QUICK TAKE 2025 // Kara Whitaker

Does He Understand? : How Presuming Competence Impacts Disability Ministry

As the mother of a child with non-speaking autism, Kara faces the question every day: Does he understand? When someone with significant disabilities struggles to communicate their thoughts, hopes, and desires, it's easy for others to make the assumption that these internal thoughts don't exist or are inaccessible. But that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.

Fortunately, there is a significant shift taking place in special education: the call to presume competence. Even when a person with a disability may not be able to demonstrate comprehension or mastery in traditional ways, it’s essential that we continue to believe in their abilities and potential. As both a former special education teacher and the mother of a child with a disability, she has seen firsthand how this shift can open up new pathways for understanding and connection.

In this quick take, Kara shares how presuming competence can profoundly impact how we disciple and form meaningful, mutual relationships with people with disabilities. By believing in their abilities and giving them space to express themselves in their own way, we can foster deep and transformative connections—connections that honor the person, their dignity, and their place within the Body of Christ.