special needssupporting young people with special needs 36

36 |special n

eeds

Who is Special Needs for?This module (number 36) expands on the information on Special Needs inModule 7, Valuing Diversity. It provides the skills and knowledge necessaryfor those who support Special Needs, as well as for those who have aparticular interest in this area. This module could be undertaken as part ofongoing learning.

What does this module contain?The module contains 3 hours of learning that can be managed in a varietyof ways.

How is this module validated?The validation of this module is based on the individual’s ability to meet thevalidation criteria, as set out in the Training Adviser’s Guide and the Adult’sPersonal File. This means the adult will be required to demonstrate theirunderstanding of The Scout Association’s policy with regard to those withSpecial Needs. Adults will also need to demonstrate their commitment tothose with Special Needs, and the ability to identify the need for advice andsupport when it is required.

What information is provided?The module contains objectives relating to understanding and gainingknowledge of The Scout Association’s policy and good practice for thosewith Special Needs and the support resources available.

The objectives are given followed by methods of training. The content isgiven in outline with key areas expanded in more detail. Trainer’s notes arealso given to provide guidance on methods and other key points.

Series EditorChris James

EditorsRobert HalkyardClaire McAuliffe

ContributorsSue EdwardsJackie MartinDavid Mehaffey

Design andProduction The Workroom

36

Editor’s noteAlthough in some parts of the British Isles Scout Counties are known as Areas or Islands and inone case Bailiwick, for ease of reading this material simply refers to County or Counties.

Copyright © 2003The Scout AssociationNew EditionFirst printed 2003Printed by Belmont Press

Special Needs 1

Session detailsIt may be possible to break up the session, so that it can be completed overone or two evenings, however the module is designed as one 3-hoursession, and this is the preferred option. You may wish to precede thetraining with an introduction and/or integration session.

Planning considerationsThe module expands on the Special Needs content of Module 7, ValuingDiversity which is mandatory for all Warrented Appointments. Learners forModule 36 may have various roles and levels of experience, not only inScouting but also of Special Needs. Some will be adults dealing directlywith young people with Special Needs. Others will have a role in supportingthese adults.

Some pre-session work may need to be done, as the presenter should beboth competent in the area of Special Needs and up to date with relevantinformation on all aspects including support resources.

The session is designed to give adults a greater knowledge of the range ofSpecial Needs, information on procedures, relevant resources and goodpractice. It should also give an insight into how the introduction of a youngperson with Special Needs may impact on a Section or Group.

Special Needs2

Special Needs

AimTo provide an understanding and knowledge of The Scout Association’spolicy and practice relating to those with Special Needs.

ObjectivesThere are seven overall objectives for this module:

Explain The Scout Association’s policy with regard to Special Needs.

Build on prior experience and knowledge of Special Needs.

Explain how to identify those Members with Special Needs.

Describe the provision for the range of Special Needs.

Explain the key principles that need to be considered in relation

to Special Needs in Scouting, including the impact a Member

with Special Needs may have on a Section or Group.

Encourage the importance of valuing all Members to promote

total inclusion.

Identify the various resources available to support Scouting with

Special Needs.

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6

5

4

3

2

1

Trainer

Learner

Group

Report back

Visual aids

Trainer’s notes

Handout notes

Timing

Special Needs 3

Methods

A single training session

Ideally, this module should be delivered as one session. If this is notpossible, it could be delivered as smaller separate sessions although thisshould be seen as a secondary option.

One-to-one training

Alternatively, a Trainer, or someone with sufficient experience to coach a candidate through the various subject areas, may deliver this module on a one-to-one basis.

Resources

To carry out this training in its entirity, you will need the followingresources:

• OHP (overhead projector) and OHTs (overhead transparencies) (optional)• Flipchart• Flipchart paper and pens• Copies of relevant handouts• Copies of relevant worksheets• Thick rubber gloves (optional)• Small objects e.g. buttons, matchsticks, paper clips (optional)• Appropriate food for eating task (optional)• Deaf alphabet for finger spelling (included at the end of this module).

Worksheet

Special Needs4

Key objectives

1 Explain The Scout Association’s policy with regard to Special Needs.

2 Build on prior experience and knowledge of Special Needs.

3 Explain how to identify those Members with Special Needs.

4 Describe the provision for the range of Special Needs.

5 Explain the key principles that need to be considered in relation to Special Needs in Scouting, including the impact a Member with Special Needs may have on a Section or Group.

6 Encourage the importance of valuing all Members to promote total inclusion.

7 Identify the various resources available to support Scouting with Special Needs.

Resources

For this session, you will need the following resources:

• Handout A, Sample of Dyslexic Prose• Worksheet 1, Personal Quality Sheets• OHP and OHTs (optional)• Flipchart• Flipchart paper and pens• Handouts B to H (Case studies covering specific conditions)• Thick rubber gloves (optional)• Small objects e.g. buttons, matchsticks, paper clips (optional)• Appropriate food for eating task (optional)• Deaf alphabet for finger spelling (included at the end of this module).

Trainer's notesParticipants may have already covered some aspects of Special Needs inModule 7, Valuing Diversity. You will therefore need to clarify their priorexperience and learning with reference to Module 7.

Special Needs: session 1

Special Needs 5

Introduction

Explain that this module will help and encourage participants to expandtheir knowledge. At some time most Leaders will be approached by, or havea young person within their Section or Group, who has a Special Need.Point out that almost everyone has to endure an impairment at some timein their lives, whether this is of a permanent or temporary nature.

• A person is disabled is if an impairment results in them being restrictedin any aspect of daily life.

• A person is handicapped when an environment limits them from fullypartaking in everyday activities.

Personal Special Needs may relate to either of these conditions.

The Equal Opportunities Policy

Start by reminding the participants of The Scout Association’s EqualOpportunities Policy (OHT ):

a. The Scout Association is committed to extending Scouting, its Purposeand Method to young people in all parts of society.

b. No young person should receive less favourable treatment on the basisof, nor suffer disadvantage by reason of:

• class• ethnic origin, nationality (or statelessness) or race• gender• marital or sexual status• mental or physical ability• political or religious belief.

All Members of the Movement should seek to practise that equality,especially in promoting access to Scouting for young people in all parts ofsociety. The Scout Association opposes all forms of racism.

Refer briefly to the Purpose of Scouting. Highlight that the sole condition ofMembership is that the individual concerned understands and accepts TheScout Promise to the best of their ability, regardless of their disability.

1

Trainer input

Trainer input

Special Needs6

Explain that although the range of Special Needs is wide and not alwaysobvious, they can be divided into four clear groups:

Illustrate the groups on a flipchart:

Long term visible Long term invisible

Short term visible Short term invisible

Point out to participants that some Special Needs may cover or cross overbetween the groupings.

Give examples of Special Needs under each of the four headings: long termvisible, long term invisible, short term visible and short term invisible. SomeSpecial Needs may fall under more than one category. For example allergieswould fall under all four.

Trainer’s notesIt may be useful to write a number of Special Needs on cards and getparticipants to work out which heading they should go under. Possibleanswers are given below.

Long term visible Long term invisible

Spina Bifida Hearing impairment

(Wheelchair bound) Dyslexia

Blindness Allergies

Allergies

Eczema

Short term visible Short term invisible

Broken limb Hayfever

Being on crutches Bereavement

Allergies Allergies

Task

Special Needs 7

As a group, briefly discuss whether anyone has come across any of these orothers in their Section or Group. Allow them to share their experiences.

Trainer’s notesTraining staff should manage the conversation so that all participants areable to contribute. Ensure that the discussion covers all aspects of the topic.

Some Special Needs, even short term ones, can cause the individual severedifficulty or embarrassment. The Leader or supporter’s role is to ease thesesituations; to this end, it helps to have an idea of how someone feels.

Trainer’s notesParticipants should now take part in a few quick exercises. The differentoptions can either be run collectively with groups moving around eachbase, or by allocating one option to each group. The method used willdepend on time, number of participants and the resources available.

Introduce the task. Explain that it is designed to highlight the different waysin which those with Special Needs may experience everyday challenges.Tasks that the majority of people complete without a second thought maynot be as straightforward for those with Special Needs.

Option 1

Read the short passage on Handout A. It is written in a way that simulateswhat a person with Dyslexia might see.

Example of Dyslexia prose

Az thay worceb truh the bank, bahk forst, the orls zooped anb bivebdeetwem the tez, hotig erly.

Gemerably thay bib not se eni ovr amals but sometes thay cub haa thezutig ov sml crtrez.

This passage was written by a 12-year old with Dyslexia.

Task

Trainer input

Trainer input

Trainer input

Trainer's notesAsk the following questions based on the passage:

• What could they hear?• Where were they?• What were they doing?

Participants may find it difficult to answer these questions because of theway in which the passage has been written.

Now provide participants with the translation:

As they walked through the dank, dark forest, the owls swooped and divedbetween the trees, hooting eerily.

Generally they did not see any other animals but sometimes they couldhear the scuttling of small creatures.

Option 2

Try and pick up some very small objects whilst wearing thick rubber gloves.

Option 3

Work in pairs. The first person is required to feed the second person, beforeswitching roles.

Option 4

Whilst blindfolded, complete a set task such as writing your name andaddress or identifying everyday sounds.

Option 5

Use the deaf alphabet (provided at the end of this module) to learn theletters and then finger spell your name.

Briefly discuss how it felt trying to complete these tasks. Did they makeindividuals more aware of the type of difficulties someone with SpecialNeeds might face?

Report back

Trainer input

Special Needs8

Special Needs 9

Trainer’s notesExplain that the tasks highlight the following:

Option 1

Communication difficulties with reading and writing experienced by thosewith Dyslexia. This may relate to activity instructions, safety requirements orform filling for example.

Option 2 and 3

Difficulties with manual dexterity can impact on simple life skills such aspicking up objects, eating, drinking and using equipment.

Option 4

Blindness can negatively affect spatial awareness although can also increaselistening skills.

Option 5

Communication can be achieved by means other than speaking.

Point out that there are some key principles that we all need to considerregarding the integration of young people, particularly those with SpecialNeeds into Scouting. These will be looked at in the next task.

Introduce the task.

Trainer’s notesParticipants may already have some knowledge and experience in this area.The next task will use this information and build on it.

In small groups, discuss the following points and 'mind-map' yoursuggestions:

1 What has Scouting got to offer young people with Special Needs?

2 What might hinder the integration of a young person with Special Needsinto Sections and Groups?

3 Who is responsible in the District for the provision of access to Scoutingfor a young person with Special Needs?

Task

Trainer input

Special Needs10

4 What might be considered examples of good practice regarding theintegration of a young person with Special Needs into Scouting?

5 What could be done to help young people value and work towards agreater integration with peers with Special Needs?

6 What resources and support might be available to assist and support theintegration of a young person with Special Needs into Scouting?

All the questions need to be answered in the feedback from groups. Eachgroup could give their suggestions on one question with other ideas beingadded by other groups. This would save on time and repetition.

Trainer’s notesEnsure the following points are noted for each of the questions.

1 Scouting promotes the integration of young people with Special Needs by:

• recognising those with Special Needs• accepting them• providing for them through mainstream Scouting and Special Groups• physically integrating them• valuing them.

2 An individual’s integration may be hindered through:

• lack of knowledge• fear• misunderstanding• lack of experience• insufficient supervision • unsuitable or inadequate facilities• the perceived negative impact upon other Members and activities.

3 The District Commissioner is responsible for the provision of access toScouting for a person with Special Needs. It may not be possible,appropriate or in the best interests of the young person to join aparticular Scout Group but if this decision is taken it must be referred tothe District Commissioner.

4 The following are examples of good practice:

• Recognising that a young person with Special Needs joins a Group orUnit not just a Section.

• Discussion is held with the parents before the young person is acceptedor joins the Scout Group.

Report back

Special Needs 11

• Discussion is held with all Group Leaders, ideally at a Section Leadermeeting.

• Full details and information is obtained from parents on the disorder ordisability and medication required.

• Agree and specify with parents who can dispense medication, providetreatment or medical care.

• Be aware that Scout Insurance Policy does cover Leaders who have toadminister controlled drugs.

• Where controlled drugs need to be administered e.g. by epipenfollowing anaphylactic shock, information and training for those involvedshould be sought from parents or local medical personnel.

• Keep in balance the needs of all Members, not just those with SpecialNeeds.

• Provide ‘experiential’ activities for all Members to develop a greaterempathy and understanding of Special Needs.

• Preserve a young person’s dignity in all situations but especially whenproviding personal medical care.

• Ensure there is adequate safety, supervision, access and facilities.• Where necessary, gain knowledge and information on areas of Special

Needs appropriate to young people who you are supporting or are inyour care.

• Use the support and resources available.• Maintain flexibility and use of common sense.

5 Resources include:

• ADC or Adviser (Special Needs) or District Commissioner• ACC or Adviser (Special Needs)• The Scout Information Centre (0845 300 1818) • Factsheets and other Scout Association publications • The website www.scoutbase.org.uk• Specialised websites for specific disorders or disabilities• Specialised resources for specific disorders or disabilities.

Explain that participants are now going to have an opportunity to considersome Special Needs scenarios. They will help to focus participants' minds onthe impact on a Section or Group that might occur both for the Leader andthe other Members. Stress that these are only examples and that thesituations will vary according to:

• the disorder or disability• the individual young person• the background or home situation

Trainer input

Special Needs12

• the experience of the Leaders and Scout Group in integrating the youngperson with a Special Need.

Trainer’s notesYou may wish to choose the case studies you feel are the most appropriatefor the participants. Alternatively, they can be allocated at random.Distribute Handouts B-H.

Each group should work on a different case study to consider and discuss.

Working to the following format, consider the following points:

For the first 10 minutes

• On first meeting this new Member, what should you have done to findout more about them?

• What specific information should have been sought?• What advice do you feel you would give to a fellow Leader about

accepting a new Member with Special Needs?

Move on for the next 10 minutes

• As the difficulties began to arise, what actions should you have taken?• What support should have been sought?• Where could you have gained advice and support?• What steps should have been taken to review this Member’s progress

and involvement with your Section?

For the final 10 minutes

• When the more serious event occurred, what should have been yourimmediate reaction/actions?

• What further actions would have been required on the day?• How would this experience influence your attitude to this particular

young person?• How would this influence you in regard to the inclusion of others with

Special Needs into your Section?• How would this experience influence your programme planning?

Each group gives a brief report back on their discussion and decisions.

Report back

Task

Special Needs 13

Trainer’s notesIf these points are not raised in the report back, they should be explicitlyhighlighted. It is vital that participants appreciate:

• the importance of identifying those Members with Special Needs• how easy it can be to accept a new Member with Special Needs without

being fully aware of the implications• the need for adapting the Programme, activity methods or instructions

for those with Special Needs• the need for providing, if necessary or appropriate, a sufficient level of

support to an individual with Special Needs, including possible one-to-one attention, on occasion

• the need for parents or carers to be aware of the Leaders’ responsibilityfor any young person and therefore the need for full information on adisability or disorder including behavioural implications

• the need for Leaders and Sections to maintain the good practice ofsharing information on many aspects of Scouting, especially with regardto Members with Special Needs.

Introduce this activity, explaining that to value others, one must first valueoneself. Vital to this process is your perception of how others see you. Firstimpressions play a significant role.

Using Worksheet 1, Personal Qualities, write your name in the spaceprovided on the worksheet. Attach the worksheet to your back.

Based on the opinions that you have formed on the other participants,write a positive remark about the bearer in all of the four sections of theworksheet. Try and complete them all, or as many as possible. Try to bepositive about others, even those who you may have found less easy to geton with.

Task

Trainer input

Special Needs14

Four personal qualities of: (name)

You appear to be As a Leader you

Having met you, I now feel Your contribution to this trainingsession has been

Once this task has been completed, take off your worksheet and read the comments.

Working in buzz groups, briefly share the immediate reactions to thecomments made. Do the comments surprise you? Are they what youexpected? How do they make you feel? Does it make you appreciate theneed we all have to receive and pass positive comments on to others,especially for personal attributes as well as task achievements?

Conclude this module by reminding the participants that it is theirresponsibility to ensure that young people with Special Needs have thesame opportunities to enjoy the challenge, excitement, fun and fellowshipof Scouting as everyone else. Above all, emphasise that everyone must betreated fairly and equally.

It is also important to recognise that adults may also have Special Needsthat need consideration. This should never be to the detriment of theyoung people however.

You may wish to inform participants of the Special Needs Specialist Trainingmodule that is also available. It is primarily designed for Leaders of SpecialGroups but is open to any Leader who wishes to receive specificinformation and further training. If participants are interested, they shouldtalk to their ACC (Special Needs) or their Special Needs Adviser.

Trainer's notesFor more information on the Special Needs Specialist Training module,contact the Special Needs Team at Gilwell Park.

Summary

Mo

du

le 36 Sp

ecial Need

s

© Th

eSco

ut

Asso

ciation

1

Equ

al Op

po

rtun

ities Policy

a. The Scout Association is com

mitted to extending Scouting, its Purpose and

Method to all young people in all parts of society.

b. No young person should receive less favourable treatm

ent on the basis of, nor suffer disadvantage by reason of:

•class

•ethnic origin, nationality (or statelessness) or race

•gender

•m

arital or sexual status•

mental or physical ability

•political or religious belief.

All M

embers of the M

ovement should seek to practise that equality, especially

inprom

oting access to Scouting for young people in all parts of society. The ScoutA

ssociation opposes all forms of racism

.

Special Needs

Az thay worceb truh the bank, bahk forst, the orls zooped anb bivebdeetwem the tez, hotig erly.

Gemerably thay bib not se eni ovr amals but sometes thay cub haa thezutig ov sml crtrez.

This passage was written by a 12 year old with Dyslexia.

HO A Example of Dyslexia prose

Special Needs

What is Dyspraxia?

Dyspraxia is a developmental disorder of the organisation and planning ofphysical movement. There is often great variation between one child andanother suffering from the same disorder. The essential feature is theimpairment of multi-function that significantly interferes with academicachievement and the completion of everyday tasks. It may be manifested insuch problems as difficulty in self-help skills, knocking over or droppingthings, poor performance in sport and bad handwriting.

Jake

Jake is a member of your Section. His cousin, who brought him along tothe second session in September, introduced him as follows:

“Hello, this is Jake. He did not enjoy Beavers and left but would like to joinus because several of his friends are here. Oh, he is a bit clumsy sometimesbut is very keen.”

It is now late October. You have begun to notice that Jake does not alwaysseem to understand the rules of some games. He joins in well with the onesyou play regularly but new games need to be played several times beforehe can grasp them. He struggles with activities such as knot tying and wasabsent recently when you went on a hike. He also complained of stomachache and sore feet when playing games.

You spoke to Jake’s mother at the end of a Section meeting. She explainedthat Jake has been diagnosed as having Dyspraxia, which means he tendsto be clumsy and tires easily.

Whilst on a weekend camp during the February half term, you organised anevening wide game. It had quite complex rules, which you explain carefullyto the young people. Your concluding remark was, “Three long blasts onthe whistle indicate that the game is over. When you hear a single blast onthe whistle stay where you are. This indicates that the base has moved.”

After 30 minutes the game was over. You blew the whistle three times. Ahead-count of the returning Members revealed that Jake was missing. Ittook a further 20 minutes for you to find him and encourage him to comeout of his comfortable hiding place. Jake said that he had heard the threewhistle blasts but didn’t know that this meant that the game was over. Hethought it was a signal to stay where he was.

HO B Case study one: Dyspraxia

Special Needs

What is Spina Bifida?

There are various types of Spina Bifida. It can range from a condition that isvery mild and symptomless to one where there may be continenceproblems and difficulties with mobility. The most severe type brings adegree of paralysis and loss of sensation occurring below the site of thedefect. In the latter case, the extent of the disability is dependent on theextent of nerve damage.

Christopher

Christopher is a member of your Section. He is also a young person who iswheelchair bound. During the second meeting in September, Andrew, oneof the older members of your Section, was accompanied by his father andbrother Christopher. You were introduced to Christopher who was in hiswheelchair; he shook your hand and chatted to you easily. Andrew’s fatherinterrupted the conversation by saying that he had to go to anotherappointment and asked if Christopher might stay. You agreed.

You had planned a particularly active evening and decided to keep Christopherwith you throughout. He chatted away and you learned that he had SpinaBifida and attended the local school. At the end of the meeting Andrewaccompanied him outside where his father was waiting to take him home.

You thought of ways of including Christopher in activities over theforthcoming weeks. During this time you began to notice that he did not always keep the scores accurately for games. He also had difficultycompleting tasks where a sequence of actions/events was introduced and he often repeated the same remarks.

In January your Section attended a pantomime/Gang Show in the TownHall. Christopher needed to visit the lavatory but made it very clear that he had often used this particular facility before and did not require anyassistance as he could transfer himself. You were not quite sure what thismeant, but you didn’t like to ask. After ten minutes Christopher had notreturned. You found the door to the designated disabled toilet locked andwere unable to get a response from anyone inside.

HO C Case study two: Spina Bifida

Special Needs

What is hearing impairment?

Hearing impairment may be related to dysfunction in the ear, the nervesand the relevant part of the brain. Deafness is a symptom of hearingimpairment, which may be partial or total. Deaf blindness is the impairmentof both hearing and sight.

Helena

Helena is a member of your Section. At the beginning of the autumn term,Helena was brought along to the meeting by Joanne who introduced her as follows:

“Hi, this is Helena, she is my best friend and we go to school together. Is itokay if she joins us? I will look after her and show her what to do.”

You agreed. During the meeting Helena seemed to enjoy herself. Younoticed that she stayed very close to Joanne throughout the evening.

Throughout the next few weeks you noticed that Helena always stayedclose to Joanne. When you spoke to the Group she was always veryattentive, watching you very carefully. Joanne was often seen explaining to her what to do next and seemed to be repeating what the Leaders hadsaid. You were rather concerned when the Section played a game thatrequired half the participants to be blindfolded and the other half to callinstructions to their partner. Helena seemed to be totally lost and wasunable to follow any instructions being called to her. She got very upset and pulled the blindfold off, saying she didn’t want to play the game.When you spoke to Helena about this she just shrugged it off saying shecould not hear what was being said because there were too many peopleall shouting at once. After this you monitored the situation carefully, notingthat unless Helena was watching you, she did not seem to hear clearlywhat was being said. You often had to repeat things, as she did not hearyou clearly the first time.

You spoke to Helena’s parents about the situation and expressed yourconcerns. They said they had also noticed Helena seemed to be havingproblems hearing but had not followed it up. They mentioned that as asmall child Helena had problems with her ears but that she now seemed to manage quite well.

All seemed to go well until the Group went on a day’s outing, which includedan incident walk/ hike. You had ensured that there was the correct ratio ofadults to young people and that at regular intervals a head count wastaken. At the start of each stage of the walk, significant hazards and

HO D Case study three: Hearing impairment

Special Needs

landmarks were pointed out by the Leader of the outing. The importance ofstaying together was also stressed. Helena was very excited about going onthis outing but unfortunately, Joanne, her friend was unable to go. At thepenultimate stop you discovered that Helena was missing, and that no onecould accurately recall the last time she was seen with the Group. Eachsmall group thought she was with another.

HO D

Special Needs

What is a learning disability?

A learning disability is a development disability involving an arrested orincomplete development of the mind. It describes the impairment ofintelligence and social functioning to a greater or lesser extent. It is apermanent condition, which cannot be cured and affects an individual’slevel of intelligence, often meaning that they need support to operatewithin society. Individuals with learning disabilities are generally slow toacquire knowledge and skills and in some cases quite basic life skills mayallude them. Those with learning disabilities may display a wide variety of limitations. The most commonly known severe learning disability isDown’s Syndrome.

Julie

At the start of the second meeting in September a parent of an existingMember said, “My niece Julie wants to join. She’s a bit thick, but she andmy daughter are mates. Can she stay?” You agreed and requested somebasic details, including address, date of birth and so on from the parent.

Later in the meeting you began to have doubts, as Julie was obviouslyfinding things difficult. During the next meeting you had further reasons tobe concerned, when you noticed Julie’s attention span was very short. Shebecame disruptive at Flag Break and when she had to stand still for periodsof time. Julie did not appear to understand instructions that involved morethan two simple statements. She was also unable to read or understandsimple sentences.

After this meeting you went to see your mate in the pub to wind down.You started to talk about “backward kids”. You outlined your worries about Julie but were reassured by your mate that it was “no real problem,everyone is a bit slow at times”.

Towards the end of the month the Section had a water activities tastersession at a local lake, which was run by staff from the water sports centre.Julie was very excited about going in a boat and became extremelyanimated – running about, shouting and generally being very disruptive.While sailing around the lake, Julie distracted the instructor with herbehaviour. At the end of the session, as she stepped out of the boat ontothe jetty she fell to the ground flailing her arms and legs and after a coupleof minutes laid still. The other young people became very upset. One of theparent helpers stormed over to you and shouted “She’s a loony! Sheshouldn’t be allowed out with our kids”.

HO E Case study four: Learning disabilities

Special Needs

What is ADD/ADHD?

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is an impairment of activityand attention control. The problem often leads to:

Inattentiveness: very short attention span over frequent changes ofactivity

Overactivity: excessive movements, especially in situations requiringcalm such as classrooms or mealtimes

Impulsiveness: the affected person will not wait their turn, acts withoutthinking and thoughtlessly breaks rules

Young people affected with ADHD can show discipline problems, under-achievement at school or in other situations, poor sleep, temper tantrumsand experience unpopularity.

Jan

Jan is a member of your Section. During the summer the Scout Group wasactively promoting recruitment into all Sections. On the second session inSeptember, John took along his cousin to his Section meeting introducinghim as follows:

“Jan is OK. Mum says he can be a bit excitable and boisterous but he isonly a kid and like mum says, boys will be boys. He will be alright ‘cause Iwill look after him, like I always do”.

Over the last two months it has become apparent that Jan is slightly morethan a bit boisterous. He is very, very excitable to the point of being difficultto handle. He finds it very hard to stay still and is constantly restless. Onmore than one occasion he has had to be stopped from picking on othersin the Section. John, his cousin, often steps in and tries to calm him down,but not to any great effect. Jan finds it very difficult to wait his turn duringa game and tends to blurt out answers to questions. He also constantlyinterrupts people when they are talking and unacceptably intrudes onothers. It has also been noted that during the meeting, his behaviour oftenbecomes worse shortly after he has had his orange juice.

You have asked to talk to Jan’s parents about his behaviour but they seemvery unwilling to discuss the situation. Some of the other members of theSection have mentioned that Jan has ‘help’ all the time at school, becausehe is so naughty. John says he heard his mum talking about somethingbeing done about Jan and that he has got to take some sort of medicinebecause he had got a problem called ‘ABFB.’

HO F Case study five: ADD/ADHD

Special Needs

It is the end of February and the Group arranged for all members of yourSection to take part in a group activity evening up at the woods followedby a campfire. Everyone was having a good time and you noticed that eventhough Jan had been a little difficult earlier, he was now thoroughlyenjoying some hotdogs with lashings of tomato sauce. Shortly afterwards,you noticed that Jan was becoming very excitable, displaying unacceptablebehaviour. You tried to calm him down but he was having none of it. Johncame over and also tried but this made Jan worse. He started pushing andshoving John. This was on the verge of getting totally out of hand whenJan picked up a large stick, threatening anyone who came near him. Janstarted to run but slipped on some wet leaves and fell, narrowly missing the campfire, hitting his head on a rock, sustaining a very bad cut andslight concussion.

HO F

Special Needs

What is Asperger Syndrome?

Asperger Syndrome comes within the Autistic Spectrum Disorders. These affect the development of social interaction, communication andimagination. Asperger Syndrome is usually used to refer to those who aremore able, who have better language development and who try to makesocial contacts but in naive and inappropriate ways. The various subgroupsof Autistic Spectrum Disorders, including Asperger Syndrome, overlap witheach other and the boundaries are unclear. Autistic Spectrum Disorders areusually identified by a lack of imaginative understanding of other people’sthoughts, feelings and needs and difficulties in acquiring the subtleunspoken rules of social interaction.

Charmain

Charmain is a member of your Section. During the second session inSeptember one of the members of your Section, Naomi, arrived a little latefor the meeting. She had brought along her cousin Charmain, saying:

“Hi, mum dropped us off up the road as usual. This is my cousin, Charmain.She has been away at a special school but her and her dad have now cometo live with us. She hasn’t got any friends so mum thought being in theScout Group would be good for her, and she knows how great you are”.

Charmain has now been to seven meetings but during this time you havenoticed that she hasn’t made any friends at all. She seems to find it difficultto relate to others although it is obvious that she is longing to be one ofthe group. She does not seem to openly express emotions, and tends not to understand other people’s facial expressions or non-verbal signals. Whenothers laugh she laughs in a very forced way, causing the other youngpeople to laugh at her. Charmain is very bright but you have noticed thatalthough she is very articulate, she talks in a very precise and literal way.Quite a few times problems have arisen when someone has said somethingto her that she has totally misunderstood, e.g. one member said his dadwould kill him when he got home as he had got mud all over his clothes.Charmain was very upset and frightened by this as she thought his fatherwas literally going to kill him.

It is also very apparent that Charmain has a problem when she is requiredto complete an activity that requires her to use her imagination. In a caselike this she tends to revert back to her one main interest, dinosaurs, asthough it is an obsession.

The other young people have found it an increasing source of fun thatCharmain is quite clumsy. You have noticed that one or two of the boys

HO G Case study six: Asperger Syndrome

Special Needs

have deliberately made things difficult for her by either giving her tasks tocomplete that require dexterity or they have simply placed articles in herway so she would trip over them.

Her behaviour has begun to worry you. One of the Leaders phoned Naomi’smother, hoping to speak to Charmain’s father. Unfortunately he was notavailable; he had gone to live elsewhere, leaving Charmain with her aunt.During this conversation her aunt mentioned that Charmain had a slightproblem called ‘Asperger’ but that she was absolutely fine. At school shehad help in the classroom. There had been a television programme aboutAsperger Syndrome some time ago that you had seen but it hadn’t reallysaid very much and at the time you hadn’t taken too much notice.

All seemed to be fine until the end of October when your Section went on a mini Hallowe’en hike. During the evening ghost stories had beenwhispered between some of the young people. You noticed a particulargroup of boys talking and laughing together as they walked behindCharmain. Things went smoothly until the group walked down into a hollow. One of the boys mentioned that this was the place where themad axe man used to jump out on his victims and kill them. At this pointhe jumped on Charmain’s back, she screamed, panicked and blindly ran.You managed to catch her just before she reached the river’s edge.

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Special Needs

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific type of learning difficulty where a person of normalintelligence has a persistent and significant problem with reading, writing,spelling and sometimes mathematics and musical notation. They may nothave difficulties in other areas. Many dyslexic people are extremely creative,think laterally and have excellent problem solving skills. It may be helpful tothink of Dyslexia as an information processing difficulty. Characteristics varyfrom individual to individual and it is more prevalent in males than infemales. Whilst there may be delay in recognising and identifying Dyslexia itcan be alleviated by early recognition and skilled specialist teaching.

Javed

Javed is a member of your Section. For the second session in Septemberyour Group asked each member to bring along a friend to the meeting.They were each asked to introduce their friends to the rest of the Section.Jasmin, introduced her cousin by saying:

“This is my cousin Javed. He is a bit quiet sometimes but he is fun to bewith. He likes to work with me because we get on well together”.

Javed’s parents were very keen to help with all practical things during thefirst few weeks. They were a great help with the jumble collecting, but younoticed that they never replied to written correspondence. Javed is a verypleasant boy and extremely polite. He tends to sit with his cousin Jasminwhenever he is required to complete any written or reading tasks, but whenit comes to practical tasks he is happy to work on his own or with others.On the odd occasion that Jasmin was not at the meeting he tended to messabout rather than get on with his written work. His writing was very untidyand very difficult to read, and his spelling was extremely poor. When hewas asked to take part in a game where he had to call out directionalinstructions (left/right) he made every excuse not to play although in theend was persuaded to join in. Unfortunately he found this very difficult ashe kept turning the wrong way. He was embarrassed and went very quietafter the game.

This concerned you, so after the meeting you had a quiet word with Javed’sfather. He seemed evasive on the subject and said it really didn’t matter ashe was now getting extra help at school. Your friend happens to work atJaved’s school. When you mentioned how embarrassed he had been overthe game she said that he did have extra help at school although she didn’tknow why. She thought he was a bit slow.

HO H Case study seven: Dyslexia

Special Needs

At the end of October, Javed’s cousin was away on holiday for a fewweeks. It was decided that the following week, the Sectional meetingwould take place at the Sports Centre rather than at the Scout Hall. Javedwas given a note to take home explaining the arrangements.

On the day of the meeting Javed did not turn up at the Sports Centre. Oneof the boys said they had seen him walking on his own towards the ScoutHall. He was wearing his Scout uniform so he was definitely going to themeeting. On the way home from school, he had called to one of the otherssaying he would see them later at the meeting. One of the Leaders phonedhome to see if he had gone back there, but his parents said that he hadleft for the meeting as usual but hadn’t yet returned home.

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Special Needs

Four personal qualities of:

You appear to be As a Leader you

Having met you, I now feel Your contribution to this training session has been

WS 1 Personal qualities: session 1

Special Needs

Appendix 1 – Deaf alphabet using fingerspelling