Camps for kids with special needs
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | FEB. 25 - MARCH 3, 2022 21
BY JESS MICHAELS
If you are looking for a place where your child
who has special needs can feel like they fit in, make
friends, build confidence and gain independence,
you may want to consider a special needs summer
program. For children with special needs, camp
can often be a welcome change of environments
that can be life changing! Here are just a few of the
amazing special needs summer camp programs.
Day Camps
Endeavor Program @ Crestwood Country Day Camp
Endeavor is a program offered at Crestwood
Country Day Camp, a traditional day camp located
on Long Island, designed for children grades 2-8
that fosters social and emotional growth. Children
who attend the program may have a diagnosis or no
diagnosis but many don’t thrive in the traditional
camp environment and exhibit the need for support
socially. Endeavor will allow campers to feel connected
to others and feel a sense of belonging in the
camp community.
New Country Day Camp @ 14th Street Y
New Country Day Camp, one of the 14th Street
Y’s summer camps, offers an inclusion program
for children entering kindergarten through eighth
grade. The camp is located at the Henry Kaufman
campgrounds on Staten Island and welcomes children
with high-functioning cognitive, intellectual
or developmental differences such as autism spectrum
disorder, ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities
and sensory and language delays. Campers are
fully integrated into the camper program and the
camp works to create an ICP (individual camper
plan) for each child.
Overnight Camps
Camp Akeela
Camp Akeela is a coed overnight camp in Vermont
that supports the social growth of their campers
and where “quirky campers thrive.” Akeela
serves children grades 3-10. While some campers
have ADD/ADHD, Asperger’s or an autism spectrum
disorder, other campers don’t have a formal
diagnosis. All campers share that they are looking
to be part of a caring community where they
can meet friends that understand them. Campers
who attend Akeela enjoy peer interaction but can
struggle to make meaningful social connections.
At camp, children will practice social skills and
gain a feeling of belonging while participating in
an array of camp activities.
Camp Ramapo
Camp Ramapo, located in Rhinebeck, NY, is a
coed overnight camp for children ages 6-16 with
social, emotional or learning challenges, including
children on the autism spectrum. The structured
program fosters independence, teamwork, positive
social skills, increased self-esteem and a sense of
community. One of the goals of camp is for children
to leave slightly more independent from when they
arrived. Campers enjoy traditional camp activities
and also work on everyday skills such as making
their beds, working in the garden, making a salad
and setting a table.
Summit Camp
Summit Camp is a coed overnight camp in
Pennsylvania for children ages 8-19 with a variety
of developmental, social, emotional and learning
issues. Campers have diagnoses that can include
Asperger’s, ADD/ADHD, verbal and non-verbal
learning disabilities, HFA, speech and language
issues and sensory integration issues. Some children
may also have gaps in executive function, Tourette’s
syndrome or bipolar disorder. All campers
have difficulty in peer friendships and can lack
social skills to maintain these relationships. The
camp provides opportunities to develop and maintain
social skills with the goals of building self confidence
and making lasting friendships, all while
participating in fun summer camp activities.
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