Guest guest Posted July 5, 2006 Report Share Posted July 5, 2006 Hello everyone, I have a 13 year old boy with AS and we just joined the boy scouts. They are going camping for a week in Rhode Island. I am having anxieties but I thought we go and I stay with my son to see how it goes. I am afraid...I guess because we are knew and the scoutmaster it not very helpful. Does anyone have any suggestions. If I do go, I am hoping I don't destroy my son or make him stress or does anyone think this would be good for him. I will be staying with him. Would I be really causing him anxieties if I stayed a day and then leave him there? Other mothers are leaving but their husbands are with them. My husband doesn't want to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2006 Report Share Posted July 6, 2006 Hi. Whereabouts in Rhode Island? Camp Champlin? I live in Rhode Island not too far from the camp. Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2006 Report Share Posted July 6, 2006 My sons have both been in cub scouts since they were old enough to go. In cub scouts, the parents pretty much have to go to overnights with the kids, with slight exceptions. My older son just moved up to boy scouts in Feb. and they do ALOT of camping! Every month they have an overnight camping outing and in July they go for a week. There is no way at this point that he would be okay with being there by himself, though it is a goal we're working towards. We tried to get him to go to a weekend event last month with the leader that he had almost all the way through cub scouts and he wasn't having none of it! And, even though I was the one planning to go, at the last minute, DS freaked out and thought it was weird that I was going and my DH caved in and went. He didn't want to because he's going for the weeklong camp here shortly. I've found that even when the scout leaders want to be helpful they don't do the best job at recognizing and avoiding the triggers. And, while there are scheduled activities, there's lots of " down " or " free " time where my son would have a difficult time with. Not very structured, and too many opportunities for social faux pas. Like I said, once he's done this a few times and had the opportunity to figure out and see the process, we're hoping it becomes familiar enough and he's able to do it. Right now, he's not. My DH is going up all week, as are a number of other parents. Could you maybe " swap " with your DH, where you go at the beginning and he goes at the end? DS would probably really like that and then neither of you would have to camp for a whole week? I'm going up with brother and sister the last night, as they have court of honor and will be advancing in rank. I understand that's a fairly typical activity that last night. anne <mrynnqt@...> wrote: Hello everyone, I have a 13 year old boy with AS and we just joined the boy scouts. They are going camping for a week in Rhode Island. I am having anxieties but I thought we go and I stay with my son to see how it goes. I am afraid...I guess because we are knew and the scoutmaster it not very helpful. Does anyone have any suggestions. If I do go, I am hoping I don't destroy my son or make him stress or does anyone think this would be good for him. I will be staying with him. Would I be really causing him anxieties if I stayed a day and then leave him there? Other mothers are leaving but their husbands are with them. My husband doesn't want to go. --------------------------------- Sneak preview the all-new .com. It's not radically different. Just radically better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2006 Report Share Posted July 6, 2006 Yes. It is on the CT border. I'm not too far from there. I hope it goes well. Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2006 Report Share Posted July 6, 2006 I think it would be a challenge to go to Scout summer camp for any child who hasn't been with the troop for very long. So, if it doesn't go perfectly smoothly, don't despair. My son is going to camp next week, and DH will go along as always. (He is an ASM.) My son was in Cub Scouts since age 6, but he just has issues, you know! His main problems are eating (which is easier when there is a dining hall--more options), getting lost (even with a buddy LOL there is an older scout that does a nice job keeping him on track), and being able to do the physical things because of his gross and fine motor skills. But he hangs in there. He brings his spinning thing. He's not shy anymore about it--it keeps him grounded. Oh, and the bathrooms--major issue. DH makes sure he takes up to the place that has porcelain at least twice a day if 's activities don't call for him to be in those locations anyway. Sleeping in a tent is something really enjoys. has several friends in his troop. Maybe not people he sees outside of Scouts, but that he gets along with. They tend to have some issues, too, and don't think anything of other's unique traits. In our area, there are plenty of Scouts with underdeveloped social skills. Campfires at the end of the day are the best. Last year it rained the entire week due to Rita, which was okay because it wasn't hot. He's not big into heat. This year, DH made sure to schedule him physically light in the afternoons. Next week, my Cub and I are going to day camp. I am going as his 1:1. Jackie ph (10, Asperger's/ADHD) (12, PDD-NOS/ADHD) On Jul 6, 2006, at 11:21 AM, maryanne devito wrote: > It is called Camp Yawgoog. Are you familiar with it? This is my > son's first time and he has anxieties. I will be staying there > with him. We are going to see if he likes it and if not, or if I > don't, we will leave. He is new the boyscouts and I don't think I > feel that comfortable with the troop. > > ppanda65@... wrote: Hi. Whereabouts in Rhode Island? > Camp Champlin? I live in Rhode Island not > too far from the camp. Pam > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2006 Report Share Posted July 6, 2006 It is a nice area. Will your son have a support person? or someone he can go to if he has issues? Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2006 Report Share Posted July 6, 2006 I am going with him. ppanda65@... wrote: It is a nice area. Will your son have a support person? or someone he can go to if he has issues? Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 7, 2006 Report Share Posted July 7, 2006 My son is a Webloo2 and will be crossing over in March. I was going to ask the boyscout leader then if he could ask one of the older boys to be a mentor to DS. To help watch where he is and what he is doing. DS tends to still hid and just wonder off if your not watching him. I thought his way he won't feel like he's beging treated like a baby because there is an adult watching him all the time. I'm hoping one of the older high school boys will be willing to do this because I KNOW he dosen't want me around and there is no DH to go instead. > Hello everyone, > > I have a 13 year old boy with AS and we just joined the boy scouts. > They are going camping for a week in Rhode Island. I am having > anxieties but I thought we go and I stay with my son to see how it > goes. I am afraid...I guess because we are knew and the scoutmaster it > not very helpful. Does anyone have any suggestions. If I do go, I am > hoping I don't destroy my son or make him stress or does anyone think > this would be good for him. I will be staying with him. Would I be > really causing him anxieties if I stayed a day and then leave him > there? Other mothers are leaving but their husbands are with them. My > husband doesn't want to go. > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Sneak preview the all-new .com. It's not radically different. Just radically better. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 7, 2006 Report Share Posted July 7, 2006 > > >> I've found that even when the scout leaders want to be helpful > they don't do the best job at recognizing and avoiding the > triggers. Keep in mind that Boy Scouts are boy-run. Summer camp is planned by adults, too, but largely run by the boys. Adult leaders are volunteers, and you're doing well if they are trained sufficiently for all the normal stuff. Let alone special needs Scouts! You, as parents, are great assets to Troops as volunteers and educators. DH just gave a presentation at Roundtable (monthly leader training) about special needs Scouts, focusing mostly on depression, BP, ADHD and ASD. (We have many in our area.) It was very well received. The biggest message, though, was to get with the parents and together come up with some strategies. He is going to give it at University of Scouting next year, I think. For adults who do not have personal experience with such conditions, it's very hard to know what to do. How long does it take us to get our kids' teachers to understand? (I don't think I ever really got the message across.) And sometimes, how many times have we had trouble with our own doctors!! The older Scout that helps my son has some issues himself with kids his age. He gets along better with the younger boys. So it works out well. But in other cases, it needs to be arranged way in advance with someone that takes a natural attraction to your son's interests and abilities. You are likely to encounter many novel situations in Scouts and at camp. It depends on what the Scout's issues are, but it can be a challenge. I am not denying that. There are strategies that can help make Scouting an inclusive, enjoyable experience with boys with ASD. But it takes a lot of planning! Jackie Webelos and 2nd class Scout mom Advancements Chair, Pack 136 Comm. Member, Troop 112 Crossroads of America Council Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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