Parent involvement will make or break a cub scout den. I've been a scout parent volunteer for years. Parent in-person involvement is even more important when the child is neuro-atypical. This means showing up with your kid prepared for the meetings, re-directing your kid when needed, and supporting the den leader to help make the activities fun.

When parents don't step up, I have seen even top notch Eagle scout dad den leaders burn out, and major den attrition. When done right and with good leadership (with all safety precautions, etc) the program is a great activity, especially for kids with SN.

My DS den had a lot of kids with special needs, including some kids on the spectrum. They can do really well with scouting and I think it’s a great activity. I do agree with supporting your child with your presence, we had some really difficult camping trips where parents weren’t there and kids were having a really hard time staying focused or participating. In one case a kid completely shut down and was lying on the ground and none of the campers or adult leaders had any idea what was happening.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cub Scouts is great for lots of different types of kids but it does require some parent involvement, especially if you know your kid needs support. The Leaders are all volunteers and receive limited training, most of which is centered on Youth Protection, so please keep that in mind. We have lots of different types of kids in our Pack and it works great.

I agree with the point about the volunteer leaders and the possibility that they don’t have experience with special needs children. With that warning, cub scouts may be worth trying if you are willing to be present for your child at activities / events to head off any issues (my ASD child made it through Arrow of Light and crossed over. There were hiccups here and there but he enjoyed the experience overall).

100% agree. My DS's Den has at least 3 kids with ADHD. All the parents are fine with reminding them that they need to keep hands to themselves and the kids do well remembering for about 5 minutes. They are good kids who are enjoying the program and are good aout making their best effort. The parents stay, for the most part, but the kids know the other adults and respond pretty well to the Den Leaders and the like. We build meetings with movement and activities that fit the kids needs.

The only kid who had an issue was the one whose parent did not stay at meetings and physically hurt another kid on more then once. He is the only kid I have ever heard the Den Leader raise his voice towards. If the child listened to other adults we would be fine but he doesn't. We had to tell said parent that their child could not participate unless there was an adult with them and focused on the child. They are giving it a go again this year and we are having the same issues.

Anonymous wrote:Cub Scouts is great for lots of different types of kids but it does require some parent involvement, especially if you know your kid needs support. The Leaders are all volunteers and receive limited training, most of which is centered on Youth Protection, so please keep that in mind. We have lots of different types of kids in our Pack and it works great.

I agree with the point about the volunteer leaders and the possibility that they don’t have experience with special needs children. With that warning, cub scouts may be worth trying if you are willing to be present for your child at activities / events to head off any issues (my ASD child made it through Arrow of Light and crossed over. There were hiccups here and there but he enjoyed the experience overall).

Cub Scouts is great for lots of different types of kids but it does require some parent involvement, especially if you know your kid needs support. The Leaders are all volunteers and receive limited training, most of which is centered on Youth Protection, so please keep that in mind. We have lots of different types of kids in our Pack and it works great.

Anonymous wrote:Pick the one with the most kids from your school. It’s been a great way for my son to have a group of kids who are always at least somewhat friendly with him.

This. It’s a great place for kids with ADHD to do well - outside, active, etc. Our pack has lots of kids who have ADHD, and I suspect their dads do too form what I have seen. I love my ADHD kid being able to see successful adults with ADHD so it’s not all doom and gloom.

Pick the one with the most kids from your school. It’s been a great way for my son to have a group of kids who are always at least somewhat friendly with him.

OP here

Thanks everyone for information and insight.

If one doesn’t work, just try another one. Cubs scouts work if the parents are engaged. When they bridge to Scouts, you can also look around for a troop that fits better.

We joined scouts because it had been recommended to me for a kid with ADHD (DS had an ADHD diagnosis at the time, and later also ASD). Our pack was large and had a lot of kids like DS; it was a great experience. He's now in a troop where probably half the scouts are ADHD, ASD, other things, and it's good, if chaotic. I never expected scouting to be such a core activity for DS, and I'm happy it's been such a positive experience for him.

OP - assuming your kid is in elementary school, start with the pack that serves their elementary school or your neighborhood. You can ask to attend a meeting to see what the pack is like. Because parents are involved, packs tend to be more amenable to kids with a wide variety of abilities. I will say that troops can be more restrictive (even though they're not supposed to be). Our troop has had kids referred to us by other troops; we are happy to make scouting work for anyone who is interested.

Cub scouts is rife with kids with ADHD. I would just try any pack close to you. I know several kids with severe ADHD who have enjoyed cub scouts. The parent participation/volunteering requirements are intense, though (for everyone).

I would be present with him. That’s not a problem. Just trying to figure out how to identify a troop or pack that would be open. He has ADHD, anxiety, and mild learning delays

For cub scouts, I think the rule is that parents have to stay for every meeting/camp out. Would you be able to personally assist your child or would you require more accommodations? My son has ADHD and even when medicated has a hard time staying on task. But DH or I would be with him all the time to make sure he wasn’t disruptive and was participating. He luckily grew out of many of the problem behaviors before turning 11 and becoming a Scout.

Anyone have any experience with a Cub Scout pack for children with special needs. I would like my son to participate but from my experience growing up, not all Cub Scout packs/Boy Scout troops are the same.