Scouts with Disabilities:
Who, How and When
Heart of America Council
Scouting with Disabilities Committee
A Program of Opportunities
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Our Goal:
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“The basic premise of Scouting for youth with
disabilities is that every boy wants to participate
fully and be treated and respected like every other
member of the troop.”
A Guide to Working with Boy Scouts with Disabilities
BSA Inclusion…
BSA policy is to treat members with disabilities as
much like the other members as possible. Scouts with
disabilities should participate in the same program as
do their peers.
Make some accommodations in advancement
requirements if absolutely necessary.
Qualified members to be
considered for special needs
registration?
•
Youth and adults who are
developmentally disabled, or youth
with severe physical challenges.
•
Other considerations are made for
those with SEVERE impairments.
What is a disability?
“A disability must be permanent
and so severe that it precludes
advancement even at a rate
significantly slower than the
considered normal.”
What is a disability?
“A Scout with a permanent
physical or mental disability or
disability expected to last more
than two years or beyond the
18th birthday for Eagle or Varsity
Scout, or 21st for Venturer or Sea
Scout.”
But…
“If ranks can be achieved under
accommodations already provided
in official literature, or with
modifications as outlined…the
disability probably does not rise to
the level required.”
But not…
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Youth with moderate learning
disabilities
ADD/ADHD
Other disorders
Why not?
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Ranks can be earned, just
takes a somewhat longer
Does not meet criteria
Lessons can be taught
creatively
Examples of conditions, if
severe:
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Autism spectrum disorders
Blind/sight-impaired
Deaf/Hard of hearing
Developmental cognitive delay
Developmental delay
Examples of conditions, if
severe (continued):
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Down Syndrome
Emotional or behavioral disorder
Physically impaired
Severely multiple impaired
Traumatic Brain Injury
Registration of a youth
beyond the age of eligibility
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Over age 11 for Cub Scout
Over age 18 for Boy Scout or
Varsity Scout
Over age 21 for Venturer or Sea
Scout
Members approved are registered
with a disability code.
How to register a youth
beyond the age of
Eligibility:
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A letter from the parent or guardian.
A completed youth membership
application.
A completed BSA Health and
Medical Record form. attesting to the
nature of the disability, its severity,
and permanent limitations connected
with it.
How to register a
youth beyond the age
of Eligibility:
•
A signed statement from a
qualified health professional.
•
A letter from the unit leader
advocating for the registration.
Signed medical
statement:
• For physical disabilities:
• Licensed physician
• For developmental or cognitive disabilities:
• Licensed psychologist or psychiatrist
• Neurologist
• Other medical professionals related to
the disability
Registration
continued:
•
Other supporting documentation, such as an
Individualized Education plan, Educational
Diagnostic Summary, treatment plans are
only supporting and not required
documents. Decisions for eligibility cannot
be made solely on these documents without
a medical statement.
Registration
Procedures:
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Have all the documents prepared.
Submit to the Council Executive Board.
The board may delegate the action to
CAC, or other Council operating
committee, like Scouts with Disabilities.
The decision cannot be made by one
individual or one district.
Registration
Procedures
•
If granted, the Scout Executive prepares an
approval letter and send it to the Scout’s
parents or guardian and unit leader or
committee chairman.
•
A copy will remain on file with the registrar as
long as the Scout remains registered.
•
Keep a copy on file at the troop level for each
charter.
Registered as Special
Needs Means
•
May continue to work on your advancement,
including Eagle rank beyond the age of 18,
Venturers and Sea Scouts beyond the age of
21.
•
May earn Eagle palms, Varsity Scout Letter,
Awards and Ranks.
•
Will remain registered as a youth for his
scouting career.
How to remove the
Disability Code
•
The local council or National Council may
receive evidence that the Scout no longer
meets the criterion for the required level of
severity.
•
If evidence has been uncovered that the
youth was improperly registered.
•
If the disability code assigned has expired
because the Scout has progressed
sufficiently to be registered as an adult.
What is the next step for
the qualifying Scout?
A clear and open understanding between the troop
leadership and the parents or guardians is
necessary.
The leaders should know the Scout’s strengths,
weaknesses, medications, personal care needs and
emergency procedures.
The leadership needs to be honest about the
support and resources they may need for this youth
to be successful.
What is the next step for the
qualifying Scout?
Sit down with the Scoutmaster, Troop
Committee Chairman and parents and
make an advancement plan.
The member is expected to meet the
requirements- no more and no less – and
do exactly what is stated.
“Show or demonstrate” is exactly what they
must do; list, in the field, collect, identify,
label all must be done as stated.
What is the next step for
the qualifying Scout?
A scout should do his best.
He should complete all requirements to the
best of his abilities and resources without
modifications.
Decide if he will require alternative
requirements for the lower ranks as well as
the Eagle-required merit badges.
Applying for alternate
requirements for Tenderfoot
to 1st Class:
The unit leader or troop committee
chairman submits to the Council
Advancement Committee a written request
for alternate requirements and suggestions
for those requirements.
Supporting letters must accompany the
request.
What are supporting letters?
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Unit leader.
Parents or guardian.
Scout, if possible.
Qualified health professional
related to the nature of the
disability:
 Physician, neurologist,
psychiatrist, psychologist or
educational administrator.
What must be included in the
supporting letters?
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Describe the disability.
Cover the scout’s capabilities, limitations
and prognosis.
List what requirements cannot be
completed as written. See handout.
Submit school records such as an IEP,
Diagnostic Summary, treatment plans as
supporting evidence.
What next?
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The Advancement Committee looks
at the supporting letters and tries to
make a fair determination.
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The decision is then recorded and
delivered to the Scout and unit
leader.
Before the first meeting

Before a Scout with a disability joins the troop,
the Scoutmaster should meet with his adult
and youth leaders about expectations from the
troop and members.

Have permission from the parents to discuss
the Scout’s disability and that you are
educating the troop. Invite them to teach.

Stress the scout is like everyone else and will
have a positive impact on the troop.
What is the
Advancement Plan?
The standard is: “Has he done his best?”
It is flexible so that he can do the skills as
written. It may take longer, but he can do it.
Be sure to include the parents/guardians in the
process of substitutions since they know their
son best.
Do you have to register your
Scout as special needs?
A Scout at any level may qualify for limited
flexibility in advancement without being registered
as special needs.
You must teach to the standards, “Has he done his
best?” given extended time, read to or scribed for
as described in the IEP.
Equal alternatives may be put in place: push a
wheelchair in place of hiking, wall push ups, power
point presentations in place of speaking.
What is the
Advancement Plan?
Cub Scouts:

Permisssion may be given by the
Cubmaster and Pack Committee
to substitute electives for
achievement requirements that
are beyond his abilities.
What is the
Advancement Plan?
Cub Scouts:

Immediate recognition is important
both at den meetings and at the
pack level.

Recognize how much time,
patience and flexibility is required
for the scout to succeed.
What is the
Advancement Plan?
Boy Scouts/Varsity Scouts/Venture Scouts:

Before applying for alternatives,
the Scout must do the very best
he can to develop himself to the
limit of his abilities and resources.
Merit Badges/Awards
Boy Scouts/Varsity Scouts/Venture Scouts:

No one has the authority to add to or subtract
from the requirements of a merit badge or
award. A Scout is expected to meet the
requirement as stated- no more, no less.

There are no substitutions or alternatives
permitted except those which are specifically
stated in the requirements.
Merit Badges/Awards
Boy Scouts/Varsity Scouts/Venture Scouts:
If they cannot meet the requirement
of the merit badge due to their
disability, then they need to choose
an equivalent alternate.
If the alternate involves physical
activity, they must be approved my
a physician.
Applying for alternate
requirements for Eagle
Required Merit Badges
The unit leader or troop committee
chairman submits to the Council
Advancement Committee the Application for
Alternate Eagle Scout Rank Merit Badges.
Supporting letters must accompany the
request.
The process is the same as the lower ranks.
Applying for alternate
requirements for Eagle
Required Merit Badges
The Scout does not have to be registered
as special needs to complete the Alternate
Requirements application.
He must complete all requirements before
his 18th birthday, 21st if Venture or Sea
Scout, if he is not registered as a special
needs Scout.
Applying for Alternate
Requirements for Eagle Scout
Rank Required Merit Badges
When getting your council signatures on the
Eagle application and during the Eagle
Board of Review, attach the copy of the
approved Application for Alternate Eagle
Scout Rank Required Merit Badges with the
Eagle application.
Limited Time Extensions
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If a youth is unable to complete his Eagle
Scout requirements due to no fault or
choice of his own.
Examples are health-related incident
requiring hospitalization, family
emergency, natural disaster, injuries.
It is usually unforeseen, recent onset,
complication or intensification of an
ongoing issue.
Process for Time
Extensions
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Complete the Request for Extension of
Time to Earn Eagle Scout Rank form.
Submit to the Council Advancement
Committee Appeals Coordinator.
Include the number of months needed to
complete the requirements after the 18th
birthday, circumstances with evidence
that caused the delay.
Process for Time
Extensions
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The coordinator will gather evidence and
write a position statement to the National
Advancement Team and share it with the
Scout, parents and unit leader.
If the Scout wants to pursue the
extension, a packet is sent to the
National Advancement Team.
A decision is usually made in 2-4 weeks.
Handouts/Activities
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Scout to First Class ideas.
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Eagle-required merit badge ideas.
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ADD/ADHD ideas.
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Sensory issues.
Resources
Contact the Scouts with Disabilities
Committee.
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Train leaders and Scouts about disabilities.
Provide presentations on how to handle
Scouts with disabilities.
Brainstorm alternatives for lower ranks.
Be a part of your advancement team to
prepare a successful plan.
Review applications to verify qualifications
of the disability.
Resources
Karen Jones | Chairperson, SWD
kjones2030@gmail.com
H (816)587-3323 | C (816)223-8036
Gordon Corcoran | Senior District Executive
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
Heart of America Council
10210 Holmes Road
Kansas City, Missouri 64131
O 816.569.4941 | C 913.980.3204
Gordon.Corcoran@scouting.org