S13E2: Autism and Faith (Dr Leon Van Ommen and Lizzy Peach)

In today’s episode we speak to Dr Leon van Ommen and Lizzy Peach about autism and faith. Leon was born and raised in the Netherlands and has lived most of his adult life in Belgium, and is now based in Aberdeen. He works as Lecturer in Practical Theology, in the areas of liturgy and worship, suffering and healing, justice and reconciliation, and recently in disability theology and autism. He is the co-director of the Centre for Autism and Theology. Lizzy Peach is a Christian, and an autistic parent of four children, all of whom are now teenagers aged between 13 and 19. Two of them are also autistic. She is also a PhD student at the Centre for Autism and Theology at Aberdeen. Links: Find out more about the centre for autism and theology https://www.abdn.ac.uk/dhpa/research/centres/centre-for-autism-and-theology/ Listen to the autism and theology podcast https://www.abdn.ac.uk/events/podcasts/autism-theology/ Autism in Childhood by Luke Beardon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Autism-Childhood-parents-carers-diagnosed/dp/1399805398 Sign up as a group or individual for the Parenting Teens for a Life of Faith course this Autumn https://www.brfonline.org.uk/collections/events/products/parenting-teens-course-autumn-2025 Join the Parenting as a Church Leader Day on 9 October https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/book-pacl-day/ Send us your questions and stories at parentingforfaith.org/podcast or email us at parentingforfaith@brf.org.uk Thank you for listening today. If you are able to contribute to the cost of producing this podcast, please click here to give a one-off or regular gift: www.brf.org.uk/get-involved/give/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity, BRF. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible. We are grateful for all donations, big or small. They make a real difference. Thank you so much for partnering with us.