This article appeared in the Fall 2020 issue of Abilities Digest. Special needs and disabilities are all around us. There are many of us who have disabilities, but by looking at us, one cannot tell. In the next few months, we all will be either recruiting or joining a new unit. With that in mind,... Continue Reading →
Choosing a Unit for a Scout with Special Needs
This article appeared in the Summer 2020 issue of Abilities Digest. When a group of young friends reach Scouting age, there is often a discussion of whether to join a pack or troop, and then which one to join. Parents get involved, and careful parents will try to identify the best unit for their own... Continue Reading →
Disabilities Awareness Merit Badge
This article appeared in the Fall 2020 issue of Abilities Digest. Did you know? The Disabilities Awareness Merit Badge is not the low badge on the totem pole, so to speak. Although many of us would like to see it as a required badge, it does have a fair ranking in the grand scheme of... Continue Reading →
Say Good-bye to Board of Review Anxiety
This article appeared in the Summer 2020 issue of Abilities Digest. Many Scouts get nervous before a Board of Review. They feel like they’re going to the dentist or something equally anxiety provoking. A knee bounces up and down between “Yes, Ma’am” and “No, Sir” abbreviated nervous answers. Hands fidget and you might notice a... Continue Reading →
Swimming Deferments for Advancement
This article appeared in the Winter 2020 issue of Abilities Digest. For many leaders there has always been concern when working on advancement with Scouts with special needs in aquatics. Commonly we find these Scouts terrified of water and unable to complete the swim tests at camp or the swimming merit badge itself. For whatever... Continue Reading →