Just because your child has ADHD doesn't mean he has to miss out on the summer camp experience. There are several camps in the U.S. (and one in Canada) that are designed especially for our ADHD children.
These camps offer the same fun-filled activities as other camps.... camp fires, games, crafts, swimming, hiking, etc. In addition to the fun, however, they also focus on building self confidence and self esteem, improving social skills and offering academic support.
All of this is done in a supportive and understanding environment. The staff and counselors should be trained and well verses in the challenges that ADHD poses. There should also be a nurse and/or medical staff on site to care for your ADHD should the need arise as well as to dispense daily medications.
There are different types of ADHD camps. There are day camps where your child would spend the day at camp, say from 8:00 am - 4:00pm. Then, there are residential camps where your child would spend any where from one week to one month away at camp. The cost of this specialized camping experience can range from $500 - $2,000.
Another option that is much cheaper, is to find a local day camp for your ADHD child to attend. These are often offered through churches, park departments or YMCAs. You will find the cost to be a fraction of the other camps. However, your child will still benefit from the experience.
Choosing an ADHD camp for the first time can be quite daunting. How are you supposed to know what questions to ask to make sure you choose the camp that is best suited for your ADHD child? Luckily, the ADDitude Magazine website has taken care of that. In their article,
Six Questions to Ask When Selecting an ADHD Camp for Your Child, they share the most important questions and also provide the answers you should be looking for. For example:
- Is the camp accredited?
- What is the counselor to camper ratio?
- How are meds supervised?
To locate a camp near you, visit the following links:
Learn more about ADHD and learning disabilities on my ADHD & LD Resource Blog.
4 Comments
Just because your child has ADHD doesn't mean he has to miss out on the summer camp experience. There are several camps in the U.S. (and one in Canada) that are designed especially for our ADHD children.
These camps offer the same fun-filled activities as other camps.... camp fires, games, crafts, swimming, hiking, etc. In addition to the fun, however, they also focus on building self confidence and self esteem, improving social skills and offering academic support.
All of this is done in a supportive and understanding environment. The staff and counselors should be trained and well verses in the challenges that ADHD poses. There should also be a nurse and/or medical staff on site to care for your ADHD should the need arise as well as to dispense daily medications.
There are different types of ADHD camps. There are day camps where your child would spend the day at camp, say from 8:00 am - 4:00pm. Then, there are residential camps where your child would spend any where from one week to one month away at camp. The cost of this specialized camping experience can range from $500 - $2,000.
Another option that is much cheaper, is to find a local day camp for your ADHD child to attend. These are often offered through churches, park departments or YMCAs. You will find the cost to be a fraction of the other camps. However, your child will still benefit from the experience.
Choosing an ADHD camp for the first time can be quite daunting. How are you supposed to know what questions to ask to make sure you choose the camp that is best suited for your ADHD child? Luckily, the ADDitude Magazine website has taken care of that. In their article, Six Questions to Ask When Selecting an ADHD Camp for Your Child, they share the most important questions and also provide the answers you should be looking for. For example:
To locate a camp near you, visit the following links:
Learn more about ADHD and learning disabilities on my ADHD & LD Resource Blog.