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10 Summer Camp Options for Special Needs

by Marcie

Summer time can be difficult for parents with special needs children, especially when summer school is not provided (because there was no regression) or when both parents work.

What options does a parent have to care for a child with autism or special needs? Children with autism need special services, structure, and they need adults who know how to work with them every day in order to prevent behavior issues from becoming too challenging. ud.jpg

Summer camps can sometimes be the answer to all of that…but where do you find them and how do you afford them?

The GREAT news is that there are more and more choices for special needs campers every single year. Some camps are strictly special needs camps and some are “regular camps” that accommodate special children. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all camps to make reasonable accommodations (wheelchair ramps, special diets) so that all children can attend.

Start your search at
1.Kids Camps / Special Needs Camps
2. My Summer Camps,
3. Camp Resource,
4. Easter Seals,
5. Will Moore’s Therapy Respite Camps for Kids
6. Schwab Learning Camps for kids with learning disorders, ADD, and AD/HD

7. Family Village includes adult camp listings, diabetes, and Canada.
8. American Camp Association: find a camp to help mainstream.
9. Oasis (online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support) higher functioning camps.
10. YMCA inclusion camps.

Make sure to also look into your local community programs. We are very lucky to belong to a community that has a fabulous program that has been active for over 30 years. Our summer day camp costs almost $1000 but goes from the second week in June until the second week in August. It runs Monday through Thursday for 5.5 hours each day, includes swimming, field trips, arts and crafts, a 1 to 4 ratio of staff to camper, and fun for my son every single day.

Our local park district also offers mainstreaming for any age. They will provide an aide to anyone who wants to participate in any of the park district programs (at no extra cost) so be sure to ask if your local community program will do this.


Posted in Accommodations, Coping with Behaviors, School on May 22nd, 2008

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