note -- this was an organizational nightmare.  The project involved a group of people who dealt with some aspect of ethics, an aspect which was 'challenging'.  We had to face an issue we felt most unready to face, and write about our experiences.  I chose this, mainly because I had no experience in the context more than the fact I had a real problem.  I'm an easy going guy.  Now, if one of the choices would have been to visit various elder's meetings at struggling churches then I would have had an ethical challenge.  The real problem was organizing four very different people with very different schedules.  Two were far along in their Psyche PhD programs, and two were theology master's students.  All with schedules not allowing for integration.  It got finished though, and by the end of the process so was I.  I desperately needed the break.

Integration Project: 
Relating and Ministering to the Mentally Handicapped

Cesar De Leon

Sandra Hunter

Grace Kim

Patrick Oden

 

Introduction

             In seeking to overcome some of our own obstacles of ministry and the Christian life, we were challenged in this class to seek out and interact with those who may be difficult for us to relate with and understand.   In our group we were each very challenged by the thought of interacting with those who deal with mental handicaps of any nature.  For the most part our interactions with the mentally challenged have been sparse, and our own ways of communicating and expressing ourselves tend towards requiring some kind of intellectual parity.  In the interest of overcoming this obstacle we visited a home where children with mental handicaps were cared for.  Though we each came from different backgrounds and perspectives, each of us was struck by these children, and by the woman who worked with them.  What stands out is the individuality of each of the children we met, and the love and distinct personality which each exhibited.  These children were not simply a “group” to be dealt with and understood, but are truly unique persons loved by God. 

In our reflections, each of us has taken a slightly different perspective on the visit.  In the first section, Cesar will introduce us to these children, relating their histories, and highlighting their individuality, their gifts, as well as the difficulties which they must overcome.  Next, Grace will discuss the process of change which must go on within each of us if we are to learn to truly value these children and others with similar handicaps, highlighting her own transformation as she sat with them and learned from someone who has dedicated her life to working with them.  Sandra, in her essay, will then focus on the type of person who can successfully care for and show love to children who struggle with mental handicaps.  Finally, Patrick will look at the role of the church, and the responsibility we all have to understand the place children such as these have in our community and in the Kingdom of God.  We were all challenged by the thought of visiting, yet we were struck by how truly blessed we were upon meeting each of the children and those who were called to work with them.  This was truly a time of learning and of growth.

 

                VISITING WITH GOD’S “LITTLE ONES”

By:  Cesar De Leon.

I visited Noah’s Rainbow, a group home facility for developmentally disabled children.  At the present time there are four loving and beautiful children living in this facility who are being taken care of 24/7 by two full time staff members.  The facility is a very nice large home located in the out skirts of the city of Corona.  The home has six bedrooms and an office, a large game room, a large play ground with a built in swimming pool.  This facility has been in operation since March of 1991.  At the present time there are two males (Genaro and Chase) and two females residents (Judy and Amanda).  The children looked well taken care of, happy and well adjusted to the present placement.  The environment of the facility seemed to be appropriately clean, appropriately organized and seemed to be a positive environment overall.  I will attempt to describe each one of the children I met during a two hour visit to the facility to the best of my limited knowledge.

Genaro Lopez

Genaro is a  handsome and gracious 13 year old Hispanic male who has Down's syndrome, moderate mental retardation and is non-verbal due to a bilateral hearing loss.  His natural mother has custody and has a restraining order on the father.  Genaro’s parents have been divorced for a long time.  Because Genaro has a history of aggression and non-compliance, and because he got to the point where he just overwhelmed his mother and was disruptive in his home, Genaro's mother decided that a group home environment would be well suited for him and placed him in the facility determined to be appropriate for his needs.  An interesting occurrence is the fact that when most parents leave their children at the facility they seem to have problems disattaching from them, nevertheless, it was reported by one of the staff members that once they left Genaro, it took them a while to come back to visit.  In Genaro’s case, his mother who cried and showed herself concern about his new placement --which happened about a year ago--has had infrequent contact with Genaro.

             Genaro requires constant attention and care.  His care takers report that he has adapted well to the home and to the staff.  However, when relief staff come in, he tends to be very resistive, non-compliant, aggressive and destructive.

Genaro attends a severely handicapped program at a segregated school site designated by the Corona-Norco Unified School District.  Due to Genaro's non-verbal status, one of his educational goals is to establish a communication program for him.  Genaro is also working on becoming independent in his toileting needs, dressing, bathing and teeth brushing.

Genaro currently participates in a specific behavior modification program targeting social skills, compliance and AWOL behavior.  He is presently in good health and is of good appetite.  Genaro is very friendly, likes to shake hands and enjoys being recognized.  Most people that meet him “fall in love” with him since he tends to be very affectionate and friendly.

Amanda Burgess

Amanda is a lovely 10 year old Caucasian female who has moderate mental retardation and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHA).  Amanda comes from a very sad and painful situation.  She has been physically abused and neglected by her parents.  As such, Amanda has been a dependent of the Riverside County Court and has been in foster care most of her life.  Amanda was placed in the current facility about a year ago, because her behavior got to a point that she overwhelmed her foster care provider and her social worker was forced to seek more specialized home for her.

Although Amanda requires constant supervision and attention, she has adapted well to the home and staff.  However, when relief staff come she too is resistive and non-compliant.  Amanda attends a special day class in a regular elementary school where she is working towards very precise and focused educational objectives such as the improvement of her speech skills and the proper use of pronouns.  Amanda is also working on her self care skills and according to the staff, she has made tremendous progress.

Amanda participates in a specific behavior modification program, where one of her targeted behaviors include learning to say hello without touching someone and to increase socially appropriately behaviors.  Amanda is in good health and of a hearty appetite, she is a very loving child that for the most part, gets along well with others.

Judy Taft

Judy is a sweet 12 year old Caucasian female who is developmentally delayed and mild Cerebral Palsy.  Judy's fine motor skills are particularly affected although her social worker has reported that when she was at a former group home, she used to play basketball and softball and she was a good player.             Judy has been treated for depression and claims to hear voices, for this reason the staff has had problems with her, since she claims that her voices sometimes tell her to do some “crazy things”.  She also suffers from dyslexia.             

Judy’s experience in her home of origin is a sad and tragic one since she was physically and sexually abused by her father and neglected by her mother since infancy.  Since the age of 1 Judy has been a dependent of the Riverside County Court.  Judy’s records indicate that she has been in some 17 placements since July '89.  I cannot imagine how it has been like for her to be in so many places, with so many “parental figures”.  How sad!  She has been hospitalized at various occasions due to extreme behavior incidents that have been caused by her psychiatric symptoms. 

Judy's previous care provider felt incapable of dealing with her behavior episodes and enlisted the help of her social worker to seek an appropriate placement for her.  Judy maintains almost daily contact with another sibling, who also resides in a high level group home.

Judy is capable of doing most of her self-help needs and is capable of helping with the house chores with minimal supervision.  Nevertheless, Judy doesn't initiate any social activity on her own.  Judy does not intentionally seek to injure herself unless it is in conjunction with a behavior episode.  Judy has adapted fairly well to the home.  Judy is in good health, but can be quite finicky in her eating.

            Judy attends a special day class at an intermediate school in the CNUSD. Which she likes very much, but her attention in class varies and is dependent on her motivation.  Judy is capable of doing very simple math and reading 3rd grade level.  She is capable of telling time and has great verbal communication skills.

            Judy currently participates in a specific behavior modification program targeting the elimination of her whining, clinging, inappropriate yelling and other forms of manipulation.  Also, the development of better hygiene skills.  Judy loves outdoor activities and thrives on competition.  She's a very loving child who seeks acceptance and security.

Chase Murphy

Chase is a 15 year old Caucasian male who suffers from moderate mental retardation, drop seizure disorder and is non-verbal.  Chase is one of the fortunate children in the facility because his parents have custody of him and they try to have monthly contact with him. Chase tends to be very aggressive towards his mother.  Chase has been in this facility since age 5 when his parents decided to place him due to his medically fragile state and need for constant attention.

Chase has adapted well to the home and staff.  On occasion with relief staff he can be non-compliant.  Chase attends a segregated school site for severely handicapped students of the CNUSD.  His educational program involves contact with other regular students who help out in his classroom.  Currently, Chase participates in a specific behavior modification program targeting independent living skills and how to accept a change in activities without tantruming.  Chase is a very loving child, that is sociable and enjoy trains, swimming and playing by the stairs in front of the window.

 

Reflection

By: Grace Kim

 

Our group visited a small family home facility where they serve children with mental retardation.  There were four children with severe mental retardation and the age ranges were from 10 to 15.  Before I went there, I always had uncomfortable feelings to be people with severe handicap because I did not know how to approach them and also I did not have a desire to be close with them.  During my undergraduate study, I had chances to observe a classroom with special children, yet I did not enjoy going there although I had pity for them.  I knew I was wrong but I did not know what else to think about them.  Mental retardation is something I could never associate with before because I had a fear about seeing these people.

When I arrived a small family home facility, four children were playing with different things.  As we had interview with Ruth, the woman who was in charge of the facility, we found out how much the children wanted attention.  She said, "these children want more attention and they like to being with other people."  That was something I never really thought about.  I always thought that those who have mental disabilities, especially retardation, would not know what it means to get attention and know being loved.  I assumed they would not know enough to care about other’s presence.  But to my surprise they know and care when people are around and they even know who is in charge.  When the visitors come sometimes they react by keep asking questions to Ruth so that they can get more attention.   Ruth also added these children are loving, especially a child with Down syndrome is the most loving child in this facility. 

When I looked at the boy with Down syndrome, he was about 4 and half feet tall, although he was 13 years old, and he had a typical appearance of Down syndrome.  As Ruth was explaining about children and their symptoms, he constantly hugged her and gave her a big smile. At first, I thought it looked awkward.   However after I watched him doing that over and over again, his smile became a sweet look to me.  I never thought I would see and perceive the smile of a child with Down syndrome as sweet.  It happened because of Ruth's explanation about these children's symptoms and characteristics, and her wisdom about how to look at these children.  "They are the same children as normal children but they have some problems, they are just lovable," Ruth said. 

Another important aspect of this facility is that these children learn basic life skills that are very crucial for them.   It included: using the rest room appropriately, washing hands, changing clothes, and table manners.  I did not think there would be much to teach these children once they are sent to this kind of special facility.  I questioned how could they learn about these basic skills.  Ruth told us that these children had improved a lot since they came.  She verbally taught them and did lots of hand on activities so that these children too can see, hear, touch, feel and learn.  It was amazing to how they can know certain rules and follow them as it is said. 

As a last interesting point was to know how these children had favorite activities such as T.V watching, coloring books, legos, and swimming, etc.  Consequently, I realized these children are just people like me who have feeling, desires and thoughts and live in a different world than how I would interpret as world.  Through this visitation, I learned to like these people without cheap pity but consider them as real people.              

 

Reflection

By:  Sandra Hunter

            In meeting with Ruth I was immediately impressed by her style of composure, her warm engaging presence, and accepting smile that would set at ease the most anxious of individuals.  During the next ninety minutes or so she informed and educated us on life for her, her family, and the four adolescents in her charge; two boys and two girls ranging in age from 10-15 years.

            As I listened to her talk I became very much aware of the resources and resolve necessary within an individual who wished to pursue a ministry or vocation of this nature.  These were children with many needs, not unlike those who were less challenged, but more demanding, less sophisticated, and rarely communicated in styles the average parent understands.

            Ruth seems to have developed a firm understanding of boundaries, and a deliberate quiet authority for implementing them in ways that are not only effective but result in a minimum of stress for the recipients.  This was evident even at times of confusion and hostility among the children.  She told us of times when one of the young girls became frequently physical toward one of the workers.  In the past this situation had been handled by calling the police, apprehending the assailant and often losing the help of a qualified worker.  However, Ruth, in her inimitable style, had decided to reassess what was taking place, to gain advice from others, including the thoughts of a physician and pursue a new avenue of correction, i.e. medication.  Since then there has not been any further altercations of this nature.  Obviously, one also needs the kind of free thinking in this position that will allow new thoughts, consider new ideas, and engage other avenues not previously explored.  So often when a remedy fails we are inclined to do more of the same, to try harder, to become more rigid.  But here was a case where Ruth was motivated by curiosity rather than control, and innovation rather than rule.

            This brings me to my next thought concerning effectiveness in this line of work  One must have the ability to defer to the expertise of others, to be aware of our resources, but also our limitations and in so doing employ whatever additional means are necessary to meet the need.  In this regard Ruth is assisted once a week by a psychologist who works diligently to effect new behaviors in the children that are less problematic.  Also her assistant Suzy is able to “sign”.  This is a great asset as one of the boys is hearing impaired. 

            When I asked Ruth what she considered to be the greatest challenge, her response was clear and unhesitating, “To know them…. who they are.”  This is by far one of the most needed qualifications for this position, the ability to never lose sight of the uniqueness of every individual and the dignity that demands from each of us in our encounter with other human beings.  This is obvious in this facility as we watched during our short stay and saw Ruth’s words in action.  It is important, she said, to help them in control of their lives one day.

Reflection on visiting a home for mentally handicapped children

By:  Patrick Oden

            In choosing to focus my attention on understanding and working with those who are mentally handicapped, I must first evaluate my perspectives and thoughts which cause me to be uncomfortable or unsure around those who are dealing with such conditions.  The first thought is not that I am particularly uncomfortable around those who are mentally challenged per se, but rather my primary questions have to do with ministry, and human nature, and communication.  So, interestingly, my being uncomfortable is not necessarily the social interactions, but rather the questions which are raised in my mind about the nature, causes, and strategies for working with those who are dealing with mental challenges of any nature.  This is, I guess, essentially a pastoral question, and one which I have never adequately dealt with.

            My own theological perspectives tend towards being very academic.  In my own spiritual journey, much of my learning and growth has come from engaging the text of Scripture more deeply, wrestling with complex theological issues, and debating with myself and others the validity of certain theological premises and points of view.  This has engendered in me a spirituality which is certainly one of the heart, but which is often expressed through the mental gifts which God has given me.  Yet, this simply cannot be the ministry and spirituality which can be directed towards those who are dealing with mental handicaps.  One way of responding to this impasse is to say that my version of spirituality is higher, that I must simply water down what I have learned, and see the limits that someone who is mentally challenged have in knowing God. 

            This strikes a rather discordant chord with me, however.  Intellectual spirituality is not the true basis for the spiritual life.  There is in fact a relationship and understanding of God, which is simply not one of the mind, but truly one of the heart and soul.  One of the true lessons we learned as a group in visiting with these children is that while there are some mental obstacles they must overcome, there is still a vitality of heart and soul which must be acknowledged.  Because of the severe problems which these kids have experienced in the past, such as abuse and neglect, they are dealing with issues that go above and beyond their mental handicaps, precisely because their hearts and souls have been wounded.  It is here that my Christianity can become vital to them.  While they may not understand a complex working out of the doctrine of justification, they do understand love, and crave acceptance and attention.  These children have been cast off by their parents, and society, and are now in the arms of a wonderful Christian woman. 

            It was wonderful to hear how much each of them enjoys and values going to church.  There is something about that atmosphere which they enjoy in the same way as other children.  I do not know, and may never be able to know, what their conception of God and salvation consists of, but I know with all my being that they are beloved of God, and because of their difficulties in life, are especially important to Him and his Kingdom.  Ruth mentioned that Judy especially has a strong conception of God, but sadly also of the devil, who she tells workers she is filled with.  She needs to be shown the grace and love of God, in a community which accepts, values, and is dedicated to her.  Her life is one of rejection, and it is our role as the church to go against what the world has shown her, and give to her a community of love. 

While there are certainly differences in our mental capabilities, the common bond we all share with each other and with these children is that we are all in great need of a loving God who values us, and who calls us to reach out to those who are in need.  If as a church we do not have a place for children such as these, then maybe we are not really the church.  Though communication may be different, our bond is in the fact that we are people created by God, all with gifts and weaknesses.  In working with those who are mentally challenged, it seems, the truth of what the Gospel really is stands out.  It is not an intellectual exercise of apologetics, or complex theology.  It is in essence love for those who are rejected, care for those in need, and understanding that all of us have something to offer each other.  This lesson is one so eloquently expounded by Henri Nouwen, and one which truly comes to light when we are privileged enough to be around those who deal with mental handicaps, and see the heart of those who God has called to work with them.  As a church, we must offer love, and care, and support for all of God’s people and provide care and support for those who are specifically called to the mission of working and helping those with any need.   Ruth, and her children, modeled the Church in a way my theology classes never could, and provided a model and lesson that will stay with me for a very long time.