are courtesy of MorgueFile.com.

Christian Friends, You Can Show Autistic People A FREE Christmas Gift of Your Support!

What Am I Asking For?

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Christmas is the time for giving. You know that. Actually, all year we are to give of ourselves and what we have. But we focus on this at this time of the year. I would like to see you show support for the autism community, and it will not cost you a cent, only a little of your time. I have set up an autism petition at Change.org over two years ago, and I had set it up at SignOn.org about a year ago. In it, I appeal to the US Congress and to the US President to send funds to all 50 states so states can set up affordable autism services for all those who want or need them.

Why Is This So Important?

Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder that affects the way a person sees himself, others, and the world. It affects how the autistic person relates to others. Levels of function range from the "high-functioning" Asperger's Syndrome to more severe forms of autism where an autistic person deals with cognitive and behavioral challenges. Every autistic person's autism is unique; autism cannot be stereotyped by the well-known "Rain Man" image in the Dustin Hoffmann film. Many autistic persons need no services, but far more, especially children, need affordable services. Without these services they cannot get officially diagnosed; without that diagnosis, it's legally impossible to access any form of autism support services. Hence, I have created a petition calling for those services for those who want but can't afford them.

Why Do We Christians Need To Be Concerned?

First of all, God loves and cares for all of us, and that includes autistic persons of all ages. He wants us to show His love to all people, as much as we can. Also, autistic adults and parents with autistic children have felt unwelcome in most Christian congregations, and I know that many still do. As the mom of a beautiful, precious daughter with diagnosed autism, and as a person who is suspected to have an ASD myself due to my past and present challenges, I have known this anguish of feeling unwelcome by a number of people in the Christian community. You take a small but important first step (depending on your connection with autism) by signing my autism petition, which I'm making available on widgets here, so you can more easily sign it and share it without leaving this blog to go to Change.org or to SignOn.org. Your support means a lot to us in the autism community!

Always in Christ,

Lisa DeSherlia

Please Sign This Petition Here

Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »

Thank You For Sharing Your Support and God's Love!

Both images at the top are courtesy of MorgueFile.com. The first image is found here & the second image is found here.

Should Christians Get Involved In Public Advocacy?

Advocacy. We all have heard this word. There are many causes. Human rights causes. Public health causes. Animal rights causes. Lobbying government officials to change laws for the sake of the public. There is no shortage of causes because of all the existing needs in our fallen world. In a perfect world, causes would not exist. Advocacy would not exist. What IS advocacy? It is defined as speaking up on behalf of those who cannot speak up for themselves. Those whose needs aren't being met. Those of us with the Christian worldview see ourselves primarily as having a relationship with God through faith in Jesus. We see ourselves as disciples and witnesses of God's truth and love to the world who needs Him. This translates to prioritizing cultivating our relationship with God, building ourselves up through being with other believers and sharing our faith. As it should be according to the Scriptures.

So where does public advocacy fit in? In the denomination of my childhood and most of my adulthood, public advocacy on the part of Christians is frowned on. Here's my experience: I began to use social networks years ago to raise awareness about missing person cases and soon I was bringing awareness to autism and related, invisible disabilities as well as human rights abuses. I would post these issues to my personal account. On Facebook, I had added many of my past and (then) current fellow churchgoers, as "friends". These were people from past and present congregations in St. Louis, Missouri. Apparently most of them did not want to see such posts in their Facebook Newsfeeds. I was saddened and yes, angry to find myself being "unfriended" by one of them after the other. I know that they aren't bad, uncaring people, though at the time, I ranted and called them "hypocrites" for refusing to "walk their talk." I know that it is what this church body has taught them (and me) about public advocacy and that it is NOT a priority for Christians. This church body in question (like I'm sure others) forbid churches to officially get involved in public advocacy. They do not forbid individual Christians from public advocacy. But many of these Christians confuse congregational involvement and individual involvement.

As a mom of an autistic daughter and a suspected autistic (awaiting diagnosis results) myself, I began an autism petition two years ago. It is found at Change.org. It is also found at Signon.org, where I launched it a year later. This petition calls on the US President and the US Congress to send funds to all 50 states so they can offer autism services to all who need them. I have been saddened at the lack of support for this petition from those in my local church, with only a few exceptions. Months ago, I emailed the pastor of a congregation I belonged to at the time, appealing to him to let our congregation back up this effort as a congregation. I did not realize that this denomination forbids its churches from getting involved in public advocacy, and he made it clear in his reply that our congregation could not back up my efforts. When I appealed to him to do so, he did sign the petition as an individual. But I fear that many, many Christians may believe that they should not get involved in public advocacy even as individuals. Many may see it as a separation of Church and State or that it is not a priority for us as Christians. I understand this. But seeing that there are so many people whose needs aren't getting met and who can't speak up for themselves should give us pause, right?

Yes, I know that so many of these fellow churchgoers who have removed me from their Facebook social networks justified their actions. They no doubt see their walks with God, building themselves up in faith and sharing it with the world, as incompatible with public advocacy. They no doubt see it as getting in the way. Sadly, some may simply choose to remain ignorant about issues that I was trying to bring awareness to. Only they and God know what apply to their cases. I'm sure they may mean well, though I think they are sadly mistaken. I guess they see public advocacy as being incompatible with worship, discipleship, and being witnesses. Why? They don't see God as caring about crime, missing person cases, human rights, disability awareness, and the rest? Doesn't He care about these many people who need advocates, whether you're talking about the unborn, those with disabilities, crime victims, missing persons, persecuted believers, and others? Can prayer, worshipping and witnessing, in and of themselves, meet the needs of these vulnerable people groups? I agree that we ought to pray and that all our advocacy should start with prayer. And these people need to get their spiritual needs met through the sharing of our faith. But without the meeting of their practical needs, these aren't enough! We are told that "Faith without works are dead," but I think many Christians forget that.

I know that not all denominations frown on public advocacy and that some "Christian left" church bodies go the other way. They wrongly de-emphasize the priority of worship, discipleship, and being witnesses. They overemphasize public advocacy! That, too, is equally as bad and as mistaken. I'm blogging from the angle of public advocacy as right for Christians because of my experience. For most of my life, I was in churches to the far "Christian right" and very conservative for many people's tastes. Whatever tradition you came from, as a Christian and are in now, know this: Public advocacy can be a part of your Christian life if you feel passion and a Divine call for it. You can and should start, continue and end all your advocacy efforts with worship, in prayer, and as witnesses. By the way, if you want to advocate, you can do it right here. Please sign my autism petition here. Please sign it too! Thank you and God's blessings!

Photo Courtesy of MorgueFile.com.

Photo by kconners.

This photo can be found here.