Handicaps / Special Needs

ACTIVITIES:
ARTICLES FROM CHURCH MAGAZINES:
HANDOUTS:
LESSONS FROM CHURCH MANUALS:
LESSON HELPS:
OBJECT LESSONS:
Get a package of cotton candy (I found some at Wal-mart). Show the girls the cotton candy...pick off a piece and roll it in a ball. Hold up the original cotton candy to the ball you just created and tell them that we are a lot like the cotton candy. Explain that cotton candy is cotton candy, whether in a ball or in its light and fluffy form. We are all God's children and He loves us all, regardless of how our bodies are formed. We need to be compassionate, look deep, and be sensitive to the feelings of others. (Credit Unknown)
In one ward we were in, we had quite a few children who had different learning disabilities. For a teacher inservice, I handed one of the teachers a Japanese Book of Mormon and asked her to read it out loud for everyone. She could not and looked rather flustered. I then began to read from the book for them and then turned to someone and asked them a question in Japanese. We then talked about the feeling of frustration some of our children may have, how to help them process the information we are giving them and how to help them feel more comfortable. Sometimes they may not be able to hear us or understand us as well, sometimes they may not be able to read as well, … I thought it worked quite well as an introduction. (Dona Braswell)
It doesn't matter what pot you're in!
OTHER:
On the Lord’s Errand: Serving and Teaching Children with Disabilities
"Should mentally handicapped children be baptized?" (Ensign - April 1976)
Teaching Your Children about Compassion
POEMS:
A Handicapped Child by Joy Saunders Lundberg
Heaven's Very Special Child by Edna Massimilla
QUOTES:
One Liners
Quotes on Disabilities/Handicaps from W.O.O.L.
SERVING THOSE WITH DISABILITIES:
The church has a section on their website dedicated to help leaders serving those with disabilities. There is some great information on their site. Click on one of the following:
Autism
Chronic Illness
Hearing Loss and Deafness
Intellectual Disability
Learning Disability
Memory Loss
Mental Illness
Physical Disabilities
Speech and Language Disorders
Vision Loss and Blindness
Young Women who have disabilities
STORIES:
Shay
The Special Mother by Erma Bombeck
Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley
VIDEO CLIPS: Check your church library to see if they have any of these videos...
Elaine Dart, Not Like Other People - This documentary shows Elaine Dart's success in dealing with cerebral palsy. Through perseverance and patience, she learns to use her feet to accomplish such intricate tasks as threading a needle, stringing beads, and knitting. 13 min. (Video Clip 3)
Family Home Evening Video Supplement - 'Appreciating the Handicapped,' 6:14 min (Video Clip 13)



