Special Choices
For Children With Special Needs, There’s Been A Wonderful Bloom Of Camps—General And Specialized—That Can Help Them With Their Challenges While Enjoying The Full Camp Experience
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ummer camp provides children with the opportunity to develop new skills, build self confidence and learn to work with others as a team. There are many factors you need to consider when looking for a camp for your child including a camp’s philosophy, program emphasis, and what type of child is successful at the camp they are looking into. And a parent of a child with special needs is going to have even more considerations that go beyond the usual camp search. Not every summer camp is equipped to address the specific needs of every child with special needs. However, if parents do their research, they are certain to find a summer camp that will provide their child with a successful summer camp experience.
First, it is important for you to consider what you want your child to take away from the camp experience and what your child wants out of his or her camp experience. Do you want your child to gain independence and learn daily living skills without your assis-
tance? Improve social interactions? Make new friends? Decide what your must haves are and what is on your wish list. When speaking to the camp director, make sure the camp has the must haves and this will help you narrow down your summer camp choices when
speaking with camp directors. Next, you want to talk to the camp director at the camp you are interested in sending your child to and ask questions about their program and also tell the director about your child. “Parents really want to dig down and understand what population the camp services and who the camp is really trained to work with,” says Eric Sasson, Camp Director at Camp Akeela, a resident camp for children with Asperger’s Syndrome and Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities in Thetford Center, VT. “When speaking to a camp director, parents want to describe their child and the challenges he or she has and you want to ask if the camp has had kids like this in the past. If so, ask the director to tell you about those kids. If they had melt downs at camp because they don’t do well with transitions, how does the staff handle it? Parents want to know that a camp director and staff are going to be able to handle these challenges and behaviors when they aren’t there.” It is important for parents to
have honest conversations with the camp director about their child and share specifics, whether you are looking into a mainstream camp or a special needs camp. Tell the camp director about your child’s most challenging days. You want to be assured that the camp you are choosing can handle the issues that may come up during the summer. Families are also encouraged to choose a summer camp where the director is interested in meeting your child and family. Families want to know that the camp isn’t just taking your child but that the camp has determined that it is the right fit for your child. “After speaking with a family, we meet with the parents and the child to make another level of determination if this will be a good fit. It gives us insight into the child’s family life and child and to see if we have the services that can provide the right camp experience for this child,” says Lisa Tobin, Director of Round Lake, a resident camp for children with learning differences and social Continued on page 8
Find the perfect camp for your child at TheRightCamp.com 6
New York Family 2012 Ultimate Guide To Summer Camp