My son is 11 years old and has high functioning autism. He does average in school, poorly in social settings, and excels in the area of art. While he is not mentally disabled (therefore “unaccountable”), he is not quite fully “there” either. He seems to understand enough but when I try to tell him about Jesus, it’s like I’m talking to a wall.
At Sunday School he just sits there silently without interacting with anyone, even the teacher. When I talk about Jesus, he forgets everything I said within a matter of minutes even when I explain it as if he was five. When we pray, he never has any idea how to pray so I have to lead him every time. He is very underdeveloped.
I’m so scared for him. I want to know he is saved. If the rapture happens in our lifetime, I want him to be included. He is my heart and it terrifies me that I will fail him in the one area that matters more than anything. Spiritually, what can I do other than pray? I just bought some children Bible story books so I am hoping those will help him learn but nothing has worked yet.
Based on what you’ve said, it seems like your son is not able to comprehend the sin/salvation issue when it’s explained verbally. You’ve indicated that he has difficulty in this area. That being the case, maybe it’s not correct to assume that he is accountable.
God already knows whether your son is capable of understanding this. And He is not looking for ways to exclude people from His kingdom. He wants everyone to be saved and is, therefore, looking for ways to include them. If there is any question at all about your son’s ability to comprehend this issue, he will get the benefit of the doubt. You can be sure that God loves your son and wants him to be saved, even more than you do. (2 Peter 3:9)
I like your idea of trying to use children’s books because you’ve said that he seems to excel in art. If you get books with lots of pictures, this may help. Keep working with him, and praying for him.