GCC does not presently plan to offer either Commissioners’ College or University of Scouting in 2023. In the absence of scheduled live training, we encourage you to check out the training modules on BSA’s Serving Scouts With Disabilities page, starting with the bundle Serving Youth with Disabilities, which includes

• NDA 101.Serving Scouts with Special Needs.ppt
• Guide to Working with Scouts with Disabilities.pdf
• Scouting for Youth with Disabilities #34059.pdf
• Guide to Advancement 2021.pdf

Other training bundles on that page will help you investigate specific topics such as allergies, autism, ADHD, camping, planning, etc. A word of caution, though. Forms bundled with training may not be applicable as-is at GCC.

Also note that the Inclusion Toolkit includes much useful information. In particular, check out the Unit Leader’s Role Supporting Scouts with a Disability. This section describes the roles of youth and adult leaders working together to support special needs. It also explores the need to strike a proper balance when offering help, making necessary accommodations, but not imposing assistance, or allowing the youth to depend on others for things  they are capable of.

Our team can also arrange live training as needed for units and the staffs of summer camps, Wood Badge, NYLT, etc. Offerings include our Disabilities Awareness Overview as well as presentations from BSA.

To arrange training or get your questions answered, contact us by emailing AskSpecialNeeds@googlegroups.com or calling Dori Hammer at 720-878-4171.

We encourage all units to promote special needs awareness through program planning and activities, especially when new recruits arrive at the beginning of the school year. Some natural ways to pursue this are the Cub Scouts Disabilities Awareness Academics Belt Loop and Pin and the Disabilities Awareness Merit Badge for Scouts BSA.

Brief Introduction to Special Needs

A Scoutmaster’s Brief Introduction to Special Needs provides provides unit leaders a quickstart on this topic. While this sixteen minute video
emphasizes Scouts BSA, it contains information relevant to all GCC programs.

• A Scoutmaster’s Brief Introduction to Special Needs. The video itself.
• A Scoutmaster’s Brief Introduction to Special Needs-Script. Narrative for the video including hyperlinks.
• A Scoutmaster’s Brief Introduction to Special Needs-Slides. The presentation graphics, including attribution and credits.
• Know your Scout. An outline to aid discussions with your Scouts as discussed in the video.