This site contains articles written for Abilities Digest, the quarterly publication of the National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee of the Boy Scouts of America.
About Able Scouts
Abilities Digest – Late Winter 2020
This is the first issue of Abilities Digest for 2020: the "late winter" edition. Abilities Digest V7 n1Download Here is a summary of the contents: Adapting Activities: Tranquility Base: a safe space; Philmont’s Zia Experience for youth with special needs this summerEnhancing Awareness: Training conference at Philmont this summer.Adapting Advancement: Changes to youth registration beyond... Continue Reading →
Advancement help may be right down the street
Observations by Warren Wenner, CNP, Chair, National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee One of the most common questions the National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee receives from leaders and parents is where do I go for help with advancement for my Special Needs Scout. Well, the best answer may be right down the street at... Continue Reading →
Special Needs at the World Scout Jamboree
Adapted from a report by Tony Mei, the Inclusion Advisor for Centro Mondial at the 2019 World Scout Jamboree. The 2019 World Scout Jamboree (WSJ) took place last summer at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. It was the first World Jamboree to take place in North America since the 1983 Jamboree in Alberta,... Continue Reading →
Three Fires Council’s Wizard’s Academy
The following was reported by Sherry Herzog, a Three Fires volunteer and the Chair of Education and Training for the National Disabilities Awareness Subcommittee Scouts and Scouters of the Three Fires Council hosted a “Wizard’s Academy” in Aurora, IL, last May with the theme “The Magic of Seeing the Ability not the Disability.” We partnered... Continue Reading →
National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee
Last year we announced our new committee name: the National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee (NSNDC). We also welcomed Warren Wenner as the new chair for the NSNDC. Warren took over from Tony Mei at the 2019 BSA National Annual Meeting. Warren served 34 years as a professional Scouter and has served on both our... Continue Reading →
Web Site on Neurodiverse Scouting
Scouters in Australia and New Zealand are collecting information to aid Scouts with neurological conditions like ADHD, autism, and others that impact their Scouting experience: https://neurodiversescouts.com.
Winter 2019 Abilities Digest
We have just completed the Winter 2019 issue of Abilities Digest. It will be distributed to the email list shortly. abd-v06n2r5Download Here is a summary of the contents: Welcome our new National Committee Chair, Warren Wenner.Training opportunities at Seabase this winter and Philmont this spring.Philmont offers a new experience for Scouts with special needs.Dori Hammer... Continue Reading →
Notes from Jamboree Participants
The Communications and Inclusion activity at the 2019 World Scout Jamboree collected hundreds of written comments from participants all over the world. Volunteer Jennifer Allred has curated this collection and is posting them - with English translations as needed - to the "Unlock a New World through Inclusion" Facebook page. The comments provide a truly... Continue Reading →
