Tuesday, 20 April 2010

• Autistics Can Be Eagle Scouts Too

  
  
  
  
  A freelance article published in the Star Tribune highlights an autistic man honored after earning the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor possible in the Boy Scouts of America. His case would fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum; Keely reads at a third-grade level, his motor skills aren’t up to speed with his peers, and he definitely loathes physical contact.

  The Boy Scouts have revised their requirements over the years to accommodate Scouts with disabilities, and the writer spends some time highlighting their inclusion of people with disabilities, offering a brief respite from criticism over not allowing gays to serve as troop leaders. The adjustments allow parents to “mainstream” kids in Cub Scout packs before switching to special-needs troops or deciding to stay with regular troops when they move to Boy Scout packs.

  Regarding the autism side, the writer’s explanation of the disability and Keely’s challenges parallels stories I encountered five years ago about autism. Using contrast to tell the story, she explains all the typical elements included in Keely’s Court of Honor ceremony, then throws the bombshell that he’s autistic. Unfortunately, autism is clearly explained in the article’s headline, which spoils the surprise included in the story. I wonder how many times we’ll read or hear all the drawbacks that autistic people deal with in the social environment before the writers and/or audience realizes that many cases parallel each other, even if the severity doesn’t.

  Using Keely’s story to transition into the Boy Scouts’ response to special-needs kids was effective, but it may have also buried the story underneath. Assuming that Boy Scouts allows young males with any disability to participate, there’s a worthwhile story that members would be thrilled to share, especially with a massive celebration coming next month to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. Stories of concerns have surfaced about how to handle all these autistic people…she found an answer and didn’t aggressively make that point.

  Evaluating the knowledge the writer has on the subject is virtually impossible with only one article as evidence, but my analysis suggests the writer may not know much about autism and structured her article for others in her position, although that group is slowly shrinking. Comeback stories are good for morale, but they get repetitive for me as I’ve critiqued a few dozen articles since this site was launched. Reporters assigned to autism stories may want to take note that the “pedestal” angle works for a while, but runs the risk of annoying the attentive portion of the audience who want to know what will happen beyond. In this case, how Keely’s Eagle Scout rank could help him adapt to life when he leaves his troop or how the Boy Scouts may evolve as an option for autistic boys looking to enjoy themselves.

  
  

  • 6:00 PM
  • 529 Views
  • 16 eProps
  • 6 Comments