Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
These are books on a variety of topics related to intellectual and developmental disability. Some are memoirs by authors with a family member with an IDD. Others are theological reflections or books about the spiritual experiences of people with IDD.
Benjamin T. Conner, Amplifying Our Witness: Giving Voice to Adolescents with Developmental Disabilities by (Eerdmans, 2012)
Nearly twenty percent of adolescents have developmental disabilities, yet far too often they are marginalized within churches. This book challenges congregations to adopt a new, practice-centered approach to congregational ministry that includes and amplifies the witness of adolescents with developmental disabilities.
Jill Harshaw, God Beyond Words: The Spiritual Experiences of People with Profound Intellectual Disabilities (Jessica Kingsley, 2016)
This book explores the spiritual experiences of people with profound intellectual disabilities with regard to their capacity to enjoy life-giving spiritual experiences in their own right.
Molly Haslam, A Constructive Theology of Intellectual Disability: Human Being as Mutuality and Response (Fordham Press, 2011)
This book asks, on behalf of individuals with profound intellectual disabilities, what it means to be human. That question has traditionally been answered with an emphasis on an intellectual capacity and has ignored the value of individuals who lack such intellectual capacities. The author suggests, rather, that human being be understood in terms of participation in relationships of mutual responsiveness, which includes but is not limited to intellectual forms of communicating.
Jeanne Davies, Believing and Belonging: An Accessible Anabaptist Membership Curriculum (Anabaptist Disabilities Network, 2024)
An accessible Anabaptist membership curriculum for youth and adults with intellectual disabilities. 36 lessons including a Biblical overview, church history, Anabaptist beliefs and practices, and a discussion of baptism and membership. Designed as a year-long preparation for making a decision about baptism and church membership.
Andrew Barron, Human Difference: Reflections on Life in Proximity to Disability (Cascade Books, 2024)
Written by a father of a son with Down syndrome, this book is an extended meditation on that experience and a reflection on the nature of human care and hospitality.
Jeanne Davies, The Story of God’s First People: Bible Stories from the Old Testament (Anabaptist Disabilities Network, 2024)
An accessible Bible study with six Old Testament stories: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Ruth, David, Exile and Return. Each story is written in simple language and illustrated with a brief prayer and reflection activities.
John Van Sloten, Thy Tender Care: What Caregiving and Disability Can Teach Us about the Kingdom of God (Herald Press, 2026)
In this intimate portrait of parenthood, a driven father discovers the life-transforming presence of God through his relationship with his son Edward, a young man with Down syndrome who is also nonverbal.
Kathleen Norris, Rebecca Sue: A Sister’s Reflections on Disability, Faith, and Love (IVP Formatio, 2025)
This story, told from a sister’s perspective, paints a picture of Becky’s complex life, from her hopes, sense of humor, frustrations, and hardships to her journey from bitterness and anger to a life characterized by gratitude.
David J. Gullman, Teachers of the Soul: The Heart of God Revealed through People with Disabilities (WestBow Press, 2015)
This book, written by the father of a daughter with Down syndrome, highlights the spiritual gifts that people with intellectual disabilities have to offer the world.
Amy Julia Becker, A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny (Bethany House, 2011)
This memoir by a mother of a child with Down syndrome talks about the family’s journey to appreciating the life and gifts of their daughter Penny.
