Life scout Sean Brame on the zip line wire – Fort A.P. Hill

The basic premise of Scouting for youth with special needs is that every youth wants to participate fully and be respected like every other member of the unit. While there are, by necessity, units exclusively composed of Scouts with disabilities, experience has shown that Scouting usually succeeds best when every youth is part of regular pack, troop or crew.

Contact

Special Needs Scouting Chair
Midge Savage
(313) 506-6183
Msave123@comcast.net

Inclusion Toolbox

Able Scout provides this collection of resources to help educate leaders, Scouts and parents on various special needs.

Webinars

Promoting National Disabilities Awareness Month within the Unit
Wednesday, March 6

March is designated as Disabilities Awareness Month. Join the National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee in presenting Special Needs activities, using lessons learned from the National Jamboree Special Needs Challenge, that can be done during your Troop meetings. We will also suggest ways to solicit empathic and compassionate responses from your Scouts and Scouters to create a welcoming environment for Scouts who are neurodivergent or who are physically challenged. UPDATE: View recorded webinar.

National Special Needs and Disabilities Roundtable

The Special Needs and Disabilities roundtable session was live-streamed on November 15, 2022. Participants had an opportunity to have their questions answered by subject matter experts from the National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee, topics included:

Inclusion of Special Needs in the Scouts BSA Program

On April 29, 2023, at 10 AM (Central Time), the National Scouts BSA Program Committee hosted a webinar about how every youth deserves the opportunity to have a meaningful experience in the Scouts BSA program. Share the recording of the webinar with your Scouts BSA unit leaders so they can learn from the National Scouts BSA Program Committee and special guests from the National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee how to meet the diverse needs of Scouts who are differently abled in their troops. Discussion topics included rank advancement, merit badges, individual Scout advancement plans and more.