Focus on Ability
jay.thal (jay.thal@TCS.WAP.ORG)
Mon, 28 Dec 1998 20:50:55 -0500
FOCUS ON ABILITY - Serving Girls with Special Needs No.
26-802
This publication was written for the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. (GSUSA=
).
It is never-theless relevant and its gender specificity should be
ignored.
Overview:
United States Federal law mandates that children with disabilities be
afforded an education in the least restrictive environment. This doe=
s
two things: it requires that school districts provide access to full
educational opportunities rather than excluding them from education
because modification of curricula or facilities was inconvenient or
costly; and, that to benefit the children, and to the degree possible=
,
students with disabilities be included in regular educational setting=
s
rather than isolated from their peers. This latter concept is called
mainstreaming.
U.S. Scouting also has units which are school or institutionally base=
d
which bring Scouting to groups of youth isolated because of their
disabling conditions. But, Scouting encourages units to embrace all
within mainstream units.
In a school setting an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is
developed to address each disAbled youths needs and to set goals.
Scouters can develop Individualized Scouting Plans (ISP) for each of
their disAbled youth members to address needs, goals and advancement.
All youth are unique. Each bring different strengths and gifts to th=
e
unit. Each learn from one another, irrespective of their own strengt=
hs
or gifts. Scouting should be a microcosm of that idealized society w=
e
strive for as part of our developmental goals.
This is one of a series of brief reviews of U.S. Scouting publication=
s
which provide support, guidance, and direction to units and leaders i=
n
the belief that Scouting and Scouts gain from inclusion.
Previously reviewed publications include BSA=92s:
A Scoutmaster s Guide to Working with Scouts with Disabilitie=
s;
Scouting for Youth with Emotional Disabilities; Mental Retard=
ation;
Physical Disabilities; Hearing Impairments; Blind and Visually Impai=
red;
Learning Disabilities; Exploring;....
These reviews, and other valuable links, can be found at the WORKING
WITH SCOUTS WITH disABILITIES Website:
http://www.boyscouts-marin.org/wwswd/wwswd.htm
________________
FOCUS ON ABILITY - Serving Girls with Special Needs No. 26-802
ISBN 0-88441-4=
92-2, 111 pages,
1998
This book is too good for the Girl Scouts (GSUSA) to keep to
themselves. This is a manual that BSA needs to have, too. Perhaps t=
he
two groups could get together to make it into a gender neutral text, =
and
publish it jointly. Until that day you might consider buying a copy,
whiting-out the words =93girl, she, her, etc.=94 each time you see th=
em, and
penning in the word =93youth=94.
The manual reminds the leader that all youth have different strengths=
,
and as a unit (patrol,pack, troop) working together they become more
than the sum of the parts. Each youth=92s abilities needs to be eval=
uated
on a continuum and all will =93...challenge the leader=92s ability to=
be
creative, sensitive, and energetic.=94. It is also a publication tha=
t can
(should) be read by the unit=92s youth.
The writing approaches people with disAbilities holistically. As muc=
h
as it is a reference for a leader, it also focuses on preparing and
sensitizing the youth group who will be sharing the same Scouting goa=
ls
and enabling them to understanding themselves and their reactions.
It also addresses the needs of the disAbled youth and recommends way=
s
to adapt activities and approaches, as well as techniques for
enablement. There is even a chapter on how to simulate disabilities =
so
that other youth can understand the challenges and constraints.
In individual Chapters devoted to: Learning DisAbilities; Communicati=
on
Disorders; Mental Retardation; Behavior Disorders; Hearing, and Visua=
l
Impairments; and, Physical DisAbilities and Health Impairments, this
manual reorders and gives different perspective (as well as going
somewhat beyond) what the comparable individual BSA manuals do. In e=
ach
chapter it addresses myths and stereotypes; details the characteristi=
cs
of the impairment; recommends adaptations; and even provides well kno=
w
role models who have overcome similar deficits, and excelled.
At $9, this manual is a worthwhile investment for any leader=92s shel=
f,
but it should be thumbed through often.
YIS
Jay Thal
