A place to be themselves

When asked, Zach, 11, says he likes Sunday school because he gets to see his friends and “talk about praying.” Watching him move quickly from one activity to another with a smile on his face, you discover this is also a place where he is accepted, where his special education needs are met.

The “kinetic Sunday school” of Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Arlington Heights, Ill., was started to give more active children an alternative to traditional classes. But Denise Parrello, children’s ministry coordinator, found a hidden need. Parents of autistic and special-needs youth are drawn to the city’s special education schools.