It’s not too early to start considering summer camps, especially if you are trying to find the right fit for a child with ADHD, Autism, learning differences, or other types of neurodivergence. Most parents looking for summer camps are familiar with the typical camp offerings that allow kids to spend part of their summer working on coding, surfing, or spending their days at a local museum. What you may not know is that specialized summer camps can offer a great opportunity for your child to learn how to master some of their ADHD challenges, learn more about their autism, or become more accepting of neurodivergence in themselves or others. A summer camp focused on supporting neurodivergent kids could be just what your child needs. Let’s break down exactly what a therapeutic or specialized summer camp is and how it can help.
Will a therapeutic summer camp still be fun? (Spoiler alert- Yes!)
The weekly schedule for our therapeutic summer camp includes group games, field trips, and arts and crafts- which means that your neurodivergent child will enjoy a summer camp experience that doesn’t look much different from the summer camps their peers are attending. The difference is, your child will be surrounded by peers who understand and accept their neurodivergence, and camp counselors who really are trained to be, well, counselors. That means days filled with learning how to deal with ADHD symptoms that get in the way of following directions, enjoying their time with adults who are patient and accepting rather than adults who admonish neurodivergent students for their unique differences. It means your neurodivergent child can spend their summer feeling like they are part of a community, making friends and learning how to maintain friendships, and learning about their own needs and how to advocate for them.
Watching your child struggle with ADHD is heartbreaking, and it can be hard to balance conflicting demands with trying to get them the help they need. Summer can be a welcome break from the stress and pressure of the school year and while this means more time available for focusing on ADHD treatment, that can be a hard sell when your child is burnt out from school year stress. A summer camp that combines fun field trips, social skills-building games, and therapeutic support just might be exactly what your summer needs!
What new skills can a specialized summer camp teach?
If your child is neurodivergent, you already know it doesn’t just impact their academics. ADHD can also damage friendships by leading to impulsivity, a tendency to forget to check in with friends, or even difficulty keeping up with the thread of conversations. For children on the autism spectrum. they may want to make connections with peers, but struggle to form friendships. Neurodivergent students may also find many summer camps to be overstimulating, leaving them feeling unsupported when they are overwhelmed by rigid expectations that don’t take their unique needs into account.
A therapeutic summer camp is one in which the staff has special training and expertise that makes them qualified to support campers with specific needs. Small group camp activities at our specialized summer camp are specially selected and planned to provide opportunities for students to practice social skills and coping skills and staff is trained to model these skills and give students feedback in real-time as they work to practice them. Summer camp participants will be taught the language to help them describe their struggles and ask for the help they need. Summer camp counselors will follow up these lessons with support in real-time as they guide students through using these skills to play games with fellow campers, enjoy camp field trips and build new friendships.
Self-acceptance and Self Compassion
Summer camp can be an extra boost to rejuvenate a neurodivergent student after the stress of a year full of expectations around school performance. The right summer camp can even help set your child up for greater success in the coming school year- both socially and academically. The foundation for this is teaching them about themselves in a non-judgemental way that focuses on self-awareness, self-acceptance, and an understanding of the broad range of neurodiversity that exists.
A specialized summer camp surrounds your child with peers who can identify with their struggles, and allows them to get a better sense of the prevalence of ADHD, Autism, and all forms of neurodivergence. The realization that many other people think the way you do, or face the same challenges you do, can instill a sense of hope and make kids feel less isolated. When that realization is coupled with being taught specific terminology you can use to describe your challenges, seeing ways your needs can indeed be met or at least taken into account, and learning how to state how you feel and ask for what you need forms a great foundation for a greater sense of self-acceptance. When others treat you with compassion and acceptance, you learn to treat yourself that way too. This self-compassion and self-acceptance form the basis for self- advocacy.
What can I expect from the staff at a therapeutic summer camp?
The staff at a specialized summer camp should have backgrounds in special education and psychology that allow them to take neurodivergent needs into account in all aspects of camp. At Evolve, our summer camp staff’s existing background knowledge of neurodivergence is further enhanced with training in our approach, including how to use natural environment teaching and a growth mindset to add therapeutic benefit into all our summer camp’s activities. You can expect frequent feedback from a staff that is well trained, accessible, and responsive.
I still have questions…
Get in touch with us so we can answer your specific questions if you would like to know more about our summer camp. We can set up a time to talk on the phone, or you can schedule a tour and come see our facility and meet us in person. Find more information about our camp programs here.