During a recent appearance on American Family Radio (AFR), author Kathy Hoopmann said the medical community's standard terminology — autism spectrum disorder — often misses the mark when describing people on the spectrum.
"The autism community really take offense to the word disorder because a disorder means something that's wrong or broken or needs to be fixed," she said. "These people that are on the spectrum are different, not broken."
Hoopmann emphasized that because no two autistic individuals are alike, Christian parents and ministry leaders must adapt their approach when teaching children about faith and life.
Instead of traditional, eye-to-eye instructional settings, she suggested creating low-pressure environments.
"Often these kids don't like the confrontation of eye-to-eye contact, so, sitting with them one-on-one, looking at them … is not the best way," she relayed. "It might be great if you're in a car, when they don't have to look at you, and you can just chat."
When it comes to local congregations, Hoopmann noted that simple adjustments — like allowing noise-canceling earphones for children who do not want to go to church because it is too loud or giving autistic youth technical roles — can make a world of difference in helping them feel included.
"That might be all that's needed to allow that child to come into that community," she posed.
Approximately one-in-31 children (3.2%) in the United States have been identified as on the autistic spectrum, according to data tracking from the CDC's ADDM Network. This totals roughly 1 million U.S. children altogether.
This rate marks a steady increase from the previous official estimate of one-in-36 children.
According to some health experts, there is no single known cause for autism; some research shows it develops from a complex combination of genetic and environmental influences, and the rising numbers are largely attributed to broader diagnostic criteria, increased public awareness, and vastly improved screening tools—especially within historically underserved minority communities.
