The answer: Online Adapted Needs Seminary and Institute
Don’t know about them? Neither did I, until recently. I was introduced to them by the Director, Brother Chatelain. He’s a high-functioning quadriplegic who has taught for 27 years, most of those years for those whose needs are not met by the traditional programs.
In fact, there is quite a lot available for those with other needs including:
- Remote Adapted Seminary (for youth aged 14 to high school graduation),
- Virtual FSY (for those aged 14-18 with accommodation needs that prevent them from attending in person),
- Remote Adapted Institute (for young adults aged 18-35),
- Online Service Missionary Institute and Remote Adapted Service Missionary Institute, and
- American Sign Language (ASL) Seminary, Institute, and FSY
This is how Brother Chatelain describes the Institute program:
Students who attend this remote adapted Institute class are often those geographically distant from in-person Institute classes or whose disability requires unavailable assistance to attend in-person (some of the students attend both in-person and remote Institute). Students in our class have a variety of life experiences and neurodiversities including Down syndrome, Autism Spectrum, intellectual and/or physical disabilities, and may be non-verbal with a parent sitting nearby or high functioning. Whatever their abilities, this class is tailored to engage each of them.
We have designed the remote class atmosphere so that the students can experience the key S&I elements of conversion, relevance, belonging, and accessibility. The course content is the standard institute course lesson but taught with adapted modalities, a gentle pace, and kinesthetic components that they do at home.
This is how he describes the Seminary program:
Our Remote Adapted Seminary classes use adapted teaching and learning methodology, a slower pace, and increased visual processes (e.g., videos and pictures) to meet a wide range of learning and intellectual disabilities.
Students who would be good candidates for the Remote Adapted Seminary program would be those who:
- struggle to read
- face a variety of learning obstacles
- require assistance for personal study
- function on a lower intellectual level than their peers
- struggle to keep up in classroom settings
- may have physical conditions that affect consistent participation in a standard Seminary or Online Seminary class
- require more accommodations than are typically available in standard Seminary or Online Seminary programs
Our intent is to provide a kind and gentle Seminary option for students who would likely stop participating in Seminary or who did not think that Seminary was possible due to their intellectual, physical, or emotional needs.
Brother Chatelain’s enthusiasm for these programs and options is palpable. If you know someone who could benefit from these efforts, please connect them up with Brother Chatelain.
Brother Jeremy J. ChatelainOnline Adapted Needs Coordinator —North America West, Central, and Northeast AreasSeminaries and Institutes of ReligionThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsWork Mobile: (719) 205-9097chatelainjj@churchofjesuschrist.org
Let’s ensure everyone has access to the benefits of the gospel and the ability to progress within it!
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