February 2012 Ensign - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

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Six-year-old Courtney T., who has Down syndrome, gives a talk in Primary with the help of her brother Justin. The Church handbook teaches that “lessons, talks, and teaching methods should be adapted to meet each person’s needs.”
LEFT: PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT CASEY; RIGHT: PHOTOGRAPH BY ERIN JENSEN How Do I Help This Child? By Danyelle Ferguson Do you work with Primary children who have cognitive disabilities? Here are some ideas for teaching them. Many Primary teachers and leaders have questions about how to serve a child with cognitive disabilities, such as autism, Down syndrome, or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They might ask: How can I teach this child? Should she be in the same classroom with others her age? Can he participate in sharing time or activities? As the mother of a son with autism and as a Primary teacher of children with cognitive disabilities, I’ve learned a lot about meeting the needs of these children. The following principles are just some of what I’ve learned. Hopefully, they will be helpful to you as you reach out to serve and include all children in your ward or branch Primary. Serve as Jesus Did Our Savior showed us how to serve others by tailoring His message and actions to fit individual needs. 1 For instance, when He visited the Nephites, He gathered their little children to Him and “took [them], one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them” (3 Nephi Author Danyelle Ferguson with her son Isaac, who has autism. 17:21; emphasis added). Angels then “encircled those little ones” with heavenly fire and “did minister unto them” (3 Nephi 17:24). We share in the Lord’s ministry as we teach all children. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reminds us: “Those of us who have been entrusted with precious children have been given a sacred, noble stewardship, for we are the ones God has appointed to encircle today’s children with love and the fire of faith and an understanding of who they are.” 2 As we fulfill our responsibility to help children with disabilities, the Lord will help us individualize our service and teaching to meet their needs. To better understand these needs, Primary teachers and leaders could meet with the child and his parents, which is a good time for the teacher to begin befriending the child. Often the best place to get acquainted is in his home, where he is comfortable and more likely to connect with new people. Become Educated and Work Together Teachers and leaders should take time to learn about the child’s disability. A great place to start is the Church website lds .org/disability (available in several languages), where they can read overviews about specific disabilities, learn teaching tips, and find additional resources. February 2012 57
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THE ENSIGN OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS C
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MESSAGES FIRST PRESIDENCY MESSAGE 4
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A MAGAZINE OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS C
Page 7 and 8: TEACHING FROM THIS MESSAGE • “P
Page 9 and 10: PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT CASEY
Page 11 and 12: BELOW: PHOTO ILLUSTRATION © GETTY
Page 13 and 14: PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT CASEY
Page 15 and 16: ILLUSTRATIONS BY DILLEEN MARSH expe
Page 17 and 18: SERVING IN THE CHURCH HANDLING CRIT
Page 19 and 20: Living in a small country town has
Page 21 and 22: ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEVE KROPP Keepin
Page 23 and 24: “How do you live a well-balanced
Page 25 and 26: CHRIST CALLING PETER AND ANDREW, BY
Page 27 and 28: “[The priesthood] is nothing more
Page 29 and 30: priesthood callings are magnified.
Page 31 and 32: can you do to know and feel that?
Page 33: THE FIRST VISION, BY GARY L. KAPP a
Page 36 and 37: life. 2 In addition, family relatio
Page 38 and 39: When we seek to know the Father thr
Page 40 and 41: Finding a Place to CALL HOME Tommy
Page 42 and 43: Learning More When Rick and Moshi a
Page 44 and 45: 42 Ensign THIS IS Your Work You are
Page 46 and 47: As you participate in temple and fa
Page 48 and 49: Hungry for the Word By Joshua J. Pe
Page 50 and 51: Below, left: Branch president Marco
Page 52 and 53: From left: President Villavicencio
Page 54 and 55: 52 Ensign WHY AGENCY? A knowledge o
Page 56 and 57: death, according to the captivity a
Page 60 and 61: Emily S. and her four-yearold son,
Page 62 and 63: Brooklyn C. (third child from left)
Page 65 and 66: ILLUSTRATIONS BY MICHAEL MALM “Is
Page 67 and 68: and utilities, let alone food for t
Page 69 and 70: ILLUSTRATIONS BY BJORN THORKELSON t
Page 71 and 72: were full-tithe payers, Heavenly Fa
Page 73 and 74: ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL MANN; PHOTO IL
Page 75 and 76: When our children were young, our l
Page 77 and 78: BibleVideos .lds .org along with th
Page 79 and 80: PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PAUL MINER A
Page 81 and 82: In Other Church Magazines THE NEW E
Page 83 and 84: COURTESY OF CHURCH HISTORY MUSEUM T
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