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"There is this stigma that kids who are disabled can't receive the sacraments. That bugged me," said Arlene Parisi, faith formation director at St. Paul the Apostle parish in Schenectady.

So, about 20 years ago, Mrs. Parisi created the Rainbow of Friends program at St. Paul's for children with autism, learning disabilities and other disabilities.

"Whatever their level was," she recalled, she started providing faith formation, teaching each child one-on-one.

Rainbow of Friends has grown to about 30 students each year, from age five through 20. Students come from several Schenectady parishes: St. Paul the Apostle, St. Luke's, St. Adalbert's, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Joseph's.

Katie Parisi, Mrs. Parisi's daughter, now runs the program, creating an inclusive learning environment for children who may need extra help.

"We adapt our program for the child," Ms. Parisi said. "We cater to their needs."

Whatever you need
For example, Ms. Parisi has adapted a picture board with pictures of religious objects to help her non-verbal students communicate what they're learning about the faith. There are extra-large crayons for students who have difficulties with fine motor skills. Students are divided into very small groups to get specialized attention.

Ms. Parisi is well aware of some students' special needs. For 11 years, she has worked at the Wildwood School in Schenectady, which educates both children and adults with various disabilities.

Every child is a child of God, she says; for catechists, "it's a gift from God [when] you know what the child needs. It's instinctual."

Rainbow of Friends tries to not only meet the needs of the students, but also their parents. Siblings without disabilities are also welcome at the classes and can coach a brother or sister who has disabilities.

"It makes it more of a family and makes for a livelier class." Ms. Parisi explained.

Logan and Jovani
Logan Messier, a six-year-old student in the program, has trouble with large groups but says "everybody is a friend" in his Rainbow class. The first-grader from Paige Elementary School in Schenectady enjoys listening to stories and saying prayers at faith formation.

Fellow Paige School student Jovani Cortes, a fifth-grader who has bipolar disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and a sensory disorder, "does not like to be under pressure," said his mother, Karen Smith. "If things are asked of him and he's uncertain, sometimes he needs to take a break or sit by himself."

At Rainbow of Friends, she said, "They give him whatever he needs."

Ms. Smith had tried bringing Jovani to mainstream faith formation classes.

"It was a little stressful," she said. "I didn't think he was actually getting anything out of the program. Now, he's actually learning things. I can feel at peace with him being there. They are so loving and caring to all the kids; [they] really make each kid feel special."

Matthew keeps coming
Rella [last name withheld] agrees. Her son, Matthew, is 18 and still enjoys going to faith formation classes, even though he has made his confirmation. Matthew has Noonan's syndrome, a congenital disorder that causes learning difficulties and other challenges.

"Nobody thought he could even make his First Communion because he 'didn't understand the Bible,'" Rella told the Evangelist. The Rainbow of Friends program "made it possible for him to [be] included in the Church."

In the past few years, Matthew has been in and out of the hospital due to health issues. Rella said Ms. Parisi "would make copies [of the worksheets] and make sure that he didn't feel left out, even when he wasn't there."

Inclusion isn't as easy as one might hope: "There's not much out there" in terms of resources for faith formation for children with disabilities, said the Parisis. "We have created a lot on our own."

"You have to know the child and how the child learns," Mrs. Parisi added. "Some children learn if we sing songs to them. We have to adapt constantly.

"Our parents are so thankful, because they feel like they can be part of the Church."[[In-content Ad]]

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