Start with clear motivation. The goal is to help a child discover in Jesus the Father—a God of love who loves him and awaits his response of love. God sends the Holy Spirit to animate the Christian community, the Church.
Maintain a simple, clear vision that is also solid in what you reveal to the child. Don't introduce particular devotions at the outset. Go straight to the heart of Revelation itself.
Remember that receiving the Sacraments is a consequence of religious formation—always a means, never an end. Religious education is not preparation for First Communion. Communion is not the destination but a new beginning, as the word "first" itself suggests.
Create opportunities for the child to encounter a "Christian community" suited to him—a living "cell" of the Church. When possible, begin with his family and parish. This is why the child should not receive catechesis alone with his mother or sister. Whenever possible, he should learn alongside other children—disabled and non-disabled alike—where he can experience welcome, exchange, and the joy of being together.
As for concrete methods—helping the child follow Mass, preparing him for Communion, guiding him toward Confession—these deserve separate treatment. Good books exist on each topic, some straightforward, others more demanding, but all accessible.
One fundamental question remains: What are this particular child's capacities and difficulties? Is he severely delayed, moderately delayed, mildly disabled, autistic, psychotic? Each child poses his own puzzle. In general, there is a vast gap between what a child can express and what he can grasp. A child who speaks little or not at all may understand far more than he shows.
God is not an abstraction. He is a living person. What matters is helping the child—himself alive—to meet this living being and to share, in love and joy, in his Life.
Much is communicated to the child by the community that welcomes and supports him, even when he cannot grasp it clearly or explicitly. This underscores the importance of a community of love and prayer, no matter how small—three or four people, if necessary.
Concrete methods of conveying the message are valuable, provided the child does not get stuck on them or lost in them. Draw fully on every capacity he has to express himself—and there are many means available, not all of them words. In fact, words are not always most important or most meaningful for the child. We should speak here of symbols, which hold great power in religious life. Learning how to present them so the child receives their full benefit—as a pathway in his journey toward the Lord and with him—matters deeply.
Finally, you must believe it—with all your heart and soul—and ask God to come to the aid of your faith.
- Henri Bissonier, 1988 - (O. et L. n. 44)
Read also: Teaching Faith to Our Children with Intellectual Disabilities