A Grab Bag of Tricks:

1
A Grab Bag of Tricks
Working with Scouts with Behavioral and Sensory
Issues
Chris Parrott Webelos Den Leader, Pack
260 Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 240 Hillsboro,
Oregon
2
Agenda

• Introduction
• Understanding ADHD and SPD
• Tips and Tricks
• Stories from the Field
• Open Discussion
• Encouragement
• Resources

3
Introduction

• My Scouting bio
• Fifth year as a Scouter, third year in CPC
• 15th year overall in the BSA
• Active in Scouting as a youth in Texas
• Arrow of Light, Eagle Scout awards
• Three sons active in the BSA now
• Working on completing Wood Badge ticket
• Interest in special needs
• Oldest son diagnosed with ASD (Aspergers)
• Youngest son has ADHD/sensory issues
• Focused on Scouts with special needs as diversity
  component for Wood Badge

4
Three Subtypes of ADHD

• Predominately Inattentive (ADHD-PI)
• Classic ADD
• Sometimes referred to as ADHD-I
• Predominately Hyperactive-Impulsive (ADHD-PHI)
• Classic ADHD
• Combined (ADHD-C)
• Individuals who demonstrate elements of both of
  the above subtypes

5
Symptoms of ADHD-PI

• Easily distracted
• Difficulty maintaining focus on a single task
• Boredom with a task after a few minutes
• Trouble completing assignments
• Often losing things
• Disorganized
• Doesnt seem to listen when spoken to
• Difficulty processing information accurately

6
Symptoms of ADHD-PHI

• Hyperactivity
• Fidget and squirm in seat
• Talk nonstop
• Dart around, touching everything in sight
• Excessive trouble sitting still
• Excessive difficulty with quiet tasks or
  activities
• Impulsivity
• Excessively impatient
• Poor impulse control
• Frequently blurt out inappropriate comments
• Act without regard to consequences
• Frequently interrupts conversations or activities

7
Comorbid Conditions

• Comorbidity is a clinical term
• Refers to conditions that are also present
  alongside a given condition
• Such conditions may exist simultaneously, yet
  independently of a given condition
• May arise from a common cause, or otherwise be
  related to a given condition
• A number of other conditions are known to be
  comorbid with ADHD

8
ADHD Comorbid Conditions

• Oppositional Defiant Disorder
• Conduct Disorder
• Mood disorders (depression, bipolar)
• Anxiety disorders
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Sleep disorders
• Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
• Including Aspergers Syndrome
• Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD)
• Sluggish Cognitive Tempo

9
Sensory Processing Disorders

• Often present alongside ADHD
• Indicated by difficulty integrating stimuli from
  multiple senses
• Visual
• Tactile (touch)
• Auditory (sound)
• Olfactory (smell)
• Gustatory (taste)
• Vestibular (balance)
• Proprioception (body placement in space)

10
Causes of ADHD and SPD

• Unknown, research ongoing
• Many theories
• Strong genetic component indicated
• Possible environmental factors
• Some symptoms may be related to allergies or food
  sensitivities
• Probably varies from individual to individual
• Everybody is unique
• Famous saying if you have met one person with
  autism, you have met one person with autism.
  Also true here!

11
Executive Functioning

• Many ADHD symptoms tied to Executive Functioning
  (EF) problems
• EF is the CEO function of our brains
• EF expressed in our abilities to
• Regulate sensory inputs
• Process, organize, and store new information
• Retrieve existing information
• Make decisions
• Regulated by the prefrontal cortex area of the
  brain
• Research indicates people with EF issues appear
  to have lower prefrontal cortex volumes

12
Executive Functions

• Initiating
• Stopping
• Shifting
• Planning (Complex Problem-Solving)
• Monitoring
• Inhibiting
• Sense of time
• Goal-setting
• Self-awareness

13
Treatment of ADHD

• Common to see many or all of these strategies for
  treating ADHD
• Medications
• Nutrition / dietary modifications
• Behavioral therapy
• Important to create a culture of openness with
  families
• Better to know ahead of time, before issues arise
• Need to get medications, dietary info on med
  forms for outings

14
Sensory Processing Disorder

• Typically falls into three categories
• Sensory-seeking
• Sensory-defensive
• Combination
• Sensory-seekers have need to augment external
  stimuli
• Stimming or pacing
• Crashing
• Flapping
• Fidgeting
• Enjoy being wrapped in blankets, wearing weighted
  vests, or being held tightly
• Thrill-seeking behavior (beware of risks!)

15
Sensory Processing Disorder

• Sensory-defensive people have hypersensitive
  aversions to stimuli
• Smells
• Tastes
• Food textures
• Noises
• Clothing materials
• Lighting (too bright, or fluorescent lights)
• Failure to mitigate these aversions can lead to
  sensory meltdowns!

16
Sensory Meltdowns

• A meltdown happens when sensory stimuli exceeds
  ones ability to cope
• Symptoms of a meltdown
• Screaming
• Crying
• Acting out
• Important to understand the reasons behind a
  meltdown
• Not a conscious choice to misbehave
• Person may not have skills to communicate what is
  wrong

17
Tips for Scouts with ADHD

• Keep behavioral expectations simple
• Scouts with ADHD have difficulty following a long
  list of rules
• Use positive reinforcement
• Give Scouts incentive to follow expectations
• Reward Scouts when they comply
• Progressively build up to bigger reward(s)
• Prioritize kinesthetic and visual experiences
• Scouts will enjoy and remember more of what they
  see and do
• Keeping them busy keeps them out of trouble!

18
Tips for Scouts with ADHD

• Change up activities frequently
• Boys are naturally wired for short attention
  spans
• Fortunate if you get them to sit still more than
  about 10 minutes
• Alternate active and passive activities
• Give boys an appropriate outlet for their energy
• Use the EDGE Method for teaching
• Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable
• Limits teaching time to short duration by design
• Gives boys a chance to try it out for themselves

19
Tips for Scouts with ADHD

• Use lots of visuals
• Posters
• Slide shows
• Multimedia
• Visual schedule
• Use colors to highlight important information
• Graphically organize important information
• Use memory tricks to help remember important
  things
• Mnemonics (e.g. acronyms)
• Spatial layout of information (e.g. time lines)
• Connect new information to old information

20
Tips for Scouts with ADHD

• Incorporate Scouts special interests
• Everybody likes to feel like an expert at
  something
• Give Scouts a chance to indulge their special
  interests on occasion
• Use their special interests as a bridge to teach
  new information
• Use technology where appropriate
• Great resources Youtube, TED, Netflix
• Balance is key encourage Scouts to unplug on
  outings

21
Tips for Scouts with ADHD

• Typical Den Meeting schedule
• Gathering activity
• Opening (flag ceremony, Pledge, etc.)
• Announcements
• Game
• Advancement activities
• Closing

22
Tips for Scouts with SPD

• Understand the sensory needs of your Scouts
• Are they sensory-seeking, sensory-defensive, or
  both?
• If sensory-defensive, what are their triggers?
• Provide fidgets for your Scouts
• Fidgets are items that Scouts can manipulate
  with their hands
• Often cuts down on interruptions by keeping
  Scouts hands occupied
• Stress balls, even cheap koosh balls from
  dollar store work great
• Specially designed fidget toys also available

23
Tips for Scouts with SPD

• Crash Pit good for sensory-seekers
• Use a childs wading pool filled with pillows,
  stuffed animals, other soft objects
• Allows child to safely crash without harming
  himself or others
• Requires some investment of supplies and time
• Weighted blankets also helpful for
  sensory-seekers
• Available commercially at modest expense
• Can also make your own at home take an old
  blanket and sew pouches of poly pellets into it
  (around 1 lb. of pellets per 10 lbs. of user)

24
Tips for Scouts with SPD

• Provide and staff a sensory room
• May need more than one, if sensory needs of
  multiple Scouts are at odds with one another
• Gives Scouts who are melting down a safe,
  comfortable place to reset
• Provides a safe place for Scouts to stim, if they
  need it
• Important to keep BSA Youth Protection and Safe
  Scouting policies in mind
• Keep lighting soft, noises to minimum for
  sensory-defensive Scouts
• Crash pit, blankets, fidgets all useful items
  here

25
Tips for Scouts with SPD

• Light Covers help mitigate negative effects of
  fluorescent lighting
• May be impractical to install and remove these
  every week before a meeting, however
• Alternately, may want to bring in a lamp with
  full-spectrum lighting (e.g. incandescent light)
• Consider clothing alterations
• Example if the uniform collar bothers a Scout,
  remove it!
• I would much rather have a Scout participating in
  the program, than to make a big issue out of his
  uniform not meeting his sensory needs

26
Stories and Open Discussion

• I will relate a couple of successes from my
  experiences
• You are invited to share any of yours as well, if
  you have any
• Also welcome open discussion pertaining to ADHD
  and SPD

27
Encouragement

• Give yourself permission to have a bad meeting or
  outing now and then
• We all have them
• Yes, even me!
• Important to learn what worked, and what didnt
  after any experience
• Especially the negative ones
• Try to solve the things that didnt work, and
  improve on them for next time
• Even though it may not feel like it at the time,
  you are a hero for trying

28
Takeaways

• Boys with ADHD and SPD can succeed in Scouting
• We are volunteers, not miracle workers
• Nobody expects you to solve all the problems
• As we tell our Cub Scouts Do Your Best
• Its OK to ask for help
• Some boys need extra attention
• Do not be afraid to call in extra help if a
  particular Scout is taking an unreasonable amount
  of your time and energy
• You can make a difference!

29
Resources

• CHADD Children Adults with ADHDhttp//www.cha
  dd.org/
• Sensory Processing Disorder Foundtaionhttp//www.
  spdfoundation.net/
• Kranowitz, Carol Stock. The Out of Sync Child.
  Perigee, 2006.
• BSA Scouts with Special Needs
• http//www.scouting.org/scoutsource/boyscouts/theb
  uildingblocksofscouting/specneeds.aspx

30
Resources

• Autism Empowerment(including Autism Scouting
  Project)
• http//www.autismempowerment.org/
• Autism Scouting on Facebook
• https//www.facebook.com/autismandscouting