It’s closing in on the end of June now and the last few days of the school year are winding down.  Many families like ours will soon be turning their attention towards preparing their children for summer camp.  This is the time when parents need to do an inventory check to see if they have enough bathing suits, shorts, etc. to get them through the summer at camp. For parents of children with special needs, preparation for camp goes beyond getting the gear ready, and instead focuses on preparing their child so they can benefit from their camp experience. The following are some key tips to consider when preparing your child (and yourself) for camp this summer.

1.     Prepare your child gradually for the camp experience.  Create a plan to introduce camp slowly.  Take the month before the start of camp to transition.  Use the first week to introduce them to the general concept of camp.  Talk about the benefits of attending camp and what some of your child's goals might be.  Some examples may include trying a new sport, make a new friend, or just enjoying a break.  In the second week visit the camp’s website with your child.  Talk about other friends and family members’ experiences at camp.  Then, in the last week, tour the camp.  

2.     Visit the camp prior to your child starting for the summer.  Take advantage of any orientation sessions the camp may offer.  These are great opportunities for your child to meet their counsellors, familiarize themselves with where they will eat, the location of bathrooms, etc.

3.     Prepare a personalized book for your child with photos from camp.  This will help get them get comfortable and familiar with some of the key things they will see everyday at camp.  You could use the opportunity when visiting the camp to take some photos to use in this book.  If the camp has a video, you could use this as well to help your child become familiar with the camp

4.     Prepare a "getting to know my child" package for the camp.  Often camps proactively request this information from parents; but, if not, it’s a good idea to give them this information.  Draft a brief profile; identify their likes and dislikes, their communication style, etc.  Identify potentially difficult situations and how to handle them.  Consider the idea of your child having “a break” in the middle of the day, if you think the day will be too long for them.  You can arrange this ahead of time with the camp.  

5.     If your child needs extra assistance being integrated into the daily activities of camp you may want to explore options for hiring a support worker or “shadow” to help them out at camp.  Often camps that are good with inclusion have extra staff available to support your child for an additional fee. 

6.     Practice skills that they will need to master at camp.  Activities of daily living at camp may include getting changed for swimming activities, opening containers used for lunch, putting their personal belongings in their backpack.  Practicing these activities prior to starting camp and talking about the steps they need to complete them, will help them when confronted with doing these tasks everyday.  

7.     For each week get a copy of the camp schedule. Many children, particularly children with Autism and Aspergers Syndrome like to know what is coming next, and do well with daily schedules. For children that like check off lists, have them carry the schedule with them and check off the activities after they have happened.  They can carry it in pack, or have a counsellor carry it and have the child check off the list as they progress through the day.

8.     Daily reports on your child’s day at camp are a great way to stay connected and informed about their day. This could be a simple list of the daily activities with some brief comments.  Or, it could simply be a few sentences summarizing the day from your child’s counsellor. These are great tools to encourage conversations that evening around the dinner table about what happened during the day.

9.     Look at the transportation options offered by the camp, and choose the option that would best suit your child.  If a bus pick-up would be excruciating for your child, you may not want to pick that option.  Many camps offer various options, including parent drop-off. 

10. Although we always want to encourage our children to have new experiences, it’s important to discuss your child’s feelings.  Saying “you’ll have a great time” may not be appropriate for your child, and not address what they’re truly feeling. If your child has limited or no speech, it’s difficult for them to express what they might be feeling.  Instead, you can do the talking, and talk about how sometimes it’s scary going to a new place until you get to know your way around; or, how it’s scary to meet new people but those new people also feel scared.   

Summer is a time for children to go to camp and have fun. Some careful planning before and during your child attends camp can make all the difference to ensuring they have a great experience.

Crawford Dedman

Special Education Advocacy Consultant

www.challengingminds.com