Our Senses
Help Us
Connect
to God.
But for those with sensory differences, the senses can be a barrier to engaging in worship.
Why does that matter?
And what can we do about it?
We wanted to find out — and we invite you to explore with us, too.
We believe that engaging in church is a crucial part of being in the body of Christ, and is key to human flourishing; and yet there are significant barriers that hold autistic and other neurodivergent people back from being able to participate freely — barriers to even coming at all.
Many of us may tend to ‘forget’ about the sensory environment of our churches because they’re comfortable to us. But what if the sensory environment was the only thing you could think about when you went to church, preventing you from connecting with God and others?
Until now, there have been no quantitative studies investigating the impact of sensory aspects of the church service on autistic people, so we set out to study this in the hopes that our findings would help the broader church be more aware of how to better care for the sensory needs of autistic and neurodivergent people in worship spaces.
Of the 143 autistic participants in our study, 35% said that attending church was difficult because of sensory input, with almost a fifth of the autistic participants reporting that the sensory environment in churches causes them to stay home.
While we are aware that sensory differences are a key component in several neurodivergent conditions, our study was conducted specifically with autistic participants. However, our findings are applicable to all of us.
But first...
What is neurodiversity? The term "neurotype" refers to different types of brains. Neurodiversity is the idea that differences in how people's brains work and how they behave are natural and part of the wide range of human diversity, rather than seeing these differences as disorders or deficits. This way of thinking overlaps with the social model of disability, which suggests that people only face challenges due to their biological differences when society is structured predominantly along neurotypical preferences and fails to meet everyone’s needs. This contrasts with the traditional “medical model”, which views differences in the brain as deficits that need to be fixed or treated. The most common brain type is called "neurotypical", while less common brain types are called "neurodivergent". Neurodivergent people, such as those with autism, ADHD, or dyslexia, represent these less common brain types. Unfortunately, people with neurodivergent brains—that is, the minority neurotypes—often experience worse mental health and more challenges in participating in the broader community compared to neurotypical people. Though we’re interested in the sensory experiences of neurodivergent people in churches as a whole, it’s important to note that to date, our research has focused specifically on the experiences of autistic people. To stay up to date with our future work, you can subscribe to the Centre for Autism and Theology’s mailing list, or contact us directly.
What is autism? Autism, is a neurological condition that affects how a person processes information and experiences the world. The official diagnostic term is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), although many people want to move away from the term ‘disorder’. Autistic people experience a range of differences in three main areas; social communication, interests and behaviours, and sensory differences. This third area—sensory differences—is the focus of our area of study. Our sensory systems allow us to receive information from the outside world, interpret it, and then respond in an appropriate way. For autistic and other neurodivergent people, these sensory systems are often different from those of neurotypical people. For example, an autistic person may look at a scene and see tiny details instead of the bigger picture, or they may hear small noises that go unnoticed by others. These differences in processing sensory input can occur across all of the senses, and can significantly impact a person’s ability to engage with the outside world. It’s important to note that no two autistic people are alike, which is why autism is referred to as a “spectrum”. Additionally, we use identity-first language (i.e. “autistic person” rather than “person with autism”), because evidence suggests this is how the majority of autistic people prefer to be addressed.
THE SENSES
Our senses are an integral part of how we experience the world around us. Sensory experiences can be both facilitators—helping us connect with God and people—or barriers—making it harder to engage in church and worship spaces.
All of us, neurodivergent or not, have a sensory system that is constantly filtering through the input of stimuli around us; but for neurodivergent people, that system is often working in overdrive to process sensory information.
You're probably familiar with at least five of the senses, but there are a few others we like to include, too. Let's take a quick look:
Visual
Sight is the sense of seeing things with our eyes. Our visual system helps us see what we need to focus on and filter out what we don’t need to focus on.
Olfactory
The olfactory sense allows us to understand things about the world through smells by using our noses.
Tactile
Touch is how we feel things with our skin. Our tactile system has two main functions — to tell us when we’ve touched something (being able to “sense” it), and what it is we’ve touched (being able to “discriminate” its features, such as texture, size, shape, or temperature).
Vestibular
Our vestibular system helps us sense balance and motion, and is located in the middle-ear. At the most basic level, the vestibular system is activated any time we move our head.
Auditory
Hearing is the sense of sound that comes into our ears. When we process auditory information, our brain has to be able to determine what sounds are important and what sounds can be “tuned out”. It also has to be able to locate where sounds are coming from and what they mean so we can act or react accordingly.
Gustatory
Taste is the sense responsible for detecting all the different flavours we experience through our tongues.
Proprioceptive
Proprioception is our bodies’ ability to sense where it is and how it’s moving. We sense this movement through messages sent from sensory receptors in our muscles and joints. For example, the proprioceptive system is activated any time we push or pull on objects, which helps us understand how much force we are using. This helps us complete tasks such as drawing, using a fork and knife, or opening a door.
Somatosensory
This refers to our ability to perceive things that happen within our body or on the surface of our skin, such as pressure, texture, temperature, and pain. The sensory receptors in our skin, muscles, and joints send signals to our brain about these physical sensations, allowing us to feel and react to the world around us.
Here are some stats.
Of the 143 autistic participants in our recent study...
found loud and/or unpredictable sounds in the church service hard to deal with
35%
felt that people judge them when they move around during a church service
38%
shared that "visual clutter" (e.g. untidiness) distracts them from worship
47%
reported being distracted by other noises in church (e.g. the fan, people whispering, etc.)
48%
felt uncomfortable when people sit or stand too close to them
57%
reported feeling uncomfortable when the musical instruments or singers are out of tune
73%
But the senses aren't only barriers to people engaging in church. They can be facilitators, too. The 143 autistic participants in our study also shared some of the ways that different sensory input helps them engage in worship:
shared that if they feel in control of sensory situations before, during, and after the church service, then they can better engage in the service
55%
said they can better engage with the service if it includes movement (e.g. standing to sing)
60%
liked how their church building smells
62%
said that when a church has a beautiful interior or is well set-up, it puts them in a worshipful mood
75%
These examples provide us useful insights into an under-researched topic. However, we acknowledge that they are only based on our sample of autistic people and may not reflect the experience of every autistic person. To better understand how these results compare with the findings from our non-autistic sample, you can read our study in full here.
“What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I be like everyone else, who don’t seem phased by the lights being the wrong colour or the speakers buzzing or all the strong perfumes? I feel guilty that I can’t concentrate on sermons. I’m frustrated that it’s hard to feel comfortable in church. I wish it wasn’t like this.”
—Grace, Autistic Research Consultant
Why does all this matter?
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:27:
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
How can we function as one body if there are members struggling to engage in worship and participate in church the way they'd like to?
Churches are very sensory-rich places, and sensory input can be hard to ignore or escape. As church members, we can’t just turn the volume of the worship band up or down, or dim the overhead lights so they’re not as bright and distracting. We can’t control how close someone sits to us, or the perfume people around us choose to wear.
How, then, do we go about trying to make churches meet everyone’s unique needs?
The answer is: we can’t.
It’s impossible to accommodate everyone’s unique needs and preferences. One person in the congregation may be hard of hearing and wish that the sound system was louder; another person might be sensitive to loud noises and long for things to be quieter. While one person may crave hugs or benefit from bright visual backgrounds, another may struggle receiving physical touch or get easily overwhelmed by visual stimuli.
The one thing we can do is talk to each other and learn how to be aware of other people’s sensory profiles—especially those that are different to ours—and do our best to make church spaces accessible to everyone, neurodivergent or not.
So, what can we do?
Here are three things to do if you're...
A PASTOR OR MINISTRY LEADER
1. Start by listening.
You may not know what steps your church can take to help them engage better, so the first step is to ask. How can you make space for someone to feel safe enough to share their needs? Is there an anonymous feedback system you could introduce? If someone comes to you with a suggestion for change so that they can participate more easily, are you willing to listen and do something about it?
2. Let people participate the way they want and need to.
Our study showed that giving church members an element of control and predictability to their environment went a long way in making them feel comfortable in church. This might look like providing space for people to move freely during a service, encouraging people to use headphones, sunglasses, fidget tools or other accommodations that may help them regulate sensory input, or any number of other small adjustments that could go a long way in making space for neurodivergent people in your church.
3. Consider the sensory aspects of your church and how they might be affecting people.
Find out what preferences, aversions and sensitivities people in your congregation have, and what affects their ability to attend or participate in church. Are there aspects of your church that are disabling to some members? And, on the other hand, have you considered how you could incorporate the senses into your church in a way that might help members better connect with God — and one another? Rather than trying to eliminate sensory experiences from worship, our study shows that autistic and non-autistic church members are all better able to engage when they feel a sense of control over their sensory environment. Consider how you might be able to offer options to your church's members.
A FELLOW CHURCH MEMBER
1. Look out for others.
Keep an eye out for people in your church who might be finding it difficult to participate. Remember that neurodiverg-ences and disabilities are not always visible, and that there are likely people in your church who may be struggling in silence. Think about how you can become a safe friend and a listening ear for those who need it.
2. Practise empathy.
As you look around on a Sunday, try and notice how someone different from you may be experiencing the service. Rather than making assumptions about people who may be participating in church in a way that’s different from you, consider what they may be feeling. Are there things you can do to make your community a space where everyone feels comfortable, neurodivergent or not?
3. Advocate for others.
No church will be able to meet each member’s unique needs, but we can strive to support people to participate in the way they want to. If you’re aware of those who may be struggling with some aspect of your church’s sensory environment, is there someone you can speak to to advocate on their behalf?
A NEURODIVERGENT PERSON
1. Share your needs (and your delights!).
If your church or pastor doesn’t know what you struggle with, they won’t be able to help accommodate you. Similarly, if no one knows if there are specific sensory things you delight in, they can’t include these in services. If there are things you think would help you or other members in your church, is there someone you can share those with? Change might not happen right away, but your courage in speaking up about some of the barriers you might face will pave the way for a more unified body of Christ.
2. Help others understand.
A lot of struggles with the sensory aspect of church are caused by a lack of awareness on the part of neurotypical church members. Perhaps you can speak to your church's leaders and offer to help educate them and your fellow church members on neurodivergence and sensory differences. There may even be a guest speaker or someone who is willing to come and give a workshop to help others understand.
3. Encourage your church.
If you’re in a church that’s doing things well, take a moment to encourage your pastor or leader! When you see positive changes or people making an effort to accommodate you, take a moment to thank them. And remember, even though a church won’t ever be able to meet all our needs, God does. As Paul writes in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
We’ve created a series of Bible studies called Faith and Our Senses, which you may like to go through with your church or small group. The studies have been written to compliment our research, and are designed to help us better understand the senses, where we see them in the Bible, and to think about our own sensory profiles and what helps or hinders us from connecting to God. You can download a free copy on our resources page.
