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) 506-6183Â
Msave123@comcast.net
Inclusion Toolbox
Able Scout provides this collection of resources to help educate leaders, Scouts and parents on various special needs.
Webinars
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:
Program Resources | Special Needs Champions support |Awards | Upcoming conferences | 2023 National Jamboree | Inclusion Toolbox
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.
Other Resources
Abilities Digest – Latest Issue
Able Scout’s latest newsletter on Scouting with Disabilities
