Monthly Archives: June 2013

The Power of Encouragement

Written by   June 3, 2013   Autism, Christian Faith, Community Participation
Karen Jackson is an advocate for people with disabilities. She attends Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church of Norfolk. She's currently the Director of Faith Inclusion Network, (FIN) of Hampton Roads.

The Power of Encouragement
I practically bounced into church on a recent bright spring morning, so happy I was to be there, in the sanctuary,  as a family.  Just recently, Samantha sat through the entire Mass for the very first time.  I rejoiced and was overwhelmed with happiness to have Samantha, at 15 years old, be able to participate in the service without having to leave to sit in the “cry room” area because she was getting too restless or making too much noise.
So today I happily sat down with my husband and three children to enjoy church like “normal” families do.
Not that I wasn’t a little apprehensive, that never seems to go away completely.  Samantha’s autistic behaviors are sometimes difficult to predict, but I was cautiously optimistic, having had such a good experience a few weeks prior, that all would go well.
And it did go well, for almost the entire Mass.  We …

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