Merokean Overcomes Disability on Eagles Scout Quest

Editor's Note: This article was written by Chris Boyle.

Alexander Eagen is turning 18 this May, and the Merrick resident is already well on his way to accomplishing more than many kids his age, despite possessing setbacks that the average child doesn’t normally have to deal with.

Eagen, who is developmentally disabled, will soon be awarded the highest rank the Boy Scouts of the United States offers — Eagle Scout.

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After Eagen was born, it didn’t take long for Valerie and her husband William to realize something was wrong. His verbal and developmental skills didn’t seem to be advancing at the same rate as those of his older sister.

“The original diagnosis when he was five was an Autism spectrum disorder called PDD-NOS, which stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified,” Valerie said. “It’s a very high-functioning Autism spectrum disorder. However, we’re not sure today if he’d still quality as PDD-NOS on the traditional scale, or just learning disabled. Alex is great at social interaction, whereas most people with Autism are not, but his IQ is can be spotty in certain areas.”

Once he had reached ninth grade, Valerie decided to homeschool Alex due to a change to New York State law that would have prevented him from receiving a high school diploma had he stayed in the public education system.

“Alex would have earned the same basic certification that someone in wheelchair with no verbal ability who is unable to take care of themselves would have gotten,” she said. “It’s crazy to me to have that big of a gap in ability and not be able to get a diploma. He was always the best student in his classes.”

Today, Eagen’s communication skills are excellent, but as a slowly-developing child, finding ways for him to fit in were difficult. In fourth grade, Valerie found Troop 225 of the Merrick Boy Scouts.

“People don’t realize that there aren’t a lot of outlets for a special-needs kid,” she said. “Then one day I saw a flyer for the Boy Scouts, and I thought this was something that could do because it’s individualized. Yes, you’re part of a troop, but it’s not like a team where you all have to work together. You advance as fast or as slow as you want to without holding anyone else up.”

Valerie said that belonging to the Boy Scouts has been tremendously helpful to Alex in terms of the characteristics that they typically promote, such as self-improvement, reading, responsibility and citizenship.

Valerie said that with the confidence Boy Scouting had given him, Alex was determined to do whatever it took to reach its highest plateau.

“First, you have to do all of the work to advance through all of the lower ranks, and you have to get a certain amount of merit badges...Alex has earned 31,” she said. “Then, you have to lead a major project that makes an improvement to the community. Alex cleaned up the trash at Faith Laursen Meroke Preserve and mapped out and marked hiking trails throughout the grounds. Plus, after Hurricane Sandy, he re-planted new trees there as well.”

All that remains is questioning by a board of Scout Leaders before their highest honor is bestowed upon him.

Eagen was elected by his troop into the Order of the Arrow, which is the Boy Scout’s equivalent of the honor society, as well as being voted Troop 225 Scout of the Year three separate times.

Since earning his welding merit badge was favorite experience, in the fall Alex will be taking welding classes at BOCES while attending Nassau community College.

“When Alex was diagnosed with his condition when he was younger, we were given no encouragement that he could be a functional member of society,” Valerie said. “But we always encouraged Alex, and now that this has turned out to be a happy story, we really need to let people know about his accomplishments so that other parents will get the encouragement that we never got.”