Summer Camps

Summer camps offer a fun yet challenging structured environment for our children. And more so, for our routine-oriented children with autism, summer camp is an essential school extension, an enjoyable learning environment.

But summer camps for children with special needs can be very expensive. Usually, the fees are higher than for regular campers. Plus, the family is responsible for providing, training and paying a worker to be with their child the whole time the child is at camp. In total, a child with special needs is charged twice the fee of a typical child. Sure, there are organizations who can assist in securing a worker, or subsidize the camp fees, but their waiting list could be extremely long. Gord was on a four-year waiting list; by the time his turn came up, he could not qualify anymore as he had reached the age limit. (That sounds like a propaganda; provide a program that doesn’t work.)

Unless the parents can provide a similar challenging, supervised environment for their children, a do-it-yourself summer program is also an option.

Initially, Gord had always attended the summer camp program for children with autism and special needs. It must have been when he was about thirteen years old when he realized that there are different functioning levels of children with autism. He became conscious of his ‘special needs’ which he recognized were not exactly the same ‘special needs’ as those of the other campers. He knew he was different from them but he was not also like the other typical kids. He started to reflect on his individuality, and where and how his abilities and capabilities fit within the umbrella of his ‘special needs’. He wanted something, he didn’t know what. For now, for sure, he did not want to go back to the same camp for special needs for children. And, I don’t blame him.

In preparation for last year’s summer, we faced the challenge of looking for a suitable summer camp for him. He wanted to be with typically developing children who would be his positive role models. But, he could not just attend a camp for typically developing children. It has to be that camp where precautions at the camp are in place in case he burst his unpredictable violent behaviour attributable to his autism.

Our extensive search led us to the camps offered by McMaster University. They offer a sports fitness camp, wherein the camper chooses three sports from the list, and a Mini-University camp, a camp like school but without the exams and note-taking. They take a minimum number of special needs children who would be integrated with the others. Gord’s camp fee is the same as those for the typically developing child. Now, that’s fair! And to top it all, they provide the worker for Gord, at no extra cost for us. And that’s fabulous! Their university students, who have special interests in working with children while pursuing a related academic program, will be working with children like Gord.

Just based on what we read on their site, Gord found this camp ideal. He’d do anything to attend this camp; even if that meant that he would be taking their shuttle bus service from a location in our town to the University, his first time to be in a bus with other children/ strangers without special needs.

After four weeks of summer camp at McMaster U, we saw a more matured Gordon. Though we kept that observation to ourselves but the same was echoed by school staff come Fall. They saw an independent and confident boy yet still has a soft heart for children who are not as high functioning as he is. On his first day of school, he was surprise to see a familiar face; his teacher was one of his workers at camp. Thanks McMaster U’ summer program’s directors, counsellors and other workers. Please continue to your fees for special needs children the same as those of the other children.

He had a wonderful time last year, that he made sure he could make it to Mc’s camp again this year. (and that’ll be the topic in the next blog.)

Check the university and college in your area for children's program. They could offer something for your children with special needs.