By Parish Nurse Mattie Melin

We have all had moments where we don’t understand the world, where everything we say or do seems wrong. All of us have felt this way on occasion. For those who are on the Autism spectrum or have other neurodivergences (Attention Deficit Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Tourette’s Syndrome, etc.), these occasions are more frequent and often more distressing. 

Neurodivergence has been a big topic of conversation recently. In essence, it means that the way individuals perceive and interact with the world is different than what is typical.

What is NOT different is the desire of all people to be encountered with love and understanding. In light of this, we as a community decided to respond. With a “Comfort Cart” – a new initiative for Hennepin Avenue UMC.

This is a cart that will be stored in the Sunday School room starting this September, and will have resources available to use by request as well as in the Sunday School classrooms. 

The Disability Action Team, as well as Lynne Carroll, thoughtfully discussed how to meet individuals who struggle to access service. Barriers include too many lights, too many sounds, feelings of overstimulation and overwhelm.

The comfort cart has tools to support them. This includes a weighted lap blanket to reduce sensory inputs, fidgets to help channel nervous energy, 52 essential coping cards which give children and caregivers tools to help navigate stressful situations. There are also guided meditation lights, and a sand Zen garden. 

We may not understand exactly what to do at any given moment, but these resources will give us the tools to encounter differences with love and understanding.