The Inclusive Scout Leader

If you have Muslim Cubs or Scouts in your Pack, Troop, or unit, it's important to know that they might be fasting for Ramadan.

If you find that you and your child are butting heads regularly over the same issue, then you need to work through it together. You need to own your part and apologise where you need
to. This will actually help your relationship so it’s not such a battle. Try and sit down with
your child when you are both calm and just simply say things aren't working. Have them try
and come up with ideas of what else could happen. If the ideas aren't what you think will work, then talk through what would happen if we did that. Offer suggestions but be willing to listen if they have a problem with that. You may have to bend a bit. Remember having them obey you without question is not a win, they will only feel controlled and want to rebel.

Having them come up with ideas that you can both agree on means they are more likely to comply, but also they will feel valued.

More information on my blog

https://www.thetherapistparent.com/post/how-to-stop-yelling

Using Curiosity as a Way to Defuse Power Struggles When students engage in mildly disruptive behavior, teachers can try asking open questions instead of immediately confronting the behavior.

I love the details referenced under the water...

Depression
Hyperfixations
Difficulty forming friendships
Social confusion
Auditory processing disorder
Executive dysfunction
Anxiety
Masking
Sensory processing disorder
Emotional dysregulation
Perfectionism
Meltdowns
Difficulty with change
Stimming
Difficulty with conversations
Sleeping issues
Rejection sensitive dysphoria
Strong emotions

Credit: Autistic izzy ()
Inspired by:

How do you measure inclusion at your Pack or Troop?

Been a while since we shared this goldie.
Inclusion through the eyes of the child.

Scouts Aotearoa have done a great job to make their Safeguarding [Child Safety] Policy more readable for young people. It was important to them that youth members could access and understand a policy that is so important to them. What has your Council, District, or NSO done to make sure young people understand the policies that affect them?

Check out the full policy at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B13H5hYjJhrZRWxDMlNBT3JsN2hrZTdFUjRUczB1MktIRUxr/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-QOUFZG_h9NSErWANVtZUTw

This is a perfect visual to explain the reasons for using visuals in the classroom!

Let Kids Be Kids

it’s been over a year since I shared this neurodivergent umbrella graphic so I thought I would post it again as our wonderful yearly reminder ✨✨

A few things to remember:

💛 neurodivergent refers to anyone who’s mind or functioning diverges from dominant societal norms, standards and expectations.

🧡 neurodivergent was created by Kassiane Asasumasu, a biracial, multiply neurodivergent activist while neurodiversity was created by Judy Singer, a sociologist.

💚 neurodivergence can be innate or acquired, it doesn’t matter how you came to diverge, it just matters that you do diverge.

💙 neurodivergent is a term that exists in opposition to disorder because it’s about acknowledging that we aren’t disordered, we diverge.

💜 neurodivergent is not a medical or clinical term, it’s an identity.

We do not say:

* neurodivergent condition
* neurodivergent diagnosis
* someone with neurodivergence

We do say:

* neurodivergence
* someone who is neurodivergent
* they are neurodivergent

We can use "high, low, buffalo" as a review activity with our Scouts. I'm expecting some terrifically weird buffalos from some of my Scouts with ADHD!

My boys and I have a New Year's Eve tradition I thought I would share with you all...
It's called "High, Low, Buffalo". This is where we go around the table and each share a high (the very best thing), a low (something that caused us suffering) and a "buffalo" (something that caught us by surprise, was unexpected, or threw a spanner in the works - can be positive or negative).

What was your "high, low, buffalo?"

Honouring a child's need for break time builds trust.

This excellent flow chart from Kristin Wiens () is free & downloadable here: northstarpaths.com/. Full image description in comments, along with a simplified version.

As Don't IEP Alone: A Day In Our Shoes notes, “A child should not have to ‘earn’ [sensory] breaks. The day they need them the most, is the day they are least likely to earn them.”

Source: Elise Gravel

You're not being kind if you take away recess.
You're not being kind if you move their clip.
You're not being kind if you put them in timeout.
You're not being kind if you take away choice time or something you've determined is a "privilege."

We get it. Sometimes it's hard to be kind when YOU, the adult, are dysregulated.

Here's a good starting point: Be Curious.

I NOTICE you're having a hard time sitting in your chair during reading, what's up?
(That's a lot better than moving the clip of a sensory seeking child because they're not "sitting right")

I NOTICE your having a hard time finishing your work, what's up?
(That's a lot better than taking away recess from an easily distracted student for not finishing their work, especially if you don't know WHY they were having a hard time).

I NOTICE you're having a hard time waiting to be called on in class, what's going on?
(That's a lot better than taking away a "privilege" from an impulsive child for "calling out")

Model kindess.
Model collaboration.
Model compassion!

Thank you, Edutopia

🎯

Autistic kids often need to know WHY.

WHY, don't you want them to climb on the ROOF of the Play structure?

WHY isn't it safe to WALK across the river on MOSS covered rocks?
___________
Your job is to KEEP them safe...

But this is best accomplished by TEACHING kids HOW to help you, keep them safe.

And TEACHING kids that, means helping RAISE their AWARENESS, so they can evaluate risk.... (see below).

Help them, to help you!

Teamwork is Dreamwork!

And now that you know....Go out, Be Inclusive and Be Kind.

Ross Greene says that "kids make good choices when they can." It's not their fault if their needs are not met, they don't have the skills they need, or if they are developing at a different pace to their peers. It's our responsibility, not theirs, to provide them with support and care so they can thrive.

Print this out

Put it somewhere that you can see every day

And remember....

They really ARE trying

Visual timers can help Scouts with a poor sense of elapsed time - a very common feature of autism and especially ADHD! I love Time Timers because they are easy for us to use, common in classrooms (so Scouts are often familiar) and provide a clearer picture of how much time is remaining than countdown timers with numerals. What activities do you use visual timers for in your troop or pack?

Time Timer