In Holbrook, a special pack gives boys with challenges a chance to be Scouts

A recently launched Cub Scout pack in Holbrook, the only one of its kind in Suffolk County, aims to serve boys with autism and other neurodiversities.

Jeremy Yakkey, 36, started Cub Scout Pack 48 in November for his son Freddie, a 7-year-old who is on the autism spectrum and nonverbal.

“We tried going to other Cub Scout packs and trying it out. He just didn’t fit in anywhere. So I decided to start my own Cub Scout pack for my son and his friends,” Yakkey said.

“We work with only neurodivergent children, whether it be on the autism spectrum, Down syndrome or ADHD, anything that would classify them as neurodivergent,” he added.

Any child can become a Cub Scout — the Boy Scouts of America restricts involvement only based on age — and officials with the national organization said they support the participation of those with special needs.

“Our prevailing attitude toward youth involvement in Scouts is that any youth that wants to have a scouting experience should have the ability to have a scouting experience,” said Scott Armstrong, a national spokesman for Boy Scouts of America. “So we’re really proud when we do have a unit that specializes in something such as serving neurodiverse Scouts.”

The Boy Scouts of America offers an inclusion toolbox at Ablescouts.org to help troop leaders try to meet the needs of all children who want to be involved.

Yakkey said Pack 48's program, for neurodiverse boys in kindergarten through fifth grade, is adjusted to meet the needs and abilities of each member. 

At the Cub Scout level, charter partners may decide whether a pack is coed; and over the age of 10, troops must only be for girls or boys, according to the Boy Scouts organization.

Tracy-Lynn Goldstein, 39, whose husband helps run the Holbrook group, said the pack has created a community with “built-in friends” for her son Jackson, 7, who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. 

“He’s connecting with other kids. You don’t see that a lot,” said Goldstein, who lives in Patchogue. “He runs around; he’s smiling. It’s really, really nice.”

Renae Ozog, 33, said the troop has been a good way for her son Bradley, 5, who has autism, to interact with other children. Bradley likes to play independently and loves routines, his mother said, but Cub Scouts has helped him socialize. 

“It's definitely gotten him into making more friends," said Ozog, who lives in Medford. 

Yakkey’s troop meets once a week at Nokomis Elementary School in Holbrook and plans field trips or community events for every six to eight weeks. 

“I just want everybody to know that we are here. We are always looking to add members to our pack,” he said. “…These kids have come such a long way and achieved so much together as a group. Nothing is impossible for anybody.”

By Brianne Ledda

brianne.ledda@newsday.com@brianne_ledda

Brianne Ledda covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. She previously covered Southold and Greenport for The Suffolk Times and is a graduate of Stony Brook University.