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pbyeerts
Guest
My daughter has both development and learning disabilities, and I doubt she could ever understand CCD. Can she still be baptized and in the Church? Many thanks, Pamela
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1ke
Guest
Of course she can be baptized, and should be baptized. Go talk to your priest.
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monicatholic
Guest
of course.
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monicatholic
Guest
beautiful! welcome!
how old is your girl and wht sort of DDs and LDs does she have?
(as you can see from the photo, our littlest gal had down syndrome. we LOVE special needs little ones. just love 'em!)
how old is your girl and wht sort of DDs and LDs does she have?
(as you can see from the photo, our littlest gal had down syndrome. we LOVE special needs little ones. just love 'em!)
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raindr0ps
Guest
Your daughter may be able to attend CCD… We’ve had an autistic boy in the program at my church for 4 years. He usually attends a half hour of class, then goes out into the hallway with an aid and plays for the remaining 45 minutes. I doubt that he’s retaining much information, but he is growing in his faith. He made his first communion last year! =]
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pbyeerts
Guest
I think that I got baptism confused with First Communion… it certainly makes sense that she could be baptised.
My daughter is 10, and we recently adopted her from the foster care system. She has a combination of psychiatric, ADHD, sensory, and developmental issues from pre-natal drug exposure, abuse and neglect. She is a lovely child who loves the Lord with all of her heart, and is getting excited about becoming a Catholic. Cheers, Pamela
My daughter is 10, and we recently adopted her from the foster care system. She has a combination of psychiatric, ADHD, sensory, and developmental issues from pre-natal drug exposure, abuse and neglect. She is a lovely child who loves the Lord with all of her heart, and is getting excited about becoming a Catholic. Cheers, Pamela
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Isabella1
Guest
My Daughter has Down syndrome (is age 17 now). When she was born I had her baptized in the hospital because she had two cardiac arrests and open heart surgery. As the years went on, because of her disability, I knew CCD would not be a good option for her. I talked to my priest, and he allowed her to make her first communion, confirmation and gave her a ceremony supplied for her baptism, at the Easter vigil with the adult catechists. This was only last year. You should of seen her, she was so happy. She even told me she wanted to wear a white dress for “my Jesus”, as she often calls him. It was so sweet. She settled for a light blue dress though (we couldn’t find a white one that was appropriate for this blessed event).
Before she received the sacrament though, my priest gave her special permission (after talking to her, getting to know her, and asking her about how she felt about Jesus), to receive communion. It was painful for her not to receive communion, and our priest recognized this early on.
Before she received the sacrament though, my priest gave her special permission (after talking to her, getting to know her, and asking her about how she felt about Jesus), to receive communion. It was painful for her not to receive communion, and our priest recognized this early on.
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monicatholic
Guest
isabella, your daughter is a joy. thank you for telling us about her.
pamela, what a greatest gift you have given your daughter-- family, love, safety and the LORD!
she may receive Holy Communion when she expresses a desire to recieve, some sense of the Holiness of the Eucharist and something of the specialness of being with Jesus.
the national apostolate for inclusion ministry has good suppoertive info: nafim.org/
pamela, what a greatest gift you have given your daughter-- family, love, safety and the LORD!
she may receive Holy Communion when she expresses a desire to recieve, some sense of the Holiness of the Eucharist and something of the specialness of being with Jesus.
the national apostolate for inclusion ministry has good suppoertive info: nafim.org/
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pbyeerts
Guest
Thank you so much for all of your help. I spoke with our new priest today, and she will definitely be baptized. I love the inclusion ministry site - many thanks 
Isaballa - your daughter’s experience sounds beautiful. One of the reasons we are converting to the Catholic church is because of the wonderful support we can get for a special needs child.
Cheers,
Pamela
Isaballa - your daughter’s experience sounds beautiful. One of the reasons we are converting to the Catholic church is because of the wonderful support we can get for a special needs child.
Cheers,
Pamela
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IrishAm
Guest
Many years ago, a family had a boy with developmental and learning handicaps. It was the 1930s and he was basically kept at home away from people. When his parents died in the 1980s, his sister took her brother into her home. And began to reach out to support groups for help. For the first time, he was socialized and taught to be independent. At 60, he was living independently for the first time in his life. At 70, he became a reader at Mass. His reading was very well practiced and clear, although somewhat choppy. And, as a reader myself, I always felt such humility and received such a blessing, when Bill read at Mass.
His sister was a friend of mine, and she always marveled at how, in his later years, her brother – always so isolated and still needing of support and lacking in certain social skills – had a whole and rich life apart from “family.” People knew him and his accomplishments as an individual. It only took seven decades to uncover this gem of a human being! His experience of the Mass and Eucharist was not the same as many in the parish – but I wonder sometimes if it wasn’t more complete and richer. He truly came to God as a child his entire life.
God bless you and your daughter on your faith journeys.
His sister was a friend of mine, and she always marveled at how, in his later years, her brother – always so isolated and still needing of support and lacking in certain social skills – had a whole and rich life apart from “family.” People knew him and his accomplishments as an individual. It only took seven decades to uncover this gem of a human being! His experience of the Mass and Eucharist was not the same as many in the parish – but I wonder sometimes if it wasn’t more complete and richer. He truly came to God as a child his entire life.
God bless you and your daughter on your faith journeys.
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Marysann
Guest
It might be possible for your daughter to attend CCD classes so that she will know that she is valued by the parish community and by extension by Our Lord Himself. Our parish has a couple of special education teachers who have volunteered to teach religion to developmentally disabled children since they have professional skills that the average volunteer teacher does not have. Sometimes it has been in a small group of children with the same type of disability. In another case the special ed teacher accompanied the child in the regular CCD class in the same way that they help children who are being mainstreamed in public school classes. The other children accepted it because they were use to it in public school. Talk to you DRE. The CCD program in our parish tries to make religious education available to all the children in the parish if it is at all possible. Maybe your parish does the same.
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Isabella1
Guest
Glad you spoke to your priest. Hugs to you and your family during your conversion to the Catholic faith, I will keep you all in prayer.Thank you so much for all of your help. I spoke with our new priest today, and she will definitely be baptized. I love the inclusion ministry site - many thanks
Isaballa - your daughter’s experience sounds beautiful. One of the reasons we are converting to the Catholic church is because of the wonderful support we can get for a special needs child.
Cheers,
Pamela
I love the inclusive site! Never knew it existed. Thanks for posting it Monica. I will pass it on to others in the future. God Bless.
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miam
Guest
:thumbsup
f course she can be baptized anytime anywhere since she is a a beautiful angelic child of God. Every human deserves to be called a Child of God through baptism. Besides, being baptized does not entail that she must be perfect. Everybody has his own imperfections, it’s just so happened that hers is regarding physiological one.
She is an angel!:angel1:
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OLHope
Guest
OK, long reply, sorry, in advance!
Yes, they absolutely can! I was confirmed with a young man my age in the 8th grade who had downs. I still remember him being there, all happy and excited to be confirmed. I was part of the grade school class and he was part of the CCD class, since we were similar in height we were lined up near each other. He was elated to receive the holy spirit, he looked me in the eye before processing from the chapel to the church, he stuck out his hand, introduced himself and said he was very happy to be there, I looked confused at him (because I couldn’t hear him well), his protective confirmation sponsor reached out to bring his arm down with a slight grimace, and I said to the young man, “I’m sorry what did you say,” and he repeated himself, and I, in turn introduced myself and told him it was a happy day for all of us, I gave him a firm handshake and a smile. My sponsor grabbed me by the shoulder and said that was the sweetest thing she ever saw, I am a bit slow, so I thought, what, because I shook someone’s hand? I didn’t know he had an ailment, my sponsor happens to have two relatives with downs. I just thought he was a happy fella.
We need this sometimes, the rest of us were just doing the same ole same ole, but to this man, it was like he knew something important was going to happen, and he could feel it better than any of us drones could. Could the Holy Spirit have reached out to this man more than to any of the rest of us? Maybe. I still remember to this day how special my First Holy Communion was, it was the happiest day of my life so far. I was very awkward, dopey, and dorky in those times, but I knew for being seven, that something special was going to happen, I didn’t know what is was going to be. I saw my friends get their first communion and for one year in difference I was not allowed to do the same thing they were. That upon your calling, you received your acceptance as well, and that was what I understood in my mind at that time even though I couldn’t explain it. I had been ridiculed in my youth for being heavy, but on this day, I was with my classmates, and we were like everyone else, doing something holy, something blessed, no one was poking fun, and it was a nice day. My mother had taken out a banquet for that day, and that almost never happened when it was marred by my needing to be hospitalized for pneumonia a few weeks prior, and I begged and pleaded with the doctor to let me out in time. I prayed everyday in that hospitable bed, I loved God so much then. My spirit was so strong, he healed me, I got to school the week before my Holy First Communion, no more practicing, “Body of potato chip,” this time it was for real. I was so positively affected by that for years after, I went to church by myself. Seven years old, took the bus for forty cents sometimes, sometimes I walked the seven blocks, I would sit in the pew by myself, sometimes I would sit with my friend if she made it there with her mom. I will always treasure that appreciation, because it almost never happened. I will treasure that acceptance, because sometimes we all do not get it. I will most of all, treasure that innocence, because I did not know much, but I knew what made me feel good and loved. That is happiness in the Lord, becoming a part in your community, among your family and friends, and my delight was with Jesus that day, and I will never forget it.
I had been since on ups and downs with my faith, but I always return, I always await God’s next challenge, and having felt like I’ve been through it all, I can safely say I’m ready for anything anyone throws at me.
My sponsors daughter is now becoming trained as a Special Education instructor, and finds great pride and enjoyment in it, it serves her purpose if she can get one aspect through to someone in a month or two, that would take us a few minutes to absorb. Practice makes perfect. You can train anyone to do anything, my problem has been patience, but when it gets through to someone in need, you feel more fulfilled than you could ever imagine. CCD will be hard, but they may have certain requirements, maybe the parent has to attend to help train, or you train with the materials, never give up, speak to your pastor, if not him, then another in another parish, wherever you feel comfortable. Remember we are all God’s children, we are all accepted in his eyes.
An ode to Horton: a person is a person no matter how small, how big, how tall, or diverse…God’s spin on this is he created all of us in his own image, we are meant to be the people we are together united as a family. If God meant for us to look, think, or act in a certain way, then it is purpose enough to make our existence known, love strong, and faith unified. To exist in God’s eyes suggests that you were born with these capabilities. Faith, Hope, and Love…, and the greatest of these is Love.
Love conquers all, when you truly feel it with all your soul, you never seem to sweat the small stuff anymore.
Welcome home, peace and God’s Blessings!
Yes, they absolutely can! I was confirmed with a young man my age in the 8th grade who had downs. I still remember him being there, all happy and excited to be confirmed. I was part of the grade school class and he was part of the CCD class, since we were similar in height we were lined up near each other. He was elated to receive the holy spirit, he looked me in the eye before processing from the chapel to the church, he stuck out his hand, introduced himself and said he was very happy to be there, I looked confused at him (because I couldn’t hear him well), his protective confirmation sponsor reached out to bring his arm down with a slight grimace, and I said to the young man, “I’m sorry what did you say,” and he repeated himself, and I, in turn introduced myself and told him it was a happy day for all of us, I gave him a firm handshake and a smile. My sponsor grabbed me by the shoulder and said that was the sweetest thing she ever saw, I am a bit slow, so I thought, what, because I shook someone’s hand? I didn’t know he had an ailment, my sponsor happens to have two relatives with downs. I just thought he was a happy fella.
We need this sometimes, the rest of us were just doing the same ole same ole, but to this man, it was like he knew something important was going to happen, and he could feel it better than any of us drones could. Could the Holy Spirit have reached out to this man more than to any of the rest of us? Maybe. I still remember to this day how special my First Holy Communion was, it was the happiest day of my life so far. I was very awkward, dopey, and dorky in those times, but I knew for being seven, that something special was going to happen, I didn’t know what is was going to be. I saw my friends get their first communion and for one year in difference I was not allowed to do the same thing they were. That upon your calling, you received your acceptance as well, and that was what I understood in my mind at that time even though I couldn’t explain it. I had been ridiculed in my youth for being heavy, but on this day, I was with my classmates, and we were like everyone else, doing something holy, something blessed, no one was poking fun, and it was a nice day. My mother had taken out a banquet for that day, and that almost never happened when it was marred by my needing to be hospitalized for pneumonia a few weeks prior, and I begged and pleaded with the doctor to let me out in time. I prayed everyday in that hospitable bed, I loved God so much then. My spirit was so strong, he healed me, I got to school the week before my Holy First Communion, no more practicing, “Body of potato chip,” this time it was for real. I was so positively affected by that for years after, I went to church by myself. Seven years old, took the bus for forty cents sometimes, sometimes I walked the seven blocks, I would sit in the pew by myself, sometimes I would sit with my friend if she made it there with her mom. I will always treasure that appreciation, because it almost never happened. I will treasure that acceptance, because sometimes we all do not get it. I will most of all, treasure that innocence, because I did not know much, but I knew what made me feel good and loved. That is happiness in the Lord, becoming a part in your community, among your family and friends, and my delight was with Jesus that day, and I will never forget it.
I had been since on ups and downs with my faith, but I always return, I always await God’s next challenge, and having felt like I’ve been through it all, I can safely say I’m ready for anything anyone throws at me.
My sponsors daughter is now becoming trained as a Special Education instructor, and finds great pride and enjoyment in it, it serves her purpose if she can get one aspect through to someone in a month or two, that would take us a few minutes to absorb. Practice makes perfect. You can train anyone to do anything, my problem has been patience, but when it gets through to someone in need, you feel more fulfilled than you could ever imagine. CCD will be hard, but they may have certain requirements, maybe the parent has to attend to help train, or you train with the materials, never give up, speak to your pastor, if not him, then another in another parish, wherever you feel comfortable. Remember we are all God’s children, we are all accepted in his eyes.
An ode to Horton: a person is a person no matter how small, how big, how tall, or diverse…God’s spin on this is he created all of us in his own image, we are meant to be the people we are together united as a family. If God meant for us to look, think, or act in a certain way, then it is purpose enough to make our existence known, love strong, and faith unified. To exist in God’s eyes suggests that you were born with these capabilities. Faith, Hope, and Love…, and the greatest of these is Love.
Love conquers all, when you truly feel it with all your soul, you never seem to sweat the small stuff anymore.
Welcome home, peace and God’s Blessings!
P
pbyeerts
Guest
We are all set - Destiny will be baptized after her legal adoption in June - hooray! The church has someone who has experience working with Special Needs children, and will prepare her for her First Communion next year.
Many thanks for your kind replies,
Pamela
Many thanks for your kind replies,
Pamela
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HouseArrest
Guest
I hope I get this story right…
There was a mother who questioned if her daughter who was mentally retarded (sorry, don’t know if that is a politically correct term anymore or not, don’t want to offend) could make her First Communion. She went round and round about it - wondering if it was “right”. She finally asked the priest and he said “if not her, then who?”. Isn’t that beautiful?
There was a mother who questioned if her daughter who was mentally retarded (sorry, don’t know if that is a politically correct term anymore or not, don’t want to offend) could make her First Communion. She went round and round about it - wondering if it was “right”. She finally asked the priest and he said “if not her, then who?”. Isn’t that beautiful?
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pbyeerts
Guest
As a new convert to the Catholic faith, I wasn’t sure what the protocol was for baptism, Communion, and confirmation for a mentally challenged child. While my adopted daughter is 10, brain damage makes her much younger, and I doubt that she would be able fully understand all of the questions and concepts of catechism. She loves Jesus, and Mary too, and we are working on getting her to know the Lord’s Prayer, and to understand what it means.
Ok, here’s a funny for you… I recite the Hail Mary with her at bedtime, and she thought that I was saying “hell” Mary instead of Hail Mary. I assured her of the meaning of Hail, and she was much comforted. Cheers, Pamela
Ok, here’s a funny for you… I recite the Hail Mary with her at bedtime, and she thought that I was saying “hell” Mary instead of Hail Mary. I assured her of the meaning of Hail, and she was much comforted. Cheers, Pamela
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HouseArrest
Guest
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