Re: Do you send your kid to camp?

[Guest guest]

I am just curious on what determines if a child is mild, moderate, or severe autism?

I personally do not – luckily, my son gets ESY from 8.30 to 2.30 for six weeks every summer, and that’s sort of like camp for him – less work, but still gets speech and a bus to (we always pick up…). The one time I tried to let him go somewhere “mainstream,†it was just the YMCA Childwatch at our local YMCA, and they had no idea how to deal with him, and I came back to a worker there yanking his arm while he cried. Never brought him back, complained all over the place, etc. My son is now 10, btw, and he is moderate/severe. Sangerksanger@...http://katsanger.wordpress.com/http://www.examiner.com/family-and-parenting-in-houston/katherine-sangerhttp://katsanger.hubpages.com/http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/1180115/katherine_sanger.html "Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire." - Yeats From: Texas-Autism-Advocacy [mailto:Texas-Autism-Advocacy ] On Behalf Of marilyna@...Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2012 11:58 AMTo: Texas-Autism-Advocacy Subject: Do you send your kid to camp? Hi, Just wondering if the rest of you parents send your kid to camp. I’ve always been afraid to send my son away to places where other people who don’t know him will be looking after him. I’m afraid he will not be handled correctly or he will be abused. There is a special needs camp that seems great, but again, I’m afraid to send him. What is your opinion and thoughts? thanks!Marilyn mom of Jay, age 8, moderate autismNo virus found in this message.Checked by AVG - www.avg.comVersion: 2012.0.2195 / Virus Database: 2437/5131 - Release Date: 07/14/12

[Guest guest]

My son goes to Texas Elks Camp and loves it. He has gone since he was 11, but they accept younger children. Texaselkscamp.orgMaggieSender: Texas-Autism-Advocacy Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2012 11:58:16 -0500To: <Texas-Autism-Advocacy >ReplyTo: Texas-Autism-Advocacy Subject: Do you send your kid to camp? Hi, Just wondering if the rest of you parents send your kid to camp. I’ve always been afraid to send my son away to places where other people who don’t know him will be looking after him. I’m afraid he will not be handled correctly or he will be abused. There is a special needs camp that seems great, but again, I’m afraid to send him. What is your opinion and thoughts? thanks!Marilyn mom of Jay, age 8, moderate autism

[Guest guest]

ABSOLUTELY! It’s called a well deserved break for the caregivers. I’ve had a wonderful experience sending my son to Camp El Tesoro, an inclusion camp that has 3 special needs spots per session. It’s a short camp, but a wonderful experience for him—he loves it and looks forward to it every year.

There are many wonderful camps with trained staff in Texas that do a great job taking care of kids with special needs. http://www.mikeysplace.net/ is a listing of them. Camp Camp is very well know, but there are many more that are well worth doing.

It’s a very good thing to start sending your son out so that he can begin to learn independence skills. Even though he’s just now 8 (that’s how old my son when I started to send him), it’s not too young to realize that you’re not going to be around for the rest of his life to take care of him.

S.

Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:58 am (PDT) . Posted by:

" marilyna@... " wildeye77535

Hi,

Just wondering if the rest of you parents send your kid to camp. I’ve always been afraid to send my son away to places where other people who don’t know him will be looking after him. I’m afraid he will not be handled correctly or he will be abused.

There is a special needs camp that seems great, but again, I’m afraid to send him. What is your opinion and thoughts?

thanks!

Marilyn

mom of Jay, age 8, moderate autism

[Guest guest]

My son is high functioning autistic and an aspie. He is 13 yrs old. This was

the first year we sent him to a week long overnight camp. My son loves archery

and hands on activities like nerf gun wars etc. He loves video games and

although we limit his time he spends too much time on them. We found a camp that

had paintball wars, etc. The camp is called Camp Shield. It is not for autistic

boys but he did well there. This being his first camp away for a week, with his

limited eating and various idiosyncrasies, I am relieved to say that it went

well. Personally in our shoes, I wish there was a camp for high functioning

kids as my son doesn't do well with the camps that cater to those with more

severe disabilities and he doesn't quite fit in with the neuro normal camps.

[Guest guest]

Since experience at daycre few yrs ago ...no.

Child given cough syrup to put to sleep. Had I not had a habit of unexpected

appearance, I WUd still not know. Showed up nap time. He could not wake but to

fall right back to sleep. No control of self.

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn,

I'm also pretty cautious about summer camps since my child has moderate autism,

not very verbal, and pretty good at following directions. I have done some

short day camps at the YMCA that I have been a member of since my son was a

child so they know him pretty well. I also do vacation bible schools (1 or 2 a

summer). I make sure I speak with their directors and give them a written

handout of my son's abilities so they know and can say if they are alright

having a special needs child in their programs.

Then the first day of camp I hang around to check out the people and 's

(my son) reactions to the activities. Most of the time things are fine. I

don't allow field trips and swimming activities if I can't chaparone personally.

I did apply for Camp Summit this year, but not sure if we are ready for him to

be gone overnite from us.

He has had ESY previous summers, but this summer I decided not to do it since

I'm doing more homeschooling and speech therapy with . I wasn't very

convinced from past summers if it really was all that beneficial for him either,

to be honest.

>

> Hi,

>

> Just wondering if the rest of you parents send your kid to camp. I’ve

always been afraid to send my son away to places where other people who don’t

know him will be looking after him. I’m afraid he will not be handled

correctly or he will be abused.

>

> There is a special needs camp that seems great, but again, I’m afraid to

send him. What is your opinion and thoughts?

>

> thanks!

> Marilyn

> mom of Jay, age 8, moderate autism

>

[Guest guest]

Not worth the gamble. Too many verbal children without special needs being

abused or led astray.

Praying for a camp where a family member can be caregiver overmite

[Guest guest]

YES! Sent both of my kids to summer camp for years. They learned some of their most important skills with the help of camp! I highly encourage it! nna-- nna Bond, M.Ed., ATP

Special Education ConsultantAutism SpecialistRESNA certified Assistive Technology Practitioner