MarilynM

Actually, I believe it is a rare boy/teen that isn't thrilled to have his parents involved in his activites. That is, a parent who will be involved and yet not shadow their boy/teen. Donating one's time for your child shows love and devotion.

Yes, Vicki, it does surprise me, but I guess it shouldn't. I know several parents who didn't talk with the SM/ASM about problems until it was time to leave on a trip. That knowledge would have made a huge difference in the meetings, also. I'm just surprised that the info isn't on their medical forms. To me, those parents are really hurting their child. We can all imagine the consequences of this in regards to the troop, too. :-(

Wow, I am shocked that parents of a special kid would want to hide anything. My son, 13.5, does have developmental delays, speech difficulties, and his problems are visual with his mild CP. I would never leave him with anyone that didn't know him inside-out. Which is why he is always with dh or myself...period. The exceptions are his physical, occupational, and speech therapies, however, the therapist are experienced in this area. We aren't saddling our 16 yr old with this responsibility, either. He spends time with his brother, but not because he's our sitter. I have been to five summer camps as an adult leader since it was difficult to locate a second adult. My special guy went with me and his dr mentioned his difficulties on the medical form. I mention this because I understand the scout camp environment. I would have been very upset that I was uninformed and didn't have all info on each scout. That's quite a responsibility for a week and nothing should be hidden. If I were in your shoes, only knowing what is written here, I would talk to the SM and inform him of the info. You have done your part to see that everyone has a sucessful week. The ball is in the court of the SM and he should discuss this with the parents.

I am just so thankful! I hope that all scouts, including Brennan, will now realize the value of the buddy-system.

Thanks for trying, Anne! I appreciate the time you spent. Thanks for the links, OGE! I'm heading to check them out now.

Thank you so much! I would be so grateful!

My Scout Badge Program is a now obsolete program that was written for working with moderately retarded scouts. Our council exec gave me the patches that he found in the office, along with a handout of the program: http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeBNXDhk5ZtX9g It's dated 1986 printing. Was No. 3051 and sold for 50 cents. I am looking for the "My Scout Badge Record Book". I'm hoping that it lists some requirements for the patches. Yes, it would save me some time. ;-) The council exec has made several calls to no avail. If anyone locates a copy, I'd love to purchase it. Thanks!

Ora, I will keep your shirt in mind if I hear of a need. Great idea, too! My son (13.5) is in the Autism Spectrum having Pervasive Developmental Delay-Not Otherwise Specified (PPD-NOS). This is all secondary to his birth defect, Omphalocele, in which his organs were on the outside of his body. Following multiple surgeries and hospital stays, his medical problems were resolved by age five. Although my son was accepted by my older son's troop, my dh and I decided to start a special needs troop. It is for boys who cannot cognitively make it in a regular troop. Our troop doesn't seek to isolate them, but to allow them to learn at their level. These boys are working on their Tenderfoot rank and recently enjoyed their first campout together. They've carried out two flag ceremonies for our small town and did great! We are incorporating a now absolete boy scout program that was written for the mentally retarded. They will earn 10 patches that are sewn on their shirt around their Scout or Tenderfoot badge. We're excited!

Wonderful posts! Never assume that a child's action is a discipline problem. Autism or autisic tendencies can give that impression. My son is not high functioning and therefore needs an "aide" constantly. During Cub Scouts, my dh or I were with him during the meetings. Cub scouts provided so many daily skill activities. That book was opened several times a day! Since a regular troop would not be a good fit for my son, we started a special needs troop. This isn't to isolate these boys, but is to give them the opportunity to learn on their own level. We are going on one year and it's great! These boys who cannot consistantly tie their own shoes are tying knots. Just amazing!