Despite millions of diagnoses worldwide, autism remains widely misunderstood, including within churches. It is a complex disabilitythat affects individuals in different ways, presenting a range of abilities and challenges.

Dr. Megan Brown, associate professor of educationatCedarville University, is working to increase awareness and support for children and families affected by autism.FromSept. 2-5, 2025, she traveled to El Salvador with Joni and Friends, a ministry that serves people with disabilities.

While there, Brown partnered with the team atJoni’s House— an international disability center that provides medical support, resources and spiritual care to children and families. During the first two days, Brown joinedin-country staffto conductautism screenings for 20 childrenwho would have otherwise remained on a waitlist.

As a special educator, Brown helped refine the screening processalready in use at Joni’s House. She collaborated with their existing team of occupational therapists, physical therapistsand special educators to assess the children’s reading, writing and math skills and social development.

“The staff at Joni’s Housewas already doing assessments,” said Brown.“They didn’t need us, but they had a very long waitlist. We wanted to help families on the waitlist get some answers, gain understanding about how their child functions, hear something positive about their child and receive some suggestions for growth.”

While Brown and her team conducted screenings, Joni’s House staff and other church leadersconnected with the parents. Rather than simply waiting, parents spent two hours sharing their stories and receivingencouragement.

“A lot of parents have only heard the negative,” said Brown. “All they’ve heard is the diagnosis and the doom and gloom about their child. But instead, we tell them that their child is a beautiful image-bearer of Christ. We aim to dignify the role that child has in the world, and we dignify the lives of the parents.We acknowledgedthe exhaustion and the difficulty of raising a child with autism, but we also recognized the glorious aspects of it.”

In addition,Brown spoke at the second annual Christian Education Conference for Children and Adolescents with Autism, held at a large church in San Salvador. About 200 pastors, teachers and church leaders attended the event, withparticipants traveling from eight different Central American countries— including one man who rode his motorcycle from Honduras.

At the conference, Brown led teaching sessions focused on instructional tools, classroom environments and the teaching process. She drew on her experience training future educators at Cedarville University to equip attendees with practical strategies.

“I love seeing how my profession fits into the grand scheme of things around the world,” said Brown. “Sometimes we feel trapped in the bubble, and it can behard to put your own work in perspective of the world. As a professor, I know I am training teachers to go into classrooms around the world, but it was incredible to get to work alongside special educators in another country.”

Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduateresidential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it ranks among Ohio's largest private universities and is recognized by The Wall Street Journal as being among the nation’s top three evangelical universities. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.