How to include severely handicapped boy in scouting activities?

[Serenade]

My son is a new counselor at Boy Scout camp. It's his first time ever and only his second day working with the cub scouts.  Today he was teaching the Running with the Pack adventure for Wolf cubs.  Apparently it involved physical activity and balancing.  One of his cubs was in a wheelchair, and he said he couldn't think of any way to incorporate him into the balancing and physical activities.  I asked if there were any adults around, and he said the boy's parents were, but I guess they were on the sidelines, and I don't know if it occurred to him to ask them for suggestions.  I asked my son if he talked to the boy, and he said he didn't think he could talk.  So this was a hard situation, and apparently he was not trained at all in how to handle this.  I guess I'll suggest to him that if he's in such a situation again, he should just talk to the boy and explain what is going on, even if he can't respond.  Would that be OK?  Do you have any other suggestions for him?  I'm not overly confident that the leadership there will give him good guidance on this. Any suggestions appreciated.

[Catwoman]

It’s so kind of your son to want to find a way to include the boy in the activities. 

Your son shouldn’t have to be responsible for handling this on his own, but if no one else seems to be supervising and if the boy is nonverbal, maybe your son could ask the boy’s parents what they think their son would like to do.

Again, your son sounds like such a nice young man!

[Ottakee]

It would have been great if they would have prepped your son ahead of time and said that " so and so can do .........but needs .........". Letting your son know if he understands everything but can't talk, uses a communication device, can speak normally, etc and we f he has ant cognitive impairment.

Is it possible for your son to ask his supervisors before his sessions tomorrow morning?  Or ask the parents?

Inclusion is great, but really works best with proper preparation.

 

[Junie]

I agree that your son should have been prepped ahead of time.  😞

Some suggestions:

Give the boy a stop watch so that he can time the other competitors.  Even if he can't do it accurately it might make him feel more involved.

Let him be the cheerleader.  Cymbals, a bell, or other noise maker, or ponpoms -- something that he can cheer for his friends.

Maybe a wheelchair race.  Let him race against a child who has to run backward or something.

Edited June 14, 2019 by Junie

[Serenade]

1 hour ago, Catwoman said:

It’s so kind of your son to want to find a way to include the boy in the activities. 

Your son shouldn’t have to be responsible for handling this on his own, but if no one else seems to be supervising and if the boy is nonverbal, maybe your son could ask the boy’s parents what they think their son would like to do.

Again, your son sounds like such a nice young man!

Thank you.  I think he will be learning a lot at Boy Scout camp this summer.  He is only 16, so we hesitated to let him go for NINE WEEKS, but I think he's in his element and really wants to do a good job.  I agree, talking to the parents would have been a good step.  For some reason, that didn't occur to him.

 

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

It would have been great if they would have prepped your son ahead of time and said that " so and so can do .........but needs .........". Letting your son know if he understands everything but can't talk, uses a communication device, can speak normally, etc and we f he has ant cognitive impairment.

Is it possible for your son to ask his supervisors before his sessions tomorrow morning?  Or ask the parents?

Inclusion is great, but really works best with proper preparation.

 

He told me he would go further up the chain and see if he could get some suggestions.  He doesn't think he will be working with this boy again (they rotate through activities), but he wants to be prepared for next time.  And maybe he could give a head's up to the people who will be working with the boy tomorrow.

I'm kind of surprised the parents didn't try to offer suggestions.  He said they were there.  I almost wonder if the boy was one of the other cub's brother and along for the family activity.  Cub Scouts is very family oriented and usually any family members are invited to activities.  

Thanks for your input!

 

Edited June 14, 2019 by Serenade

[Serenade]

1 minute ago, Junie said:

I agree that your son should have been prepped ahead of time.  😞

Some suggestions:

Give the boy a stop watch so that he can time the other competitors.  Even if he can't do it accurately it might make him feel more involved.

Let him be the cheerleader.  Cymbals, a bell, or other noise maker, or ponpoms -- something that he can cheer for his friends.

Maybe a wheelchair race.  Let him race against a child who has to run backward or something.

 

These are great ideas!  Thank you so much.

 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I babysat for a boy with severe cerebral palsy for a year when I was in college.  He was in a wheelchair with no ability to control his body, and non-verbal, but did not have any mental retardation.  So how do you let a 5 year old boy (the age of the child I worked with) be 5 in that situation?  

Here are some things we did:

- Took him out of the wheelchair as much as possible, and literally hauled him through playground equipment.  It was a great workout for me.  🙂  We did slides and bridges and swings, I walked on the cement curb balance-beam style like kids do, etc.  

- We got down on the floor and played with toys, and I would tell silly stories like a kid might tell to accompany the actions of the figures or animals or legos or whatever it was.  

- We did activities in the kitchen that allowed for sensory input, things like washing and tearing salad.  I had to put my hands over his and do it for him, but he was still touching and feeling the water and the salad and the tearing sensation.  

 

In your son's situation, it's almost too bad that they are rotating through stations.  For that child, it would be great to have a dedicated team of leaders to work with him and find out what he can do.  Some examples might be for one of the counselors to run the courses with the boy on his back or in his arms (if that's safe), carry the boy on a military stretcher and have the other cubs (under supervision) do this as well, etc.  BUT... I would not have your son do any of those things without getting explicit consent from the parents that yes, this IS what they were thinking about when signing him up for cub scouts.  Only they know their son, only they can decide if they are comfortable having another person physically handling their child, etc.  

 

[Lanny]

Kudos to your DS for wanting to help the boy.  I wonder if the people running the camp knew about his issues? I wonder what the parents were thinking.

[vonfirmath]

1 hour ago, Lanny said:

Kudos to your DS for wanting to help the boy.  I wonder if the people running the camp knew about his issues? I wonder what the parents were thinking.

 

I expect the parents were thinking their son has to miss out on SO much and here was ONE thing he could participate in, if only in his own way.

 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

1 hour ago, Lanny said:

Kudos to your DS for wanting to help the boy.  I wonder if the people running the camp knew about his issues? I wonder what the parents were thinking.

 

34 minutes ago, vonfirmath said:

 

I expect the parents were thinking their son has to miss out on SO much and here was ONE thing he could participate in, if only in his own way.

 

 

It's hard to read intent online, but it feels to me like you are interpreting Lanny to be saying, "What were they thinking, disabled boys can't do scouts!" and I really don't think that's what he meant, based on many comments I've read by Lanny these last couple years.  I think he meant, "What were they thinking?  Was observation-as-participation the best/only option for the boy, were there arrangements that could have been made ahead of time to facilitate inclusion, could one of the parents have served as aide/facilitator or helped give ideas to the leaders? Were the parents there to observe a meeting or two, and then be able to make a plan for inclusion?"   That is, he was asking an honest question, not a rhetorical one.  

I hope I have simply misinterpreted your intent, but Lanny is such a seemingly nice guy, I wanted to speak up.  

[sassenach]

Most people don’t know this, but 80% of people with Cerebral Palsy (a common dx for those in wheelchairs, but definitely not the only possibility) have NO cognitive impairment. I think your son did the best he could given the circumstances but I would encourage him in the future to assume that he can speak normally to any child who appears to be severely disabled. Being physically excluded may be inevitable but we can always interact socially with disabled kids (and usually that’s the part they really crave). 

Kudos to him for wanting to do better next time! 

[Ali in OR]

I would definitely recommend talking to the parents. When my nonverbal wheelchair kid has been involved in activities, I don't expect her to have the same experience as other kids, but I expect her to have fun being around activity. She likes movement--would love to be pushed around in her chair. Getting out of her chair is good for her and she has a blanket in her backpack that can be put on the ground. When she was a little kid, transfers were pretty easy and a teenager could have done that safely (now it requires a minute or two of parental training). She loves music--if there is a way to incorporate music into any activity, she is happy. She can't speak but understands some things and people should definitely talk to her, pat her on the arm or leg (she's mostly blind), etc. She likes being around people.

[Rachel]

One of my best friends had a severely disabled son in a wheelchair.  I know this is  different than what your son was dealing with but I thought I’d explain a couple scenarios so you can see how it works with our friend and my children. 

 We go bowling with him a few times a year. My kids set the ramp up, get it angled right, set the ball on the ramp, and then help their friend get the ball started rolling. Friend gets all the credit for however many pins on knocked over.

Friend loves fishing, all the hooks on his lures have been removed. My kids help him select the lure, attach it to his line, he “throws” out the line, and then reels it in. My kids will hold his pole still for him and since he can’t move his hand in a circle, they help him finish the circle with the reeling.

When we went apple picking, he would point to the apples and my kids would pick them for him and put the apples in his bucket.

It’s very similar to working with a toddler but in a man sized body.  He can communicate but it’s very simple and quite  difficult to comprehend him, but we always talk to him the same as any other child. 

[Lanny]

My comment should have been that I believe the parents of the boy in the wheelchair should have discussed his issues with the people running the camp and what he could or could not do, etc., and that the people running the camp should have communicated that to the DS of the OP who was caught by surprise and had no clue.  Lack of preparation. Lack of communication.  Sad for the boy in the wheelchair.  Kudos for the DS of the OP.

[Serenade]

7 hours ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

I babysat for a boy with severe cerebral palsy for a year when I was in college.  He was in a wheelchair with no ability to control his body, and non-verbal, but did not have any mental retardation.  So how do you let a 5 year old boy (the age of the child I worked with) be 5 in that situation?  

Here are some things we did:

- Took him out of the wheelchair as much as possible, and literally hauled him through playground equipment.  It was a great workout for me.  🙂  We did slides and bridges and swings, I walked on the cement curb balance-beam style like kids do, etc.  

- We got down on the floor and played with toys, and I would tell silly stories like a kid might tell to accompany the actions of the figures or animals or legos or whatever it was.  

- We did activities in the kitchen that allowed for sensory input, things like washing and tearing salad.  I had to put my hands over his and do it for him, but he was still touching and feeling the water and the salad and the tearing sensation.  

 

In your son's situation, it's almost too bad that they are rotating through stations.  For that child, it would be great to have a dedicated team of leaders to work with him and find out what he can do.  Some examples might be for one of the counselors to run the courses with the boy on his back or in his arms (if that's safe), carry the boy on a military stretcher and have the other cubs (under supervision) do this as well, etc.  BUT... I would not have your son do any of those things without getting explicit consent from the parents that yes, this IS what they were thinking about when signing him up for cub scouts.  Only they know their son, only they can decide if they are comfortable having another person physically handling their child, etc.  

 

 

Thanks for your input.  Yes, I think getting consent from the parent is key.  I think that's where he needs to start next time.

[Serenade]

1 hour ago, HeighHo said:

Talking to the adult in charge of the station is a good idea.  When we did cub resident camp, the aide for the child would work with the leader or scout running the station to personalize for inclusion.   A special needs child always has an aide here just as he does for school; I suspect the parent was the aide but wasn't familiar enough with the station objective or scout camp leadership to figure out how to modify. We've also had parents step in to modify for beginners ... it was  a shocker one year for several parents to realize that yes indeed there are wolves who have never played kickball and they weren't going to be benched.  Some ways we could modify for RP is take the ball to the child and place in hands if he can't catch, then remove from hands if he can't hand it back.  Good sportsmanship is still something he can do in his own method of communication. That could be a smile, a look, a thumbs up and of course any opponents would shake his hand (modify if necessary to a thumbs up in passing with a s mile) at the end of a game as the teams line up near him.

 

I love the idea for playing catch.  I was thinking for the balancing activity, my son could (with permission), raise the boy's hands to his side in airplane fashion, and then move them up or down like one would do when balancing, and ask the boy if he could feel the shift in balance.

[Serenade]

56 minutes ago, sassenach said:

Most people don’t know this, but 80% of people with Cerebral Palsy (a common dx for those in wheelchairs, but definitely not the only possibility) have NO cognitive impairment. I think your son did the best he could given the circumstances but I would encourage him in the future to assume that he can speak normally to any child who appears to be severely disabled. Being physically excluded may be inevitable but we can always interact socially with disabled kids (and usually that’s the part they really crave). 

Kudos to him for wanting to do better next time! 

 

I will tell him this.  I agree that speaking with a child is something he can always do, even if he doesn't think the child can understand.  He can always explain what the activity is all about.  That is one simple thing he can do, even if there are no involved adults.   I think with cubs there always has to be an adult around, but that doesn't mean they are all actively involved.

[Serenade]

56 minutes ago, Ali in OR said:

I would definitely recommend talking to the parents. When my nonverbal wheelchair kid has been involved in activities, I don't expect her to have the same experience as other kids, but I expect her to have fun being around activity. She likes movement--would love to be pushed around in her chair. Getting out of her chair is good for her and she has a blanket in her backpack that can be put on the ground. When she was a little kid, transfers were pretty easy and a teenager could have done that safely (now it requires a minute or two of parental training). She loves music--if there is a way to incorporate music into any activity, she is happy. She can't speak but understands some things and people should definitely talk to her, pat her on the arm or leg (she's mostly blind), etc. She likes being around people.

 

Thanks for sharing.

[sassenach]

29 minutes ago, Lanny said:

My comment should have been that I believe the parents of the boy in the wheelchair should have discussed his issues with the people running the camp and what he could or could not do, etc., and that the people running the camp should have communicated that to the DS of the OP who was caught by surprise and had no clue.  Lack of preparation. Lack of communication.  Sad for the boy in the wheelchair.  Kudos for the DS of the OP.

 

You don't really know that that's what happened.  For all we know, they did communicate with the camp and the leaders dropped the ball. For those of us that are parents of disabled kids, there are a million things going on. Our kids crave independence- how much or how little do we step in? Are we always the mom-buffer or do we give our kids the opportunity to venture out into the big scary world and navigate things on their own (while we LITERALLY follow them arounds and hide in the shadows to be available if they need us). We think we communicate with all the right people, but then those people don't do their job. So then we are left to either let others figure out their job or to go around doing everyone else's job for them. 

And then of course, the inevitible judgement- Mom is too involved, she's stifling the kid. Mom is too absent, she's neglecting the kid. What are those parents thinking?!

So, yeah, maybe we can assume that the parents are doing the best that they can. 

[Serenade]

51 minutes ago, Rachel said:

One of my best friends had a severely disabled son in a wheelchair.  I know this is  different than what your son was dealing with but I thought I’d explain a couple scenarios so you can see how it works with our friend and my children. 

 We go bowling with him a few times a year. My kids set the ramp up, get it angled right, set the ball on the ramp, and then help their friend get the ball started rolling. Friend gets all the credit for however many pins on knocked over.

Friend loves fishing, all the hooks on his lures have been removed. My kids help him select the lure, attach it to his line, he “throws” out the line, and then reels it in. My kids will hold his pole still for him and since he can’t move his hand in a circle, they help him finish the circle with the reeling.

When we went apple picking, he would point to the apples and my kids would pick them for him and put the apples in his bucket.

It’s very similar to working with a toddler but in a man sized body.  He can communicate but it’s very simple and quite  difficult to comprehend him, but we always talk to him the same as any other child. 

 

These are all very good ideas and show how one can take almost any activity and make it inclusive.  I'm sure with a bit of thought most activities can somehow be adapted.  I really appreciate the feedback on this thread.

[vonfirmath]

1 hour ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

 

 

It's hard to read intent online, but it feels to me like you are interpreting Lanny to be saying, "What were they thinking, disabled boys can't do scouts!" and I really don't think that's what he meant, based on many comments I've read by Lanny these last couple years.  I think he meant, "What were they thinking?  Was observation-as-participation the best/only option for the boy, were there arrangements that could have been made ahead of time to facilitate inclusion, could one of the parents have served as aide/facilitator or helped give ideas to the leaders? Were the parents there to observe a meeting or two, and then be able to make a plan for inclusion?"   That is, he was asking an honest question, not a rhetorical one.  

I hope I have simply misinterpreted your intent, but Lanny is such a seemingly nice guy, I wanted to speak up.  

 

Not "Diabled boys can't do scouts" but "Why did the parents bring him?" or "Why aren't the parents stepping in?"

And I'm coming from the place of a parent of a child with an invisible disability that can be dismissed as immaturity who is missing out on camp this week because the leader of the camp was unwilling to work with us to find a way to make her comfortable taking him along (We started trying back in February).

 

[Serenade]

36 minutes ago, Lanny said:

My comment should have been that I believe the parents of the boy in the wheelchair should have discussed his issues with the people running the camp and what he could or could not do, etc., and that the people running the camp should have communicated that to the DS of the OP who was caught by surprise and had no clue.  Lack of preparation. Lack of communication.  Sad for the boy in the wheelchair.  Kudos for the DS of the OP.

 

My husband, who is also involved in scouts, said that often the scout leaders and/or parents don't let the camp know individual situations ahead of time.  They just show up, which makes it difficult for the camp to be prepared.  Surely, however, situations like this have happened in the past, and I would think that all boys would at least have minimum instruction in what to do.  For example, 1) Talk to parents or aide if available.  2) It's OK to speak directly to the scout.  3) Maybe ask other boys for ideas on how to include their friend, etc, etc.

[Serenade]

5 minutes ago, vonfirmath said:

 

Not "Diabled boys can't do scouts" but "Why did the parents bring him?" or "Why aren't the parents stepping in?"

And I'm coming from the place of a parent of a child with an invisible disability that can be dismissed as immaturity who is missing out on camp this week because the leader of the camp was unwilling to work with us to find a way to make her comfortable taking him along (We started trying back in February).

 

 

I am sorry for you and your child.  I hope you have better luck with that in the future.  I wonder if contacting the camp directly would help, as opposed to the leader of your individual unit.  Maybe if the camp offered suggestions, the leader would be more willing. 

[Serenade]

Thank you all for your help with this.  I really appreciate it.  There are some fantastic ideas here, and I will pass them on to my son.

[Lanny]

3 minutes ago, Serenade said:

 

My husband, who is also involved in scouts, said that often the scout leaders and/or parents don't let the camp know individual situations ahead of time.  They just show up, which makes it difficult for the camp to be prepared.  Surely, however, situations like this have happened in the past, and I would think that all boys would at least have minimum instruction in what to do.  For example, 1) Talk to parents or aide if available.  2) It's OK to speak directly to the scout.  3) Maybe ask other boys for ideas on how to include their friend, etc, etc.

 

Sad that your DH says that is common.  That's a lack of communications. I believe that assuming the camp knew about the issues this boy had, and that they accepted him into the camp, there should have been a lot of communication, between the camp leaders and the parents and the camp staff. Had that taken place, the boy could have had a happier experience in the camp.

[Lanny]

I have in my memory a girl we saw in Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando who was in far worse shape than the boy being discussed here.  I was sad for her, that she could only visually observe the different rides in that park, while being pushed around and on a Ventilator or something that made me understand her health was precarious. Better for her to have been at home in the house? Probably not...

[Loowit]

I am hoping this will not come across as rude or uncaring.  Scout camps make accommodations as much as they can, but there is only so much the camp is prepared to handle.  I get that parents are tired and want a break, but that is not what scout camp is set up for.  There are camps for that, though I am not sure how wide spread they are.  Our church runs a camp each year for families with special needs children to attend.  The parents and siblings get a break and the special needs child gets a one-on-one person assigned to them to make sure they have a great experience.

I was a day camp director for several years.  We requested special needs forms to be turned in at least a month ahead so that we could prepare for children with special needs.  I never got one, and yet we got a lot of children with needs that we weren't prepared last minute to handle.  We also required that the unit have someone with children who needed extra help to be their helper.  This can be a parent or any other adult from their unit that can be their one-on-one helper and advocate.  My camp was completely volunteer and we had a hard time staffing as was, and had no extra staff to be a one-on-one aid to special needs children.  When I ran training we did cover special needs and how to work with them in general, but it always involves interaction with the scout unit to coordinate and to have someone on hand to assist any child who will need extra attention.  Most of my staff and the staff I have seen at other scout camps do every thing they can to be inclusive, but they can only do so much.

I think it is great the that OP's son is asking for what to do to help.  I think directing the questions to the camp or program director of the camp would be the first step I would take.  They may be able to give him more direction on this child and any other they he may have at his station.

[pitterpatter]

Does your son need an Eagle Scout project? I think he just found one. 😉

As a former Girl Scout leader, I could say a lot on this subject, but I don't have time right now. I know that's not particularly helpful, but I did want to drop a line about this need possibly being a wonderful Eagle Scout opportunity. I am going to see what DD thinks about it for her Silver and/or Gold Awards. There are so many different ways to go with it. And, not just for scout camps either...at the troop level, in regard to badge-earning opportunities, etc. Surely, scout camps could recruit some college kids majoring in the various special needs fields to be camp counselors (most of our Girl Scout camp counselors are college kids, by the way...something to consider when people think the counselors might not be trying hard enough to accommodate) who fill in to assist scouts with various disabilities, as needed. It would be wonderful practical experience. Of course, budgets are tight, and more and more camps close down every year.

Edited June 14, 2019 by pitterpatter

[City Mouse]

I say that you DS did a great job. Just wanting to include the child is all I would expect from a teenager at a scout camp. The parents should have been more active in making accommodations for the child, or at least suggesting was to include him in the activities. 

The specific details of the child’s medical condition do not have to be made public for the parents to offer suggestions to the camp staff.

[sassenach]

1 hour ago, Lanny said:

I have in my memory a girl we saw in Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando who was in far worse shape than the boy being discussed here.  I was sad for her, that she could only visually observe the different rides in that park, while being pushed around and on a Ventilator or something that made me understand her health was precarious. Better for her to have been at home in the house? Probably not...

I would trust that her caregivers knew that she would enjoy it. 

We’ve been judged for leaving ds home when we go to Disney rather than taking him even though we know he’d much rather be pampered by his grandmother for a day than be hauled around Disneyland. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. 

[sassenach]

14 minutes ago, pitterpatter said:

Does your son need an Eagle Scout project? I think he just found one. 😉

As a former Girl Scout leader, I could say a lot on this subject, but I don't have time right now. I know that's not particularly helpful, but I did want to drop a line about this need possibly being a wonderful Eagle Scout opportunity. I am going to see what DD thinks about it for her Silver and/or Gold Awards. There are so many different ways to go with it. And, not just for scout camps either...at the troop level, in regard to badge-earning opportunities, etc. Surely, scout camps could recruit some college kids majoring in the various special needs fields to be camp counselors (most of our Girl Scout camp counselors are college kids, by the way...something to consider when you think the counselors might not be trying hard enough to accommodate) who fill in to assist scouts with various disabilities, as needed. It would be wonderful practical experience. Of course, budgets are tight, and more and more camps close down every year.

Genius!

[sassenach]

1 hour ago, Loowit said:

I am hoping this will not come across as rude or uncaring.  Scout camps make accommodations as much as they can, but there is only so much the camp is prepared to handle.  I get that parents are tired and want a break, but that is not what scout camp is set up for.  There are camps for that, though I am not sure how wide spread they are.  Our church runs a camp each year for families with special needs children to attend.  The parents and siblings get a break and the special needs child gets a one-on-one person assigned to them to make sure they have a great experience.

I was a day camp director for several years.  We requested special needs forms to be turned in at least a month ahead so that we could prepare for children with special needs.  I never got one, and yet we got a lot of children with needs that we weren't prepared last minute to handle.  We also required that the unit have someone with children who needed extra help to be their helper.  This can be a parent or any other adult from their unit that can be their one-on-one helper and advocate.  My camp was completely volunteer and we had a hard time staffing as was, and had no extra staff to be a one-on-one aid to special needs children.  When I ran training we did cover special needs and how to work with them in general, but it always involves interaction with the scout unit to coordinate and to have someone on hand to assist any child who will need extra attention.  Most of my staff and the staff I have seen at other scout camps do every thing they can to be inclusive, but they can only do so much.

I think it is great the that OP's son is asking for what to do to help.  I think directing the questions to the camp or program director of the camp would be the first step I would take.  They may be able to give him more direction on this child and any other they he may have at his station.

I certainly understand what you’re saying, but the parents were there. They weren’t asking for specialized care, they were asking for inclusion. 

[Loowit]

2 hours ago, pitterpatter said:

Does your son need an Eagle Scout project? I think he just found one. 😉

As a former Girl Scout leader, I could say a lot on this subject, but I don't have time right now. I know that's not particularly helpful, but I did want to drop a line about this need possibly being a wonderful Eagle Scout opportunity. I am going to see what DD thinks about it for her Silver and/or Gold Awards. There are so many different ways to go with it. And, not just for scout camps either...at the troop level, in regard to badge-earning opportunities, etc. Surely, scout camps could recruit some college kids majoring in the various special needs fields to be camp counselors (most of our Girl Scout camp counselors are college kids, by the way...something to consider when people think the counselors might not be trying hard enough to accommodate) who fill in to assist scouts with various disabilities, as needed. It would be wonderful practical experience. Of course, budgets are tight, and more and more camps close down every year.

While I think this is an excellent idea, it couldn't be an eagle project.  Eagle projects can't benefit the BSA.  I do think it would be a great thing for something like the OA or a local troop to take on if they have the ability and resources to do it.

[pitterpatter]

I was afraid of that. Gold Awards aren't suppose to benefit Girl Scouts either. Maybe he can do it for Girl Scouts and my DD for Boy Scouts then. Hah! I bet there are plenty of other ways to benefit the disabled and/or their care givers within the community at large, though.

11 minutes ago, Loowit said:

While I think this is an excellent idea, it couldn't be an eagle project.  Eagle projects can't benefit the BSA.  I do think it would be a great thing for something like the OA or a local troop to take on if they have the ability and resources to do it.

 

[Serenade]

My son says thanks!  I typed the suggestions up and put them in an e-mail, and he was happy to receive them. 

[KungFuPanda]

It's entirely possible that the kid and parents were happy to just observe the activity.  I wouldn't automatically assume the situation was sad or lacking.  Without knowing the kid's physical and mental limitations you can't really declare the situation "bad." If he was rotating through multiple stations all day he might have needed a station where they weren't jumping through hoops to give him a workout. 

[Angie in VA]

Oh, there m;ust be protocol for this. I know b/c I wen to the Eagle Scout ceremony for two brothers, one of which is non-verbal and in a wheel chair. He has a sound board (probably not the right term) that talked for him. He was able to type and his speech had us all in tears. His brother finished his ES req's much earlier, but waited for his brother. 

Sniff, sniff. I hope the BSA helps your son help this camper!