A rite of passage during childhood, summer camps often leave behind core memories of singalongs, fun traditions and adventures in nature—a magical combination of experiences. But as parents of children with special needs, how do we choose a camp that truly suits our children, somewhere they’ll feel welcomed and included while being safe and sound?
That may seem like a daunting task, but finding the right fit is worth the effort. Other than being just plain fun, camps provide a unique opportunity to practice social skills, make new friends and problem solve, as well as build confidence and independence. They allow our children to break away from the structure of school and home, then make choices about what they want to do, possibly while connecting with others with similar life circumstances. It’s a chance to focus on their abilities, not their disabilities.
“It’s pretty neat to see each summer, as campers come back and get to see their camp friends—the smiles, the hugs, the running and across the bridge and the excitement.”
So let’s take a look at how to make the right choice for your child.
Where to Look for Camps
When it comes to finding a summer camp for your child, first think about your goals and priorities. Are you interested in indulging a particular interest of your child? Connecting them to others who share their condition? Getting in some good quality outdoor time?
Mainstream or Need-Specific?
Decide if you’re looking for an inclusive mainstream camp or one designed specifically for your child’s special needs. Whichever route you choose, your child’s care team could be a great resource when it comes to making the right pick.
“Options range from specialty and diagnosis-specific camps to camps through the YMCA or other local organizations. Parents frequently learn about these camps from our social workers,” says Dr. Patricia Hicks, developmental behavior pediatrician at Children’s Health in Dallas and Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, who encourages parents to secure summer camp plans early in the year to ensure a spot.
• Online, there are some great sites to start with. NaTasha Woodard, a licensed clinical social worker with Children’s Health’s Complex Care Medical Services, suggests looking at navigatelifetexas.org or texasautismsociety.org when seeking camps and activities for kids with special needs during the summer.
• DFWChild’s special needs camp directory at dfwchild.com/camps.
• Check in with where you might already be receiving services. “Some ABA, Applied Behavioral Analysis, centers have day camps for children with autism,” Woodard adds.
• If your child is established at a local hospital, check with them too. They often post recommended camps on their websites or can provide you with a well-researched listing.
• Camp for All has a “Find Your Camp” feature that’s helpful, as does the American Camp Association. In addition to the YMCA, tried-and-true camps such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and Camp Fire often provide specialized training for their staffers on working with kiddos of all abilities. Mainstream camps offer the bonus of being appropriate for siblings too.
What to Keep in Mind
Expand Your Search Geographically
Remember that the specific camp experience you want for your child might be right down the road. But if you’re willing to broaden your search, you’ll find camps that specialize in creating unforgettable summer experiences for all kinds of kids.
One of those is Camp John Marc, which partners with DFW-area providers and children’s hospitals including Children’s Health, Scottish Rite for Children, and Cook Children’s, to offer specialized facilities to host camps for kids with chronic illness and physical challenges. It’s about 85 miles southwest of Dallas, in Bosque County, and serves children with burns, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, cardiac disease, blood disorders and cancer—and those are just the camps that start in June.
Ask for a Tour
Before you go all-in with an overnight camp that may stretch a week or more, know that many camps offer a daylong adventure program or a family weekend retreat to get a sense of what the camp’s all about. Camp El Tesoro (part of the Camp Fire family), an overnight camp outside of Fort Worth, has an Inclusion Program for children with mild intellectual or developmental disabilities. They host open houses throughout the year to offer previews for families.
“They can come out to camp, see the property and connect with our camp director and the staff. They could also meet with food service to talk about dietary needs,” says Jen Smith, vice president of outdoor connection at Camp El Tesoro. “We do a hayride through the property. You can also go into a cabin and see what that looks like. We open some of our activities like arts and crafts and archery, so they can try out some of the activities that we offer. If they want a private tour, that’s also available.”
Knowing Your Needs
Don’t be afraid to reach out to staffers for an open, honest conversation about your child’s unique situation and how those needs will be supported and communicated. Camp El Tesoro hires an inclusion coordinator every summer who connects with families who need extra assistance before camp.
“They get more specific on each individual kid because everybody’s unique, and we want to be able to help each individual to the best of our ability,” Smith says, adding the staff trains on working with children with special needs.
Ask about Staff & Protocols
How are they screened and trained? What is the staff to camper ratio? How are things such as personal care, discipline, dietary needs or medical treatments and emergencies handled? How are the campers grouped? And what happens when things don’t go as planned and a child just doesn’t seem happy? Also consider asking for references, particularly parents of children with the same abilities as your child.
Fostering Friendship & Independence
Smith says that the growth she sees in a camper at the end of their stay is similar across the board. “Kids, no matter their abilities, may have a parent or guardian who does a lot for them, and at camp they have that independence of, Okay, I need to get myself up and take a shower or pack what I need for the day,” she says, noting that campers get to choose their own activities and can advocate for themselves if they want to make switch.
Camp, of course, comes with meeting new friends and reacquainting with old camp friends year after year. “Some have been here for multiple summers, and others may be on their first summer, and they’re all trying to figure out how to navigate camp. So you have that camaraderie and friendship. And it’s pretty neat to see each summer, as campers come back and get to see their camp friends—the smiles, the hugs, the running and across the bridge and the excitement.”
RELATED: Morgan’s Wonderland Camp Offers Year-Round Fun for All Abilities
Camps for Children with Special Needs
More DFW-Area Camps
Callier Center Camps: Offerings include Camp Interact, for children entering second through sixth grades with social skill difficulties; Summer Language Camp for kids with language disorders; Summer Listening Camp, for children with hearing differences; and Camp Mary Poppins, a musical camp for children with hearing loss and their siblings. // Dallas; calliercenter.utdallas.edu
HEROES (Helping Everyone Reach Outstanding Educational Success): Day programs run for six weeks during the summer for individuals of all abilities, ages 3 and up. // Richardson; heroesdfw.org
North Texas Performing Arts Theater & Film Camps: Specialty camps are available for students with disabilities (NTPA Starcatchers) and Deaf students (NTPA Deaf Theatre). // Multiple locations; ntpa.org/camps
YMCA Angel Camp: Summer program for children ages 8–18 intellectual and developmental disabilities. // Rockwall; ymcadallas.org/angel-camp
Camps in North Texas
Camp Summit: Residential camp for individuals with disabilities. // Paradise; campsummittx.org
SEEK (Summer Events for Exceptional Kampers): Non-denominational Christian camp for ages 9 and up. // Bridgeport; seekcamp.org
Camp John Marc: Specialized camp facilities designed in partnership with Dallas-Fort Worth area pediatric hospitals. // Meridian; campjohnmarc.org
Charis Hills Camp: Christian summer camp for children with learning differences and social difficulties such as ADD, ADHD, and Asperger’s disorder. // Sunset; charishills.org
Special Needs Camps Beyond North Texas
Camp CAMP (Children’s Association for Maximum Potential): Integrated camping for children with disabilities and their siblings. // Center Point; campcamp.org
Camp for All: Year-round camps offered for children with illnesses, disabilities, or special needs. // Burton; campforall.org
Camp That Love Built: Week-long camp for children 6 and older with spina bifida. // Burton; sbhgc.org
Camp Cell-a-Bration: Week-long camp for kids aged 6–14 with sickle cell disease. // Burton; sicklecelltx.org
MDA Summer Camp: Week-long summer camps for children living with neuromuscular disease. // Meridian and Burton; mda.org
Find more special needs camps at dfwchild.com/camps.
RELATED: Sensory-Friendly Attractions in DFW
Top image: iStock
