Special Needs Interests
Assisting Scouts with Special Needs at Camp
Summer camp is a great place for all Scouts to earn merit badges and advance in rank, but sometimes it takes a little more planning for Scouts with Special Needs and Disabilities. Here are some helpful tips to help them achieve success:
- Be sure to celebrate partial merit badges and individual rank requirements; especially when they can’t be completed in full. Remember that success is measured differently for everyone!
- Depending on the Scout’s abilities, you might need to break down badge requirements into smaller tasks. This can help prevent Scouts from feeling too overwhelmed at any point in the advancement process.
- Remember that these requirements need to be completed as written as modifying or changing requirements is not allowed.
- Accommodations are possible for rank requirements, and an accommodation is providing assistance to help the Scout complete the task without changing the requirement. For instance, Second Class requirement 3b states “sleep in a tent that you pitched.” A Scout with physical disabilities unable to move his limbs could instruct another Scout through the proper steps to pitch the tent for him, thus completing the requirement.
There are many resources available to help leaders provide a meaningful advancement experience for Scouts with Special Needs and Disabilities, and they include the Guide to Advancement as well as the Guide to Working with Scouts with Special Needs and Disabilities.
Most importantly, remember that attending summer camp provides many opportunities for new and memorable experiences.It’s more than advancement.It’s more than merit badges. Providing a safe, meaningful, and FUN experience is what Scouts will remember!