Together we’ve been exploring different diagnoses such as anxiety, depression, OCD and bipolar, and seeking to learn more and find encouragement for how those struggles don’t have to keep us from God. But what about other conditions that might impact our faith—other struggles and diagnoses Christians can wrestle with, including forms of disability or other differences like neurodivergence?
And so, with today being the International Day of Autism Awareness, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to broaden our scope and speak to someone who’s autistic and learn a little about how autism and other neurodivergent conditions can impact someone’s engagement with church.
Maddy is our team’s Writer & Editor, but you may also recognise her from earlier episodes of the podcast, where she’s shared on her journey with depression and self-harm, and navigating anxiety in a relationship.
Maddy was diagnosed autistic several years ago, and has since been on a mission to explore how that diagnosis interplays with her faith, and the ways in which her brain can be an asset—but also a barrier—when it comes to engaging in church.
In this episode, Maddy leads the conversation with Dr Katy Unwin, a Lecturer in Psychology at La Trobe University. Katy has a PhD in Autism, and has done a lot of research in this area — including a study she’s recently conducted into how autistic people’s sensory differences impact their experiences of church.
Through their conversation, Maddy and Katy hope to help us all learn a bit more about autism, the impact it can have on people’s engagement in church, and how we can work towards becoming churches and communities that are more accommodating for everyone — whether they’re autistic or not.
Maddy has also written two pieces about autism on the blog, titled ‘Navigating Church as an Autistic Person’ and ‘3 Ways the Church Can Love an Autistic Person Like Me’.
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Dr Katy explains what Autism is (video)
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Anxious Faith is a production of Our Daily Bread Ministries. If you’re struggling with trauma or addiction yourself, please talk to someone to seek help. That might be a friend, family member, pastor, or your doctor. If you’re in Australia or New Zealand, there’s a list of helplines you can call here.
