The Happy Overnight Camper

Finding Yearlong Success at Summer Camp
By John Willson, M.S., LRT/CTRS

Camp is a traditional way to spend those lazy days of summer. For kids with learning differences, camp develops skills that can create success in the classroom and at home.

As a camp director for a program specifically serving youth diagnosed with learning differences, I am often asked the question, “How can I make sure my child attends the right camp?” Camp can and should be a time for children to have fun, expand their abilities and learn more about their potential. Unfortunately, for many children diagnosed with a learning difference the experience can be filled with disappointment, anxiety and frustration. As a parent, you want your child to have fun and be safe, and you want some peace of mind when you send them away.

If you begin with the belief that all individuals identified with learning differences possess inherent talents and gifts, then finding opportunities to nurture and develop these gifts and strengths becomes an important component in the development plan for your child. Promoting these abilities can help him negotiate the challenging obstacles of childhood, adolescence and eventually translate into success in adulthood. One terrific avenue to that end is summer camp.
Camp experiences become life skills

A young child with learning differences flourishes when he is encouraged to focus on his strengths in an experiential setting. While choosing the right summer experience for your child can be a daunting task, the right summer camp adventure may help your child develop problem-solving skills, effective communication strategies, increased self-awareness and social skills. In order to accomplish these goals you will want to find a camp which empowers children to make healthy choices, learn more about themselves, overcome challenges, and relate lessons learned from these experiences to other aspects of their lives back at home.

Camp can be an amazing place to learn and practice important life skills for children. Campers have a chance to make new friendships, which give them an opportunity to practice important social skills. Children will also encounter an array of new opportunities to gain a measure of independence. The difference between good and great camps can be measured by how the skills learned at camp will transfer back to home and school. For instance, campers who climb a cliff can then reflect on the link between skills used during the climb and similar skills needed to navigate friendships. The safety rope attached to a climber is a great representation of the trust relationship between the child and the people who support him. A great camp will help the camper make these connections.

Along with developing important social relationships, summer camp is a wonderful opportunity to nurture leadership, develop communication skills and explore new areas of interest. Most camp programs have systems set in place to allow students to rotate responsibilities, ensuring that each child has an opportunity to explore his leadership potential. In addition to fostering leadership, a summer camp experience can also give young people a chance to participate in new activities. Time is a commodity and during the school year there is only so much exploration that can occur. Many kids today don’t get a chance get outdoors nearly enough. Summer camp, on the other hand, offers a wide spectrum of activities that will foster activity, creativity and ingenuity. Possibilities include exploring artistic endeavors, climbing and hiking, water sports, adventure sports, computer programming and travel.

What makes a great camp?
A great summer camp is strength-based and success oriented. It should strive to meet the individual needs, styles and strengths of a camper. It is also important to offer a staff-to-student ratio that allows for individual attention to flourish. Compassion is a vital personal trait necessary for people who care for children diagnosed with learning difference. Many children have undeveloped leadership abilities that can be nurtured at camp as well.

Find a program that understands the level of frustration which comes with having a learning difference. All too often, campers experience a high level of perceived failure at school, on the playground and at home. It is crucial for them to experience successes. Quality programs will find ways to nurture success and provide a positive framework to overcome anger and frustration, leading to the development of resilience. To that end, each child should come to camp with his own individualized goals.

Is my child ready for camp?
Most children are ready for day camp at age 6 and overnight camp at age 8. Some children will need a camp that understands the specific nature of their needs, while others may be able to attend a camp without that focus. You should also consider if you want your child to continue with academics. Some children desperately need a break for anything academic, while others will benefit by using the summer to get a head start on the academic expectations for the upcoming school year. Use this quick survey to help guide you in determining what kind of program you are looking for:

Activities	Life Skill Development	Camp Structure
– Sports - Outdoor Adventure - Traditional Camp - Travel - Academic Tutoring - Arts and Music	– Social Skills Development - Organizational Skills - Problem Solving Skills - Individualized Goals - Behavior Management - Leadership Development	– Overnight - Coed - Low staff to student ratio - Highly structured - Accredited - Understand LD and AD/HD

Once you are able to determine what your criteria are, you can start to look for camps that will meet your needs. Many schools serving youth diagnosed with learning disabilities will offer summer programs. However, there are only a few nationally recognized programs specifically serving this population of students. Search online sites like www.mysummercamps.com or www.summercamps.com. For more local Atlanta opportunities view the KE resource directory.

What questions should I ask?
What is the staff-to-student ratio? Most children diagnosed with learning differences benefit from smaller groups settings and lower staff-to- student ratios. These lower ratios allow for more individual attention to help children flourish.

Does the staff have special training? Discover what their staff criteria are, the age of the counselors and the background of typical camp counselors. How extensive is staff training? Typically a three day to one week staff training can be indicator that the program isn’t really prepared to focus on the special needs of children diagnosed with a learning difference.

How are medications handled? Camp staff should receive training on all aspects of medication administration, including information about the common types taken by youth with learning differences, their purpose and contraindications, and a standard protocol for administering the medication.

How is behavior managed? Summer camps have different philosophies regarding behavior management, and whatever answer they give you should resonate with your beliefs and abilities. Programs should utilize a variety of techniques to help young people get the most from their experience. Engaging a philosophy of natural and logical consequences, in conjunction with generous amounts of praise and positive feedback for successful performance, has been instrumental in supporting healthy behavioral dynamics for many families. It is also helpful when campers help to create the guidelines to which they are held accountable.

Is accreditation necessary? Camp programs should be accredited. The most common accreditation is from the American Camping Association. Ask for a list of references, and contact some of the families to get a sense of what you may expect.

What are the benefits for the campers? The most important ingredient to making this decision lies in your hopes and expectations for the experience. While no camp can offer a guarantee, your child should leave camp with new strategies and techniques to help him take on the next school year. Skills to promote positive peer relationships, manage frustration, exercise leadership and communicate their needs more effectively are common expectations. Find out how the camp will help your child transfer skills practiced in the program to the home and school environment.

Getting the camper ready
Consider having your child participate in the choosing of a camp and the specific course and location. Share all information about the camp and what he should expect. Allow your child to research programming areas and activities. Allow him to explore the camp’s Web site to familiarize himself with the faces and places. If a child is experiencing any anxiety about going away to camp, encourage him to speak with a former camper or a camp director.

Now that you have chosen a camp, it is time to start preparing. This transition can be difficult, and the more excitement you help generate will transfer to your child. If you can visit the program prior to the summer, this can often ease some anxiety. Have your child help prepare items for camp, label everything, and if you are going to shop for new items or gear, make sure it is an event for your child. If your child is especially anxious about this upcoming adventure, ask someone from the camp to call your child and help get him excited.

Once your child is at camp, feel free to check in as you need too. Please remember that letters and e-mails can be very encouraging for your child, but camp is a time to increase independence and sometimes talking with your child can induce homesickness and anxiety. For some parents, moms especially, that first sleep away camp experience is very difficult. Take advantage of the extra time you have and find ways to make your time fun and productive.

Camp experiences can lead to a lifetime of successful endeavors. I recently attended the wedding of a former camper. When she saw me she rushed over and screamed, “Big John, you came!” She looked so beautiful on this important day, and I was so impressed how far she had come. Her parents joined me and reflected about the little girl she used to be. Her mother expressed with tears in her eyes, “We couldn’t have done it without you. We never thought this day would come.”
Camp isn’t just a way to fill time in the summer. It’s a wonderfully unique opportunity to help children develop their potential, to nurture their spirit, and provide a platform to launch their development. Perhaps the greatest compliment I have ever received came from a camper who simply stated “At SOAR, I get to be the person I will someday become.” When you find the right camp for your child, the result can be increased self-esteem, a new found sense of independence, and a magical place where children can get to be the person they will someday become.

John Willson is the director of LD and AD/HD services for SOAR, a nationally recognized and accredited summer program serving youth with learning differences and AD/HD. For more information about John Willson or SOAR visit www.soarnc.org.

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