Photo of Victoria Marin provided by Victoria
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Victoria Marin continued our interview.
She shared, “This team approach strengthened
us a family and gave us a better understanding of who we are as individuals.
The writing of Aiden’s Waltz led me
to explore other areas where there might be a need for a greater awareness for
programming for children with special needs. With the prevalence of Autism
greater than once thought, I found churches to be lacking in their ability to
provide services for these children. In addition, many churches do not have a
protocol in place to assist ministry workers in accepting such families.”
Victoria described her book,“Aiden’s Waltz is a sublimely reflective
tale of Aiden Walsh, the new kid with autism at school. The reader is taken to
his poignant yet fulfilling sojourn to acceptance and finding strength within
himself. From peering through a frosted window while watching boys and girls
playing soccer, Aiden rises from the shackles of autism as he dances across the
ballroom floor with the grace and elegance of a swan. Aiden's Waltz provides a subtle and visually appealing way
in dealing with autism to parents, educators, therapists, and just about anyone
who seeks to understand the developmental disorder. In the end, I share with
the reader that children with autism are like every other child who needs love,
care and respect.
You
can learn more about me and Aiden’s Waltz
at my website, www.aidenswaltz.com. Aiden’s Waltz is available through my
website. My book can also be found on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.”
Victoria described her son, “My son shows deficits in following multi-step
directives. His performance improves when he is given one on one instruction
with steps presented one at a time. He struggles with abstract concepts and
thinking. My son is very literal. He has had trouble with making friends and
maintaining relationships. Now that he is 10 years old, his peers have honed in
on his disabilities and have made it a point to let him know that he is
different. His impulsivity has been problematic in certain settings such as
church. It is not uncommon for him to interrupt a conversation or blurt out
what comes to mind. His vocabulary is somewhat immature for his age and he has
displayed difficulty with the pronunciation of words, even with repetition.
This has also affected his writing skills.”
Their world has changed, “I was
fortunate to meet Kathryn Ferdinand who helped to organize a
church service at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Harrington Park, NJ for
children with special needs. The ‘All God's Children’ service meets every two
weeks and is a non-denominational Christian service designed to engage children
with Autism, ADD, Down Syndrome, or any other physical, social or emotional challenges.
Sitting still and keeping quiet is not required. All families and
children are welcome and encouraged to participate in the service. Holy
Communion with gluten free bread and grape juice is offered to all who wish to
receive. Active participation of the children in the service is always
supported. The children especially love the cross parade around the perimeter
of the church. The service has lots of singing with noisemakers, pompoms and
maracas handed out at the door. The service is a lively combination of music,
prayer, Bible stories, movement and Communion. Pastor Diane delivers the
essential message of God's love and joy for all children in a meaningful way,
which fosters inclusion. The ministry workers come together to provide a
religious service, which is accepting family oriented.”
Her advice for others, “My advice to others
who are struggling with similar disabilities is, Do Not Give Up. Although it
can be trying and frustrating, our children thrive from our love. I was guilty
of sheltering my son from situations, which I believed would lead to failure.
After following his lead to pursue ballroom dancing, I saw that he has a keen
awareness of his abilities. Listen to your children, be aware of their
nonverbal cues and support them for they possess talents and are capable of
achieving success.”
Victoria’s closing words, “Not all communities
are blessed to have programs such as the program at St. Andrew’s. As parents,
approach your church about starting a service for children with special needs. Not
all ministry workers are trained to accept our children, therefore, be honest about
the needs of your child. Offer your help and provide information that will be
helpful in developing an enriching experience for your child AND the ministry
workers. For those readers who do not have a child with special needs, invite
the families to a coffee social or church event. This simple invite will help
the family feel accepted by the church community.
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