Nervous about son’s first Cub Scout camp away.

Hi Zoe, Although I am not a Sen Mum.  I do have a few possibilities you might like to explore with your Son's Cub Scout Leaders (my comments are based upon I  used to be an Assistant Guider, plus some research to see if I could establish what equivalent approaches are also endorsed and implemented by Scouts today).

- Scouts usually encourages (prior) face to face conversations with Parents and Carers when planning outdoor activities such as camping - where Leaders will be giving particular consideration to the e.g. reasonable adjustments to ensure inclusion of all Cubs.

- A prior visit to the camping venue would not be an unusual request - to ensure the fullest orientation and inclusion ahead of the scheduled camp for those young people who might particularly feel better reassured in this manner (i.e. venues should be accustomed to hosting / facilitating such a prior visit).   

- Scouts provides additional guidance and practical tips to Leaders about Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (including Autism).  When planning Camps, Trips and Sleepovers suggestions include:

• "An upcoming trip or camp will probably be very exciting for most young people, but for an autistic young person there may be a lot more worries and anxiety about what will happen. Reassurance and further information about what to expect may be needed, such as sleeping arrangements, menus or a schedule. You could show the person photos, videos or pictures of where they'll be going, which may help to reduce any anxiety."

( https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/supporting-people-with-additional-needs/communication-and-interaction/autism/practical-tips-for-leaders/ ).  

- Scouts also has a framework for Leaders working in partnership with Parents and Carers in supporting people with additional needs:

( https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/supporting-people-with-additional-needs/working-in-partnership-with-parents-and-carers/ ).

My belief (and certainly my hope); it should be achievable for your Son to gain a lot from participating in his first camp with his fellow Cub Scouts.  Perhaps deploying a range of pragmatic reasonable adjustments along the way (many of which are likely to benefit more young people than your Son alone).  Joint planning considerations should support that ambition with a little thought by all involved in the camp trip.

Something additional from my own experience - we used to encourage our local Brownies / Guides camping in the UK; that each young person would be issued with a water-resistant, short & wide, plastic, lidded-bucket with a carry handle.  The lidded-bucket served three purposes ( 1) keep a young person's important items dry & clean even in "British" weather, 2) keep a young person's important items identified & safe in a designated locatable space, and 3) gives the young person the option of sitting on the lidded bucket if the ground is very damp or muddy ).  We used to find that (when we enquired) lots of local food-businesses were often quite happy for us to "recycle" their waste food-grade plastic lidded-buckets for these purposes of use by the young people at camp (the buckets were often the sort of delivery packaging in which e.g. liquid glucose etc. arrived).  This approach was initially popular with those young people who (for a range of reasons) had a difficult time when the extra care treatment of their important things might risk being underestimated for it's value and peace of mind.  Subsequently, we found that lots of the local Brownies / Guides loved joining in with the lidded-buckets adoption too.  Maybe your Son's Cub Scouts might like to consider a tactic along that style for similar reasons?

Hi Zoe, Although I am not a Sen Mum.  I do have a few possibilities you might like to explore with your Son's Cub Scout Leaders (my comments are based upon I  used to be an Assistant Guider, plus some research to see if I could establish what equivalent approaches are also endorsed and implemented by Scouts today).

- Scouts usually encourages (prior) face to face conversations with Parents and Carers when planning outdoor activities such as camping - where Leaders will be giving particular consideration to the e.g. reasonable adjustments to ensure inclusion of all Cubs.

- A prior visit to the camping venue would not be an unusual request - to ensure the fullest orientation and inclusion ahead of the scheduled camp for those young people who might particularly feel better reassured in this manner (i.e. venues should be accustomed to hosting / facilitating such a prior visit).   

- Scouts provides additional guidance and practical tips to Leaders about Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (including Autism).  When planning Camps, Trips and Sleepovers suggestions include:

• "An upcoming trip or camp will probably be very exciting for most young people, but for an autistic young person there may be a lot more worries and anxiety about what will happen. Reassurance and further information about what to expect may be needed, such as sleeping arrangements, menus or a schedule. You could show the person photos, videos or pictures of where they'll be going, which may help to reduce any anxiety."

( https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/supporting-people-with-additional-needs/communication-and-interaction/autism/practical-tips-for-leaders/ ).  

- Scouts also has a framework for Leaders working in partnership with Parents and Carers in supporting people with additional needs:

( https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/supporting-people-with-additional-needs/working-in-partnership-with-parents-and-carers/ ).

My belief (and certainly my hope); it should be achievable for your Son to gain a lot from participating in his first camp with his fellow Cub Scouts.  Perhaps deploying a range of pragmatic reasonable adjustments along the way (many of which are likely to benefit more young people than your Son alone).  Joint planning considerations should support that ambition with a little thought by all involved in the camp trip.

Something additional from my own experience - we used to encourage our local Brownies / Guides camping in the UK; that each young person would be issued with a water-resistant, short & wide, plastic, lidded-bucket with a carry handle.  The lidded-bucket served three purposes ( 1) keep a young person's important items dry & clean even in "British" weather, 2) keep a young person's important items identified & safe in a designated locatable space, and 3) gives the young person the option of sitting on the lidded bucket if the ground is very damp or muddy ).  We used to find that (when we enquired) lots of local food-businesses were often quite happy for us to "recycle" their waste food-grade plastic lidded-buckets for these purposes of use by the young people at camp (the buckets were often the sort of delivery packaging in which e.g. liquid glucose etc. arrived).  This approach was initially popular with those young people who (for a range of reasons) had a difficult time when the extra care treatment of their important things might risk being underestimated for it's value and peace of mind.  Subsequently, we found that lots of the local Brownies / Guides loved joining in with the lidded-buckets adoption too.  Maybe your Son's Cub Scouts might like to consider a tactic along that style for similar reasons?