Viewing Assignment 6: Differences in Intellectual Ability

From With Ministries’ webpage “Adapting to The Needs of Your Group” for the Together curriculum, watch the video and read through the tips on severe to profound differences in intellectual ability. 

Video: 

Tips: 

1. Find out more about the individual and how you can best provide tools to fit that person’s understanding needs. Discovering what this person can do and what this person enjoys can be a great place to start. Knowing, for example, that music always brings a smile is important as you plan your time together. It’s important to gather this information before identifying solutions.
2. Find out what equipment or tools this person is already using. Having the same communication tool available or knowing some of the signs or gestures this person uses can be helpful in adapting the materials.
3. Discover an activity that the individual enjoys and make sure you always do that as part of your meeting time. If the person enjoys looking at pictures of dogs, make sure you weave that into every meeting time together. If the individual enjoys rocking in a rocking chair, have one in your meeting room. If the person enjoys a good back massage, find a discussion partner with the skill of giving a massage.
4. Don’t assume that you know what and how much this individual is learning. Be faithful in presenting information in multisensory ways. Allow God to use these tools to speak to that person. Remember, God has made so many accommodations so that you can have a relationship with him. Scripture is filled with pictures of God having a face and hands and voice so that you can better relate to him. If God will do that for you, God will also do that for your group member who may need different kind of accommodations. Be faithful and do your part of including and welcoming each individual. Then trust God to speak to everyone present in a voice that is modified for each one.
5. Look through some of the other helpful tips provided here, since this person may have challenges in speaking, reading, writing, and other areas.
6. Offer respect by using words and actions appropriate for a person that age. Speaking to a person who is 55 years old as if he or she were a baby is not appropriate. All adults should be respected and welcomed as such.