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 (Asperger’s) • 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 Doesn’t 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 Asperger’s 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 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

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 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)

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 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

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” • 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!

29. 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

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