If you have a young men who has special needs you may be worried about how they will fit into the program. You may be concerned about him being able to go on campouts, completing merit badges or completing his Priesthood duties. The Young Men’s program is one that fosters including all young men, regardless of ability or interest into the ward program.
If you have a son with special needs it is important that you have a clear and open communication with your son’s leaders. They may not know what they need to do to help your son feel included, and what types of accommodations that they need to make for him. As they make accommodations for your son, you need to be flexible as well. If they ask that a parent accompany him on an overnight campout, you need to be willing to go or suggest an alternative that may work as well. Campouts are probably the most difficult time to make accommodations because there is so much happening at once. Most likely they would like an extra hand to help keep things under control.
As your son works towards his Eagle, it is important to realize that the requirements can be changed to help him reach the goal. If he is physically unable to complete the hiking or swimming merit badges others may be substituted in their place. You can learn more about this at the Boy Scout website. Your son will still need to complete merit badges and go through learning and growing experiences, but they will be better suited to his abilities.
Similarly the Duty to God award has flexibility as well. You can alter the requirements so that your son is capable of achieving them. It is important to talk to your son’s priesthood leader as you make these changes. It is important that everyone be working together to achieve these goals.
It is important to be patient with the leaders and the other boys. No one is perfect, and they may be struggling with how best to help your son fit in. If you have concerns with the way that your son is being treated, then speak to the leader calmly about your concerns. This will help the concerns to be resolved in positive manner.