Resources for Developmentally Disabled Individuals

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By clicking on the links below, you will be leaving the official site for the Catholic Diocese of Dallas. This link is provided solely for the user's convenience. By providing these links, the Catholic Diocese of Dallas assumes no responsibility for, nor does it necessarily endorse, the website, its content, or sponsoring organizations.

Founding Church Documents

USCCB Publishing: “Open Pastoral Statement of U.S. Catholic Bishops on People with Disabilities” (1978) http://www.ncpd.org/views-news-policy/policy/church/bishops/pastoral
USCCB Publishing “Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities” (1995) http://www.ncpd.org/views-news-policy/policy/church/bishops/welcome-and-justice
USCCB Publishing: “Welcome and Justice for Persons of Disabilities”(1998)
USCCB Publishing: Bienvenida y Justicia para Personas Discapacitadas ”(1998)]
USCCB Publishing: “National Directory for Catechesis” (2005)

Adaptive Texts and Programming for Religious Education

Loyola Press: “Finding God” Adaptive Program: http://www.loyolapress.com/special-needs-adaptive-resources.htm
- Adaptive First Eucharist Preparation Kit:
- Adaptive Confirmation Preparation Kit
- PowerPoint:

http://loyolapress.com/special-needs-eucharist-learn-more.htm

RCL-Benziger (Distributed through RCL-Benziger Catalog) in both English and Spanish: Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Program: To Improve Catholic Religious Education for Children and Adults with Intellectual Disabilities. Author: Grace Harding http://www.faithability.org/
Sadlier: “We Believe” Series: Adapted for Special Needs using the “Adaptive Catechesis Index” created by Sadlier in English and Spanish http://www.sadlierreligion.com/webelieve/

*_{The Adaptive Catechesis Index was created for We Believe Catholic Identity Edition}

Books

Our Sunday Visitor: Catechists for All Children by Dr. Joseph White and Ana Arista White, Publishing, 2002. Offers insights and methods for accommodating unique emotional and behavioral needs in the classroom. Available from Our Sunday Visitor(OSV), 800‐348‐2440, https://www.osv.com/
Ligouri: Handbook for Adaptive Catechesis by Michele Chronister, MA, 2005
Loyola Press: How to Welcome, Include and Catechize Children with Autism and other Special Needs by Lawrence Sutton, PH.D. 2013
Paul H. Brooks Publishing: Including People with Disabilities in Faith Communities: A Guide for Service Providers, Families & Congregations by Erik W. Carter 2007

Online Articles

“Baptism Begins a Continuing Catechesis: Special Needs for Communion:” Parent Participation & Special Need, Online Article on Specific Special Need: Celiac Disease. http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/blog/index.cfm?id=175
Webb-Mitchell, Brett Lifelong Faith: Educating Toward Full Inclusion In The Body Of Christ: People With Disabilities Being Full Members Of The Church This article first appeared in the Journal of Religion, “Disability & Health” (Volume14:3, 256-268) and is reprinted with permission. A version of this article is included in Chapter 7 of Beyond Accessibility
Newsweekly Issue on Special Needs https://www.osv.com/OSVNewsweekly/Article/TabId/535/ArtMID/13567/ArticleID/14224/Special-blessings-for-special-needs-children.aspx

Websites

“Catechesis of the Good Shepherd” http://www.cgsusa.org/
“CatholicMom.com” Edition on parents and special needs children listing all kinds of resources and informative links for those who work with or have children who have special needs

National Organizations

National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities

(NCPD)Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities , 1/17/02.
NCPD, McCormick Pavilion
415 Michigan Ave. NE, Suite 240
Washington, DC 20017-1557
http://www.ncpd.org/

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
Mission: Approaches to Adult Faith Formation/Adults with Cognitive Disabilities or mental retardation

St. Coletta of Wisconsin, Jefferson, WI
This is the facility in which Rosemary Kennedy lived.
Mission: Pastoral Team does ministry & catechesis with Disabled Adults

Diocesan Programs

Diocese of Chicago
Phone: 312-842-1039
SPRED: Small Faith communities which welcome the disabled

Diocese of Pittsburgh
Ministry for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism
Director: Grace Harding
This is where the Rose Kennedy Curriculum was first implemented

Other Resources

“Journey with Jesus”
Written Resource
Available at: Cardinal Stritch University Bookstore
Phone: 414-410-4035

“Exceptional Teaching”
Recommended by Sr. Maureen Mueller, Notre Dame Special School
Phone: 214-330-6623

"Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors" video
Pathways Awareness Foundation
123 N. Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606
1-800-955-2445, http://www.pathwaysawareness.org/

Notre Dame Special School, Dallas, TX (Up to 21 years of age)
214-720-3911 (please call before 8 p.m.)
Adapt Children’s Formation materials: Use large print, easy reading Bibles; Role play; Music; Quizzes; Videos

World Library Publications
3825 N. Willow Rd.
Schiller Park, IL 60176
1-800-566-6150
Let Us Celebrate
Bilingual Missalette subscription can be ordered in large print. $3.05 per year, published quarterly. They send first 25 large print books free of charge.

Xavier Society for the Blind
154 East 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010
800-637-9193 (Toll free)
212-473-7800
212-473-7801 (Fax)
https://xaviersocietyfortheblind.org/

The Xavier Society houses the oldest and largest Catholic library in English for the Blind, with over 1,500 titles of spiritual and inspirational materials available in Braille, large-print and audio formats. More new books are being added on a regular basis, and the selections include materials for children of all ages.

University of Dallas
Market Research 7379, Project #1766
November 2001
Survey for Catholic Diocese of Dallas

Americans with Disabilities Act
An overview by Texas Young Lawyers Assoc.
1990. Advocacy, Inc.
Austin, TX 78787
1-800-223-4206

National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities
"Opening Doors"
Chapter 6, Sec. B
NCPD http://www.ncpd.org/

Catholic Charities of Dallas, Inc.
9461 Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway, Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75243-4537
214-520-6590
Brochure will list agencies
http://www.catholiccharitiesdallas.org