Summer Camp Prep for Special Needs

Summer camp offers the chance for new friends and experiences, and lifelong positive memories for all kids. Here are some tips on how to prep your special needs child for a great time at camp.

Summer camp can be an enriching, memorable experience for our youth. An opportunity to try new activities, arts and games as well as meet new friends and develop new social skills. Children with special needs can benefit from camp activities as well, but it is important to prepare your child for camp and to make sure you go over the activities in advance with your child, so they are prepared for this new experience.

There are many factors to consider and communicate with your child when preparing them emotionally for day camp this summer. For example, day camps host multiple children at once, so it’s important to help your child understand that they will be around more kids their age. Camps and socialization are so important to building a child’s resilience, but children often experience a heightened sensory stimulus due to the social interaction and noise of the camp activities. Another factor to consider is that most day camp activities happen outdoors. Sometimes, even the weather can influence your child’s coping skills depending on their needs, so it’s valuable to make sure they can find a way to make themselves comfortable wherever they are.

Preparing with Your Child

Each child is different and so are their individual needs, and as a parent, you know what is best. To ease some of the pre-camp anxiety, it might be useful to help your child prepare each day for the upcoming activities, so they know what to expect.

Review the camp activities ahead of time. It’s important to know what skills your child has to cope with. For parents, we recommend reviewing each of the camp’s activities ahead of time, assessing if each activity will present them with a positive experience or if it would be better to have your child sit out of a particular activity. This goes for all children, not just those with special needs.
Ensure they are prepared. Make sure they have a change of clothes if they are particularly young as well as all the clothing needed for the day’s activity, so they fit in with the group and can be comfortable at all times. Provide the child’s preferred travel items, such as: sunscreen, lunch bag, foods, outerwear, and other needed items to ensure they are set up for success.
Pack or bring positive rewards. To help your child feel even more comfortable, it might be a good idea to pack one or two of their favorite snacks. Although many camps take care of snacks and water, sometimes kids with sensory issues or food preferences require specific foods that work best for them. This can even help maintain their normal routines and mitigate the number of adjustments they have to make in one day.

If any positive rewards for the day include items from home, make sure that the child has them either in their backpack or you have given them to the staff and advise the staff how to use them.

Connect with camp staff ahead of time. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the environment or activities in which your child will be participating, be sure to talk with the camp’s director. Staff should provide as much support as possible and should want to collaborate with you to assist your child in enjoying summer camp.
Listen to your child’s needs. Summer camp days are long and fun-filled as camp staff works hard to pack in plenty of great activities for your child to experience. You might want to block out some time on the drive home or in the afternoon to debrief with your child about all the excitement they experienced at camp that day. For these moments, be ready to listen and encourage them as they share stories from the day with you. Enjoy it with your child.

Finding the Right Camp for Your Child

When picking the right camp for your child there is a lot to consider, such as cost, location, etc. However, it is important to find out if the camp can meet your child’s needs.

Do as much research as you can into the camp. Find out what their daily routine is, what kind of experience the staff has and how the program communicates with the families. How do they handle children who have special needs and how are they integrated into the program? When you’ve narrowed your selected camps down, pay a visit and take a tour. Have your child go with you and see how they react to it.

Summer camps can serve as a platform for character development, leadership skills, friend-making and an exploration of new experiences all while creating a lifetime of lasting memories. These are opportunities that all children deserve the right to experience.

Lee Lombardo, LCSW, is the associate director of the YMCA Community Services (YCS) division of the YMCA of Orange County. The YCS team operates programs that support children with special needs and adults with disabilities.