my little boy would like to join a cubs group

[lecturingcook]

my little boy wants to join a cubs group. He has social and emotional support needs, manages well in mainstream with teaching assistant support. I want him to go - but he will not cope without some extra support. I want him to have interests outside the family just like his brother - has anyone found any extra help for their child for stuff like this?

Ask local authority about 'aming high funding' this stops in march, but if you get it before then I think you have a chance of making a case for it to continue. (funding permitting!) Good Luck...

Also worth talking to the Cubs group direct, to see what they can offer maybe?

Might be worth giving it a go at first with someone he knows supporting him. Just in case he doesn't like it and wants to quit after you've battled hard for funding from somewhere?

Yeah, we keep getting put on 'waiting lists' too. I can't help thinking if my DS was SN he'd move up them a bit quicker...

Groups are not really allowed to refuse entry to an SN kid if they have space but most of them don't seem to 'have space' when we ask....

Sorry to be so cynical. I've given up trying to get DS into anything extra curricular.

not was I mean wasn't

Each cubs pack is different depending on how good the leaders are really. Look at different cubs packs near to where you live and ask if they have any other children with SN in the paack and how they are supported. Put his name down for the pack with the Leaders which you feel will work hardest to support him.

Problem is that there's very few packs round here. Which are apparently "full". Badgers are full. Even the sn trampoline club turned us away.
I'm now too scared of trying anywhere else lest I give them a mouthful when they undoubtedly will tell me they're full.

I've found beavers, cubs, scouts and now Explorers have been very inclusive and supportive of my son's needs, and he has benefited enormously from being a member.
So don't give up, and try not to get paranoid either. Which is difficult, as people do often seek to exclude our children from mainstream whenever they can.
We never found a sporting activity he could access for longer than two sessions when he was in primary.
Then he discovered kayaking when he was 12 and an amazingly inclusive watersports centre.

This link to scouts website will answer a lot of your questions: scouts.org.uk/search?keyword=special+needs.

As an organisation, scouts are much more clued up and sn friendly than many. Obviously the support you will be offered is as good as the individual leaders and there are other factors like the make-up of the patrols, size of the groups and the setting where they meet that will influence how comfortable your ds feels. Depending on where you live there will be more than one scout troup for you to choose from. So you could start by talking to a leader from each group and ask to observe then maybe do a trial to see how your ds copes.

In our group we have a dc with moderately severe autism whose carer will be hovering close by to intervene when necessary, another with higher functioning autism whose parent is there as a general helper not usually helping directly with the child but presence in the background provides enough reassurance and others with adhd who are able to cope with the occasional intervention of the leaders who know what their likely stressors/difficulties are.

It would be great if your ds would be able to cope alone and thus give you a much needed break and increase his independence but will depend to some extent on how many volunteer leaders/helpers they have.

Our ds gets on well now he is in scouts, he did find noise levels a bit overwhelming when at cubs level and stopped going for a while but tried again and now enjoys it.

Good luck.