Talking to Neurodiverse Older Children & Teens about Their New Identity in Christ

Neurodiverse children, teens, and adults often hide how they’re truly feeling because they’ve had to learn to mask to fit into a “typical” world. So, how can we gently create opportunities with them so we can share about Jesus? One way is by using a self-portrait as a warm, inviting tool. This activity allows them to have a safe space to explore what they feel and think about themselves alongside the truths of what God says He thinks and feels about them.

The Gospel changes our identity from the inside out.

Without Christ, our “self-portrait” is defined by what we’ve done, what’s been done to us, or what the world says we are. We might see failure, not enough, forgotten, or unworthy. But the good news is that Jesus didn’t just die to forgive our sins—He rose to give us a new identity.

When we put our faith in Him, God gives us an entirely new picture: forgiven, adopted, beloved, holy, chosen, secure. This isn’t wishful thinking—it’s how God truly sees us because of Jesus’ finished work (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 1:3–14).

The self-portrait helps these older children and teens slow down and visually remember that these Gospel truths are not distant theology—they are personal realities.

It’s a creative way to resist the subtle drift that theologian Warfield warned about, where sacred truths become so familiar that they lose their weight. We all need to be reminded of what God says about us daily!

When we remember who we are in Christ, we also remember Whose we are—and that moves us from insecurity to worship. It frees us from our masks and allows us to be exactly who God created us to be, embracing our uniqueness!