Abstract
At least 20% of young people have a neurodevelopmental disability, and while religion and spirituality are embedded in social history, identity and culture the world over, spiritual and religious access in this population has been needs attention and rigorous scientific investigation. The neurodevelopmental disabilities serving as inclusion criteria are Autism Spectrum Disorder, Specific Learning Disorder, Intellectual Disability, Trisomy 21 and Cerebral Palsy. This study calls attention to the importance of breaking down the disciplinary silos of religion, organizational psychology, design thinking, and neuroscience to enhance the understanding of ways faith-based organizations can innovate and expand their programming and design to better respond to the religious experience in this population, a group of young people and families in need of adaptive coping and access to faith communities. This session serves as a call to broaden our methodological toolbox for using design thinking and culture to address organizational change in such institutions and pedagogies by responding to the questions : (1) What are the religious and spiritual beliefs and experiences of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disabilities and those of their families? (2) To what extent are individual characteristics and ecological factors associated with and predictive of these beliefs and experiences, particularly as it relates to accessing faith as important to wider culture? (3) In what ways are faith leaders’ conceptualizations of religious and spiritual development in those with neurodevelopmental disabilities similar to or different from those of the young people and families, and what does this mean for access?
Presenters
Jessica BlackAssociate Professor, Social Work, Boston College, Massachusetts, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
The Value of Culture and the Demand of Change
KEYWORDS
Organizations, Access, Adolescents, Children, Religion, Neuroscience, Disability, Autism, Culture
