Speical Camps
for Special Children Special needs children
from
summer camp, too.
Just because your child has special
needs does not mean that he or she
cannot benefit from the experience of
summer camp. On the contrary, a
summer camp designed to address
your child’s specific issues can be very
rewarding. There are several camps in
Texas designed to accommodate
everything from the mild needs of a
highly functioning autistic child to the
demands of a quadriplegic.
When you are searching for a camp
to accommodate your special-needs
child, first consider what you are hoping
to achieve and what outcomes
you are anticipating from
the experience. You
need to consider
your child’s specific requirements and
make
sure
that
they will be able to be met by the
facility, faculty and staff.
And although ACA accreditation is
not mandatory, this is a case where it
might be wise to look for that seal of
approval because you will have the
assurance that a minimum of nearly 300
standards, including those pertaining
to health and safety, are being met.
That is very comforting to a parent
whose child needs more than the usual
amount of supervision.
Other factors you will want to consider
include the camp’s counselor-tocamper
ratio. Ideally it will be 2- to-1 or
in some cases even 1-to-1. Consider
the ages of the staff and their training
and experience in dealing with children
with special needs. You will want to
make sure the campground is accessible
for those children with physical limitations,
and if your child requires a
special diet, you will want to know that
the cafeteria can accommodate that
need on a daily basis.
Most camps that are
designed for children with
special needs are aware of
the situations that can arise,
and some camps go the extra
mile to include arrangements
for caregivers and facilities
for ongoing treatments.
“We try not to turn anyone away
based on their level of disability,” says
Janice Bobo of Camp C.A.M.P.
(Children’s Association for Maximum
Potential). “The only time we would
ever do that is if we are unable to keep
the child safe or if he is a danger to himself
or others.”
Perhaps the most important thing
to consider when deciding whether to
send your special-needs child to camp
is whether the counselors understand
that your child is special in more than
just the disabled sense and will
encourage him or her to explore new
interests and take on new challenges.
“We try to do many of the same
activities as a typical camp — we just
do them a little differently and tailor
them to the child’s individual needs,”
explains Bobo.
The benefits of camp for special-
needs children are the
same as for their typically
developing peers. The
children gain social skills,
confidence and independence.
For many,
camp is the first time
that they are around
other children with disabilities,
and they realize that they are
not alone. “The children begin to realize
they are part of a much larger community,”
Bobo adds.
Higher-functioning campers can go
on to become leaders and role models
within the camp community, which
further bolsters the ego.
“When special-needs children are
included in the traditional school
environment, they often can’t do
what the other children can,”
explains Lisa Braziel, director of
Camp Summit. “At camp, some of
the higher-functioning kids become
high man on the totem pole.”
The bottom line is that the right camp
can make a tremendous difference in
the life of a special-needs child and
can open doors to new experiences
that were previously unavailable.
“For many of the kids, this is the first
time they have experienced swimming,
horseback riding and other activities,”
says Braziel. “We concentrate on their
abilities, not their disabilities.”
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