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A Grab Bag of Tricks:

Chris ParrottWebelos Den Leader, Pack 260Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 240Hillsboro, Oregon

Working with Scouts withBehavioral and Sensory Issues

Agenda

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

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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 (Asperger’s)– Youngest son has ADHD/sensory issues– Focused on Scouts with special needs as

diversity component for Wood Badge

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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

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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• Doesn’t seem to listen when spoken to• Difficulty processing information

accurately

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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

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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

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ADHD: Comorbid Conditions

• Oppositional Defiant Disorder• Conduct Disorder• Mood disorders (depression, bipolar)• Anxiety disorders• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder• Sleep disorders• Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

– Including Asperger’s Syndrome

• Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD)• Sluggish Cognitive Tempo

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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)

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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!

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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

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Executive Functions

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

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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

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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!)

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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!

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Sensory Meltdowns

• A meltdown happens when sensory stimuli exceeds one’s 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

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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!

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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

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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

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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

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Tips for Scouts with ADHD

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

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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

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Tips for Scouts with SPD

• Crash Pit good for sensory-seekers– Use a child’s 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)

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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

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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

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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

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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 didn’t after any experience– Especially the negative ones

• Try to solve the things that didn’t 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

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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”

• It’s 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!

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Resources

• CHADD – Children & Adults with ADHDhttp://www.chadd.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

/thebuildingblocksofscouting/specneeds.aspx

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Resources

• Autism Empowerment(including Autism & Scouting Project)– http://www.autismempowerment.org/

• Autism & Scouting on Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/autismandscouting

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