Stephen J. Bedard

Apologetics, Leadership, Disabilities, History and More

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Category: Disability and Faith Blog

Uniquely Human
February 15, 2019

Uniquely Human – Review

I have read many books on autism but Uniquely Human is one of the best. As I read it, my initial reaction was, “I…

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Developmental Disabilities
February 5, 2019

The Reality of Welcoming People With Developmental Disabilities

I am committed to welcoming people with disabilities, both physical and developmental, into the church. But there is a danger that we romanticize what…

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Redefining Perfect
January 29, 2019

Redefining Perfect – Review

When a couple begins to have children, at least in the back of their mind, they are hoping for the “perfect” family. But what…

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Good News
January 27, 2019

Good News: A Pastor Who Cares

Our son Logan has started attending a church in the city where his group home is. I have mentioned this before and we are…

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Paradox of Disability
January 24, 2019

The Paradox of Disability – Review

One of the first times that I heard about the intersection of faith and disability was a discussion about the L’Arche communities. L’Arche was…

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Autism
January 10, 2019

Is it Wrong to Label People With Autism?

I recently had a discussion about using labels when describing people on the autism spectrum. Some of the people in the discussion felt strongly…

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Disabling Mission Enabling Witness
December 11, 2018

Disabling Mission, Enabling Witness – Review

I recently read Enabling Mission, Enabling Witness by Benjamin T. Conner and I absolutely loved it. I am currently doing some research into disability…

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Disabilities
November 27, 2018

Disabilities and Disabilities

I’m thankful that more people are talking about disabilities these days. But what do we mean by disabilities? Some may refer to “people with…

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November 10, 2018

Top Five Things I Wish People Knew About Autism

As I approach my fiftieth birthday, I’m writing a number of top five lists. Since autism is something that is close to my heart,…

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Autism
October 20, 2018

Autism and the Double Meltdown

We went to visit our two children who have autism and who live in a group home. Logan is 17 and Abby is 16….

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Autistic
October 9, 2018

An Autistic Thanksgiving

I suspect that most families have unexpected situations and uncontrollable factors when it comes to family dinners and holidays. This is definitely true when…

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Autism
September 24, 2018

People With Autism Become Adults

I have been doing some informal research into how many people with autism are in churches. I had a very interesting comment that I…

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Apologetics
September 13, 2018

How Apologetics Intersects With My Interest in Disabilities

Two of the areas that I write on the most are Christian apologetics and disabilities. This makes sense. My faith journey includes a period…

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Disability Ministry
September 12, 2018

What Our Church Does For Disability Ministry

When people find out that I’m interested in disabilities, I often get asked what we do at our church for disability ministry. Like myself,…

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Autism
September 4, 2018

Autism and the First Day of School

Like many parents, we sent our children off today for their first day of school for the year. We took the obligatory pictures of…

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Good News
August 19, 2018

Good News: “Go Away!”

How many parents think it is good news when their teenage daughter tells them to go away? This one does. A couple of days…

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Good Doctor
August 14, 2018

First Thoughts on The Good Doctor

The Good Doctor is a medical drama that airs on ABC and which features a doctor with autism. It is based on an earlier…

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Hope's Reason
August 2, 2018

The Hope’s Reason Podcast

I have been podcasting for quite a few years and I do enjoy it. Although my original podcast has been taken down by me,…

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Disability
July 17, 2018

Disability Stereotypes in Movies

One of the pet peeves of many people in the disability community is how people with disabilities are portrayed in movies and television shows….

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Ableism
July 5, 2018

Why I Don’t Talk Much About Ableism

For years we have heard about sexism (discrimination against a gender, usually females) and racism (discrimination against a race, usually non-whites). People may be…

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Disability
June 26, 2018

What is a Disability?

I recently asked a question on a couple of Facebook groups that I belonged to. One group was about autism and the other about…

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Asperger's
June 18, 2018

Asperger’s From the Inside Out – Review

Before there was just an Autism Spectrum Disorder, there was also an Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). The simple definition of AS is that it is…

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Inspiration Porn
June 15, 2018

Inspiration Porn

This past week, I was at the Summer Institute on Theology and Disability. There was so much that I learned but one of the…

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Autism
June 4, 2018

This is What Autism Looks Like

It is important for me to share information about autism. It is vital that our society grow in autism awareness. But is autism is…

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Autism
May 29, 2018

Making Plans With Autism

A few weeks ago, we were staying at a hotel with our three youngest children. One of the reasons we went to the hotel…

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Good News
May 6, 2018

Good News: A Beautiful Day For a Walk

My Good News is that I took a walk to Tim Horton’s. How is that Good News, other than the fact that I really…

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Disabilities
April 23, 2018

An Important Question For Churches and Disabilities

Our church has a Bible study that takes place Sundays after the service. We were looking at Paul’s vision for the unity of the…

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Autism
April 17, 2018

Why I’m Glad My Children Didn’t Come For a Visit

Our two oldest children have autism and live in a group home about an hour and a half away. They normally come for visits…

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Autism
April 9, 2018

An Autism Challenge

Our society has come a long way when it comes to autism awareness. People know more about autism than ever before. But how well…

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Autism Awareness
April 2, 2018

Churches Need More Than Autism Awareness

There has been an increase in autism awareness, both in general and in the church. That is a good thing but more is needed….

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Special Needs
March 29, 2018

Caring for Special Needs People in Your Small Church

One of the most practical podcasts that I listen to is the 200 Church podcast. I was quite happy when I heard they were…

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Stephen Hawking
March 15, 2018

Stephen Hawking and Disabilities

Stephen Hawking just recently died. There is much about Hawking that I disagreed with. He denied the existence of God and thought heaven was…

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Pastor
March 14, 2018

31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Embrace Those With Disabilities

Many churches have embraced the concept of disabilities. Churches want diversity of gender, ethnicities, age, economic status and others. But what about disabilities? I…

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Lamar Hardwick
February 19, 2018

Interview With Lamar Hardwick

I’m grateful to Lamar Hardwick for sharing his experience with autism. Lamar blogs at The Autistic Pastor. 
Could you share a little about yourself…

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Autism
February 14, 2018

Miraculous Healings From Autism?

I came across an article from the Charisma magazine website written by Becky Dvorak titled Miraculous Healings for Autism Begin to Manifest. How do I…

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Autism
February 13, 2018

Autism: Explaining the Enigma – Review

I recently read the book Autism: Explaining the Enigma by Uta Frith. It is an older book, having been published in 1989, but it…

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Wonder
February 6, 2018

Wonder – Review

Our family was able to watch Wonder, a movie that we have wanted to see for sometime. The movie is about August “Auggie” Pullman, a…

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Autism
January 29, 2018

The Autism Opportunity Easily Missed by Churches

My observation of churches is that there is an increase in awareness and compassion about autism. The media has really brought autism to the…

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PECS
January 22, 2018

A Relic From the Past

Our family recently moved to a new house. It is not surprising that in the packing and unpacking that long lost items turn up….

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Accessibility Ministry
January 16, 2018

Reflections on Teaching Accessibility Ministry

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to teach a module as a part of the Certificate in Accessibility Ministry at Tyndale University College….

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Breathe
January 9, 2018

Breathe – Review

Last night I watched the movie Breathe, directed by Andy Serkis. The movie stars Andrew Garfield (Amazing Spider-Man) and Claire Foy (The Crown). The…

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Disability
January 4, 2018

How to Become a Disability-Friendly Church

You may or may not know that I used to be the associate editor for Faith Today magazine. Although I have moved on to…

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Group Home
December 19, 2017

Don’t You Dare Judge!

One of the outcomes that some special needs families experience is that the children move into a group home. How that takes place depends…

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Special Needs
December 16, 2017

Stay Engaged With Your Special Needs Child (Part 2)

This is the first of two-part guest post by Bryan Stoudt. Visit Bryan’s website at the link found in his bio at the end of…

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Special Needs
December 8, 2017

Special Needs Families Are Not a Monolithic Group

I speak often on the needs of families who are dealing with disabilities. My prayer to that the church will respond to those special…

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Special Needs
December 6, 2017

Stay Engaged With Your Special Needs Child (Part 1)

This is the first of two-part guest post by Bryan Stoudt. Visit Bryan’s website at the link found in his bio at the end of…

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Accessible
December 1, 2017

A Simple Way to Make Your Church More Accessible

When you think about an accessible church, what do you think of? Perhaps the installation of an elevator or a wheelchair ramp. Maybe hearing…

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Healing
November 14, 2017

The Moment That Haunts Me

They say you should never live with regrets. That may be so, but there are certain events that I do regret that I didn’t…

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Autism
October 17, 2017

Recognizing Autism

One of the most important reminders about autism is that everyone with autism is different. My mantra is “if you have met one person…

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Disabilities
October 13, 2017

5 Ways Churches Can Help Support Families With Disabilities

One of my passions is to help churches be welcoming and safe places for families with disabilities. I come at this both as a…

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Autism
October 9, 2017

The Power of Little Victories

What are the things that you celebrate as a parent? It may be your child getting their driver’s licence or graduating from university. We…

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Autism
October 6, 2017

Autism and Mental Health

Although autism is not a mental illness, there is a connection. The stress of either being on the autism spectrum or caring for someone…

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Disabilities
September 19, 2017

What Does Jesus Want Our Churches to Look Like?

I was preparing for an upcoming sermon and came across an interesting passage. He said also to the man who had invited him, “When…

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Autism
September 13, 2017

The Reason I Blog About Autism

I often say that I blog for myself, that it is it is a way for me to sort through my thoughts and at…

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Autism Blog
August 23, 2017

Certificate in Accessible Ministry

One of my passions is to equip churches to minister to and with people with disabilities. That is why I’m excited about a new…

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Disabilities
August 15, 2017

A World Without Disabilities?

CBS recently reported on Iceland and how they have almost “eradicated Down Syndrome. One of the people in the article said: My understanding is…

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Disabilities
August 12, 2017

Disabilities and the Innocence of Children

We had an interesting conversation the other day. Our three youngest children are aged 9-11. We were talking about what it will be like…

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Autism
July 31, 2017

When People Stare

I recently shared about taking our son with autism out to the park. While we see Logan regularly, it had been a long time…

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Autism
July 27, 2017

Seven Years Ago Today

Today it is seven years since our daughter went to live in a group home. She was seven years-old at that time. That means…

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Disabilities
July 25, 2017

Disabilities and the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats

One of the hardest hitting parables that Jesus ever taught was the parable of the sheep and the goats from Matthew 25. There is…

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Autism
July 11, 2017

Why I Tease My Daughter With Autism

My oldest daughter is 14 years-old and has autism. And I like to tease her. Don’t worry, I don’t tease her about having autism….

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Diverse
June 15, 2017

How Diverse Do You Want Your Church to Be?

I have listened to a number of podcasts and read some books that have argued for increased diversity within the church. I am all…

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Good News
June 4, 2017

Good News: First Communion

Today may have been one of the most amazing mornings at church in my life. I shared a couple of weeks ago about how…

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Wrestling With an Angel
June 1, 2017

Wrestling With an Angel – Review

When it comes to being parents of children with disabilities, there is a connection that goes deep. Even if we have never met or…

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Service Dog
May 26, 2017

Don’t Pet the Service Dog!

I was at the hospital today visiting someone. As we walked into the hospital, we saw someone with a service dog waiting to pay…

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Autism
May 25, 2017

Autism and Quality Time

Last weekend, our children with autism were visiting from their group home. It is always great to have them with us. At one point,…

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Autism Blog
May 22, 2017

A Place of Healing – Review

Perhaps one of the first Christian “celebrities” that I ever heard of was Joni Eareckson Tada. She has an amazing story and has accomplished…

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Good News
May 21, 2017

Good News: Bringing Our Son to Church

Today was one of the happiest Sundays in my life. Many people take it for granted that they can go to church as a…

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Autism Blog
May 19, 2017

Do You Have People With Autism in Your Church?

The CDC has said that 1 in 68 children are born with autism. In Canada, the numbers are about 1 in 94. Those are…

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SuperCaptainBraveMan
May 9, 2017

Adventures of SuperCaptainBraveMan: A Spectrum of Love – Review

I recently encountered a series of books called The Adventures of SuperCaptainBraveMan. While I haven’t read the first book, I was sent a copy…

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Autism
May 2, 2017

Be Careful With the Advice You Give Autism Parents

It is common for parents to share their wisdom with each other. Experience provides little tips that we can share with others. This is…

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Autism
April 13, 2017

Bitter-Sweet Sixteen

Our son Logan turned sixteen just the other day. On his birthday, we gathered the family together and went to a used car lot….

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Good News
April 2, 2017

Good News: Thankful For Autism Awareness

About fourteen years ago, when our son Logan was diagnosed with autism, I was pretty ignorant about autism. I only knew what I saw…

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Autism
March 31, 2017

My Six Favourite Autism Memories

Our two oldest children have autism and our experience with them has shaped our entire family. Although there have been some hard days, we…

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Autism Awareness
March 29, 2017

Why Should the Church Care About Autism Awareness?

April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day and April is Autism Awareness Month. But why should the church care about autism awareness? Shouldn’t we…

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Autism Blog
March 13, 2017

Marriage and Asperger’s Syndrome

What do you think of when you think of autism? Nonverbal children rocking back and forth, perhaps banging their head? Autism includes that but…

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R-Word
March 1, 2017

My Problem With the R-Word

I was recently watching the Netflix series, Luke Cage. Throughout the series, I was bothered by the generous use of the N-word, even by…

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Autism
February 14, 2017

Tips to Becoming an Autism-Friendly Church

The CDC has reported that 1 in 68 children are born with autism. Your church needs decide if you want to include or exclude…

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Autism
January 28, 2017

5 Things You Should Know About My Children With Autism

Autism awareness has come a long way but there is still far to go. I have two children with autism. They are both on…

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Autism
January 18, 2017

Five Reasons Why King Solomon Was on the Autism Spectrum

This article is a guest post by Ron Sandison. You can find his bio at the conclusion of this post. As a theologian and…

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Accountant
January 16, 2017

Thoughts on The Accountant

I have been hoping to see The Accountant for some time and finally got to watch it today. I was not disappointed. It was…

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Autism
January 4, 2017

The New Edition of How to Make Your Church Autism-Friendly!

I believe that of all the books that I have written, one of the most important is How to Make Your Church Autism-Friendly. It…

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Disability and the Gospel
December 27, 2016

Disability and the Gospel – Review

One aspect of working through ideas about disabilities is to develop a theology of disability. The Bible has some important things to say about…

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Down Syndrome
December 22, 2016

The 21st Chromosome

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Autism
December 20, 2016

Autism: Predicting Overload

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Autism Blog
December 12, 2016

Confessions of an Autism Mom

I am so thankful for my wife and the way she is able to put into words our experience as autism parents. Amanda recently…

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Down Syndrome
December 10, 2016

Dear Future Mom

A heartwarming message from 15 people with Down syndrome to a future mom.

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Accessible Church
December 8, 2016

On Being an Accessible Church

In the province that I live in, it is the law that all public buildings, including churches, are accessible to those with disabilities. We…

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He Came Down
December 7, 2016

He Came Down

If you are having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit, you need to watch this video. It is about a nativity play put on…

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Bullying
December 2, 2016

Bullying Also Happens in the Church

People with disabilities are too often the target for bullying. Those who have communication or cognitive challenges are particularly vulnerable as they may have…

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Autism
November 29, 2016

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

 

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Autism
November 26, 2016

Nothing is Happening Tomorrow

Have you ever had someone start to say something, in the sense of revealing information, and you would do anything to stop them? We…

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Scripting
November 25, 2016

What is Scripting?

 

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Autism Blog
November 18, 2016

What is an Autistic Meltdown?

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Autism Infographic
November 16, 2016

Autism Spectrum Disorder Infographic

by J.L. From Visually.

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Autism
November 11, 2016

A Theology of Autism

This is a lecture by theologian John Swinton that was given at the Summer Institute on Theology and Disability in 2011.

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Autism
November 9, 2016

The Church and People With Mild Autism

I think that there has been some improvement in the church’s willingness to embrace and minister to people with autism and their families. But…

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Autistic
November 5, 2016

An Autistic Evening

One of the purposes of this blog is to increase awareness about autism. As much as I love to share the positive experiences, the…

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Autism
November 5, 2016

How to Talk to a Person With Autism Who Seems to Ignore You

If you tried to talk to our son, you might find that he would avoid eye contact and probably would hum while you spoke….

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Autism Service Dog
November 2, 2016

What is an Autism Service Dog?

Many people have heard of guide dogs for the blind, but what is an autism service dog? The principle is the same, in that…

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