Conference explores neurodivergence
Belonging by Design, the first ecumenical conference exploring working with neurodivergent people in church settings was held in October, and was attended by many Uniting Church members and ministry agents.
Teesha Wishart reflected: “As a person recently diagnosed with ADHD, I’ve been on the journey to discover a way I can self-regulate and make life easier for myself. Whilst I attended the conference to embrace neurodiversity in my ministry with young people, I also attended it for me.”
Keynote speakers included UK speaker Kirstyn Prince, founder of Alma Autism, Daniel Giles OAM, and his father Darryl Giles, who have formed the speaking organisation Speaking Insights, and Louise Gosbell, a biblical scholar with a focus on disability in the New Testament.
A number of other speakers led workshops about disability action plans, architectural design with neurodiversity in mind, Liturgy and worship considerations for people with neurodiversity, with Sandy Brodine from the Younger Generation team leading a workshop called ‘Neurodiversity-affirming behaviour: Insights and Strategies’.
Kirstyn Prince spoke about growing a new church community that is safe and welcoming for families with neurodivergent children. She has developed the “Sensory Tray story” method of story telling which provides a hands on sensory experience of bible stories, perfect for children with autism and/or sensory needs. Her scripts are now available in book form online.
Daniel Giles is an autistic advocate and graphic designer whose lived experience informs his work supporting people with autism and other diverse needs. A seasoned speaker since age 13, he shared practical insights into life as an autistic person of faith and led workshops alongside his father Darryl, who is an advocate for autistic young people and their parents and carers.
Louise Gosbell’s keynote focussed on universal design, and ways in which our design of worship services, events and teaching opportunities affects not just neurodivergent people, but can be a benefit to all members of our community, regardless of age.
Teesha Wishart reflected: “Through this conference, I was able to connect better with the idea that accessibility makes things easier for everyone, not just those who need it to participate. Through some of the workshops and speakers I realised some things that were problems for me, that I hadn’t even considered as being barriers to my inclusion and engagement. Simple inclusion strategies like hyperlegible font, sizing, and spacing on projectors to make PowerPoints easier to read and easier to find your spot, should you lose focus for a second, and want to come back in. Or designing a space or program that is generally inclusive by nature, instead of needing to apply accommodations after the fact when it’s discovered you need it, and having this information easily accessible online to help remove the barrier to entry.”
Following the conference, Sandy Brodine is looking forward to gathering people across the Uniting Church in VicTas who are exploring how to build neurodivergence-friendly worship spaces and communities to develop a community of practice. If you are interested in joining this online conversation but were not at the Belonging by Design conference, please contact Sandy at sandy.brodine@victas.uca.org.au