WHAT ARE HIDDEN DISABILITIES?

The mission of Key Ministry Foundation is to build the Body of Christ by empowering churches to minister to families of children with hidden disabilities.  When we talk about hidden disabilities, we use the following definition:

Hidden disabilities are serious emotional or behavioral disorders or significant developmental disabilities that impact upon a child’s ability to engage in age-appropriate tasks and activities.

In most instances, there are no obvious physical signs of the child’s disability. The sight of a child in a wheelchair or a child with Down’s syndrome or Cerebral palsy evokes great sympathy for the child and his or her parents. In contrast, the family of a child with a hidden disability who may be lacking in self control or exhibiting inappropriate behaviors may receive a very different response. They may be told by the Sunday school teacher that it would be best if the parents left their child at home. They may encounter stares of disapproval from other worshipers who assume their child’s problems are a result of poor parenting. They may never set foot in your church because of the fear that they’ll experience reactions like these.

Examples of children with hidden disabilities might include:

An eight year old boy who is extremely impulsive and disruptive in Sunday school because his parents withhold stimulant medication on weekends that helps to control symptoms of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on school days, because of the effects that the medication has on appetite and weight.

A thirteen year old girl who talks to herself, grimaces, laughs inappropriately and crawls on the floor, recently diagnosed with early-onset schizophrenia.

A six year old experiencing separation anxiety, who screams, yells and throws tantrums when her mother attempts to drop her off at her Sunday school class before worship.

A five year old boy, adopted from an Eastern European orphanage, with significant language and developmental delays who becomes aggressive when a substitute teacher is leading his Sunday school class.

With all the demands facing the modern church, why should a congregation devote the energy and resources to develop a ministry to children and families with hidden disabilities?

1. Christ died for all mankind. The Great Commission requires us to make disciples of every nation, including those in our culture who are outside the Body of Christ.

2. Enormous numbers of children and families are affected by hidden disabilities and lack a relationship with Jesus Christ or any connection to a local church. The Surgeon General of the United States estimates that 12-20% of children and adolescents have mental disorders severe enough to require professional intervention. If that figure appears to be a gross overestimation, these children and families may currently be underserved within your church.

3. Parents of children with hidden disabilities deal with a multitude of economic, occupational and child care demands. Marriages are under duress. Babysitters may be hard to find. Family members may need encouragement to come to worship, participate in Bible study or church activities and may fear requests to volunteer for other church programs. They need the support of a loving church family!

4. Parents of affected children may be struggling with inappropriate guilt or distorted views of God’s love that hinder their personal spiritual growth and development   

We don’t claim to have all the answers for your church in how to best minister to these children and families. We’ve been called to draw attention to the need for Christ-centered ministry to families of children with hidden disabilities and to serve as a resource and support to those churches called by the Lord to this ministry.

Last revised: 9/10/03