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SPIRITUALITY, SPIRITUAL CARE AND THE NEEDS OF THOSE WITH AUTISTIC SPECTRUM CONDITIONS

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Title: SPIRITUALITY, SPIRITUAL CARE AND THE NEEDS OF THOSE WITH AUTISTIC SPECTRUM CONDITIONS


1
SPIRITUALITY, SPIRITUAL CARE AND THE NEEDS OF
THOSE WITH AUTISTIC SPECTRUM CONDITIONS
  • Chris Barber and Peter Kevern

2
Is religion giving way to spirituality?
3
. . . and what is spirituality anyway?
  • Defined in contrast to religion
  • internal v. external
  • Individual v. corporate
  • Experiential v. dogmatic
  • Subjective-life v. life-as-religion
  • (Heelas Woodhead 2004)

4
. . . But. . .
  • The turn to spirituality reflects late
    capitalist culture (Carrette King)
  • Spirituality becomes Religion religious
    structures remain by far the most important
    vehicle for (Pearson)
  • The prevailing spiritual landscape of affective
    experiences of love and connectedness (Percy)
    may unintentionally exclude some vulnerable people

5
Example people with ASC may find comfort and
meaning in structured, repetitive religious rites
but, given their reduced empathy and theory of
mind may find personal and experiential
spirituality difficult
  • By listening to marginalised voices we have the
    opportunity to develop a richer palette of
    resources for spiritual care

6
Case study Chris experience
A middle-aged Catholic with High Functioning
Autism/Aspergers Syndrome
7
  • To connect is, arguably, one of the most
    fundamental of all human needs. Ones ability to
    connect spiritually with the Divine, with
    ourselves, with others and with the natural world
    helps to define who and what we are.

8
Three ways in which I discover a connectedness
to the Divine which is not dependent on an
affective or erotic relationship
  • Devotion to the Infant Jesus
  • Ritual Prayer
  • Centring Prayer and Lectio

9
Devotion to the Infant Jesus
10
Ritual
11
Centring . . .
12
. . . and Lectio meditation on a text
13
So is there a place for an autism friendly
spirituality?
14
Summary
  • People with ASC are unlikely to benefit from
    vague and generic spirituality
  • They may however gain significant support from
    established, routinized and socially-embedded
    practices
  • Providing spiritual care for people with ASC may
    therefore require engagement with the ritual and
    historical elements of faith-communities
  • There are implications here for diversity and
    disability policies

15
References
  • Carrette, J. and King, R. (2004) Selling
    Spirituality the silent takeover of religion
  • London Routledge
  • Hay, D. (2002)The Spirituality Of Adults In
    Britain Recent Research Scottish Journal of
    Healthcare Chaplaincy Vol. .5 No 1 2002 , 4-9
  • Hay D. Heald G. (1987) Religion is good for
    you, New Society, 17 April.
  • Hay D. Hunt K. (2000) Understanding the
    Spirituality of People who dont go to Church,
    Final Report of the Adult Spirituality Project,
    Nottingham University.
  • Heelas, P and Woodhead, L. (2004) The Spiritual
    Revolution why religion is giving
  • way to spirituality Cambridge Blackwell
  • Pearson, J. (2003) Witchcraft will not soon
    vanish from this earth Wicca in the 21st
    century in Davie, G., Heelas, P., Woodhead, L.
    Eds, Predicting Religion Christian, Secular and
    Alternative Futures Aldershot Ashgate 170-182
  • Percy, M. (1998a) Erotic ideology in
    experiential religion Power in the Church.
  • Ecclesiology in an age of transition London
    Continuum 141-162
  • Percy, M. (1998b) Things Fall Apart II
    experiential religion and the absence of
  • theology Power in the Church. Ecclesiology in
    an age of transition London
  • Continuum 183-204
  • Schrock, K. (2010) People with Asperger's less
    likely to see purpose behind the events in their
    lives. Scientific American May 29, 2010
    http//www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id
    people-with-aspergers-less-likely-t-2010-05-29
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