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It started with a cotton ball.
Decades ago, our church’s preschool team was trying to help kids experience Bible stories and biblical truths in a more tangible way. We had a great curriculum, committed volunteers and good intentions. But we weren’t always sure how much of the story was connecting, especially for our youngest kids and those who learn and experience the world differently. So we started creating story bags.
For the story of David and Goliath, we included a cotton ball to represent the sheep, a piece of fake grass to show what he fed them, a smooth stone and a strip of fabric that signified a shepherd’s robe. As we told the story, the kids held the objects. They touched the sheep, felt the grass and the stone, and placed the fabric on their shoulders. We thought we were helping them stay engaged. What we didn’t realize was we were helping some of them understand the story in a whole new way.
Kids who had struggled to sit and listen were suddenly connected. Kids who rarely engaged were paying attention. And our kids with developmental differences weren’t just present for the story. They were experiencing it. We hadn’t changed the message. We had changed the access. That first week, parents sent videos of their children retelling the Bible story at home again and again. The kids hadn’t just heard the story. They understood it.
I didn’t have language for it then, but that experience shaped how I’ve approached curriculum and learning experiences ever since.
These Strategies Help Every Child and Are Essential for Some
There’s a principle in education called universal design. It simply means creating learning experiences that are usable and accessible for all people. While these strategies benefit every child, they are essential for some. When we added those simple objects to our lesson, it didn’t just benefit the kids who learn in different ways. It helped everyone. More kids paid attention. More kids remembered the story. More kids understood who God is and what a relationship with Him can look like.
Adapting your curriculum works the same way. The Gospel doesn’t change. However, the methods we use to share the Gospel may need to change so more kids can access and understand it. Neurodivergent kids don’t need a different message. They need opportunities to experience that message in ways that connect with how God uniquely created their brains and bodies.
Identify the Big Idea
One of the most helpful places to start is by identifying the big idea, the one thing that matters most in your lesson. Most curricula includes multiple ideas and applications, but many kids, especially those who process information differently, can easily miss the main point when too much information is shared at once.
Before you teach, ask yourself, What is the one thing I want every child to know? It might be that God keeps His promises, that Jesus cares about people others ignore or that God is with us when we are afraid.
Once you identify that truth, build your lesson around it. Repeat it at the beginning, reinforce it during the story and come back to it at the end. Invite kids to say it, act it out or create something tangible that reinforces it. These kinds of experiences help move the truth from something kids simply hear to something they understand and remember.
This doesn’t oversimplify the Gospel. It clarifies it. It helps ensure that every child can hear, understand and hold on to what matters most. Neurodivergent kids often understand far more than we assume when we give them clear, meaningful ways to access the truth.
Teach Through Multiple Pathways
Another powerful way to adapt your curriculum is by teaching through multiple pathways. Many curriculum models rely heavily on listening, but listening is only one way kids learn. Some kids learn best through visuals. Others through movement. Others through hands-on experiences.
When we used those story bags years ago, we weren’t changing the story of David and Goliath. We were allowing kids to see it, touch it and experience it. The same principle applies today. You can show pictures of the Bible story, invite kids to act out a moment or give them an object connected to the lesson. If you’re teaching about Jesus calming the storm, let them feel wind from a fan and then experience the calm when you turn it off.
These kinds of experiences help move the story from something abstract to something concrete. When the body is engaged, the brain is more available for learning.
Prepare Kids for What’s Coming
Preparation also plays an important role. Many neurodivergent kids benefit from predictability and clear expectations. Knowing what’s coming next helps them feel more comfortable and ready to engage. When kids aren’t sure what will happen or when something will end, their energy often goes toward figuring out the environment instead of focusing on the lesson.
Simple communication can make a big difference. Visual schedules can be especially helpful because they allow kids to see at any time what’s coming next. You can also prepare kids by telling them when you’re about to start the story, what will happen afterward and when the activity will end. This clarity allows kids to focus more on the story instead of trying to figure out what’s happening around them. Predictability helps kids feel safe, and safety creates space for learning. When children experience that kind of safety, they begin to trust that this is a place where they belong.
Engagement Doesn’t Always Look the Way We Expect
It’s also important to offer multiple ways for kids to respond. Traditional lessons often assume that child engagement means raising their hands and answering a question out loud. But many kids process internally, communicate differently or need more time.
Some may respond by pointing, drawing or acting something out. Others may simply listen quietly. That doesn’t mean they aren’t learning. Participation doesn’t always look the same, and learning isn’t always obvious from the outside.
Separate Behavior from Spiritual Engagement
One of the biggest shifts for many leaders is learning to separate behavior from spiritual engagement. A child who is moving, fidgeting or looking around may still be listening and absorbing what you’re saying. In fact, movement often helps kids regulate their bodies so they can stay connected.
One mom shared it with me this way: “There is a misconception that busy hands mean unengaged minds, but it’s actually how my child participates.” Instead of focusing only on stillness, focus on connection. Another mom told me, “My son is autistic, and being required to sit when he could not was one of the biggest barriers to inclusion in church.”
When we prioritize compliance over connection, we can unintentionally create barriers. But when a child feels safe and accepted, they are far more open to hearing and understanding the truth of the Gospel. Sometimes the most spiritually engaged child in the room is the one who doesn’t look engaged at all.
Progress, Not Perfection
If you’re feeling nervous about adapting your curriculum, you’re not alone. I remember feeling that same hesitation. I didn’t want to offend families. I didn’t want to talk down to kids or miss their needs entirely. But over time, I realized something important. Families aren’t expecting perfection. They’re hoping their child will be seen, included, and given the opportunity to access and understand the Gospel alongside their peers. They appreciate when we make the effort to adjust and create ways for their child to participate more.
You don’t have to change everything at once. Start small. Add a visual. Repeat the big idea. Offer something kids can hold. These small changes may seem simple, but they can make a profound difference. Each step you take helps remove barriers and opens the door for a child to experience belonging and grow in their faith. What may feel like a small adjustment to you can be life-changing access for a child.
This Is About Discipleship
At its core, this isn’t about curriculum. It’s about discipleship. God created each child to know Him and to be in relationship with Him, no matter how their brain is wired. Neurodivergent kids are fully capable of knowing God, experiencing His love and growing in faith. Our role is not to change the message but to make sure every child has access to it.
When we remove barriers, we open doors. Sometimes it starts with something as simple as a cotton ball that helps a child understand that David wasn’t just a character in a story. He was a shepherd who trusted God.
That same God knows each child in your group. He loves them and invites them into a relationship with Him. He created every child to know Him.
