Placing your child in the hands of others can be tense for lots of reasons, especially if your child is on the autism spectrum. However, with a little advance preparation and discussion with camp counselors and supervisors, you will be able to drive away knowning your child will have a fun day filled with friends and activities.
Many times a general overview and briefing of your child’s needs with their counselors and caretakers makes all the difference. If you are clear about what he or she needs, it can give the staff the confidence they need to do the best job possible. Many times, projects and activities can be modified in order to accomodate a child’s abilities and increase their involvement at camp.
Here are some tips to making your child’s summer awesome at camp:
Routine
Explain to the counselor or supervisor that an explanation of the day’s events, when they will happen, where they will happen, etc. may serve to comfort the child and decrease stress.
Visual Schedules
Presenting the day’s activities through picture may help the child know what to expect throughout the day and give them peace of mind about what the day holds. These schedules are simple to make, parents can even do them and bring them to camp. For instance, take pictures of the sites of activities and attach them to the board with velcro. This way the photos can be removed from the board when the camper completes the activity.
Set Limits
Suggest to the counselor that letting your child know specifics of activities, like how many macaroni noodles to glue or how many campfire songs to sing, may reduce anxiety.
Give Training
If your camper uses a communication system or device, be sure the counselors understand how to use the device thoroughly. Augmentative communication devices can be challenging for anyone who does not understand them. If they are essential to your camper, explain the basics so that the counselor has an idea of how to operate and use the system effectively.
For more tips and tricks on how to make summer camp better for everyone involved, check out this website.