Transitioning to a "NT" sleepaway camp?
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Anonymous
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Has anyone successfully transitioned to a "NT" sleepaway camp? Backstory is our DC10 ADHD (primarily hyperactive impulsive) had a great experience at SOAR last summer. We would love to return but the option for this year's camp is the same program as last year given age.
I was looking at prior posts on camps for kids with ADHD and was guided by this post on Camp Kodiak - https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1129845.page None of the camps described seem to fit my kiddo, as they seem to focus more on those with more support needs. Camp Kodiak sounds wonderful, but in reading about it, I think it might be for kids who have more social needs? DC is a jolly, socially adept, up for anything, sporty kid, but they do have a solid case of ADHD. They are medicated. One camp I was enthusiastic about (a 10 day adventure camp program) discouraged me because nowhere was there any information about procedures for medications. Obviously there are, I presume . . . and of course I would disclose the ADHD and try and get a sense of things from the director. Any BTDT stories or advice welcome! Here we go camp search 2024! |
Anonymous
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I am missing why repeating a program that he liked would be bad.
But leaving that aside, what supports does he have now in school? |
Anonymous
| I don’t think you told us your child’s gender but if a boy, I highly recommend Camp Shohola. I know several medicated ADHD kids that have had wonderful experiences there (including my own son). |
Anonymous
| What support needs does your son have other than good medication distribution (which I am shocked every camp doesn't have)? I would guess that every camp has kids with controlled ADHD, so it really depends on what he needs. |
Anonymous
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Have you called the camp to ask about medication? My husband commented after dropping off our NT kid at a summer backpacking camp that it seemed like 1/2 the kids have medication of some sort. (It was when we were deciding if we should medicate our youngest so we were paying attention to it.) I don’t remember the camp website having any info on medication.
But also, ask your kid if they want to repeat or want a different camp. My kids like to repeat activities instead of doing something new. |
Anonymous
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Hi OP, my kid is younger and hasn't done the overnight camps yet but does day camp that has an overnight camping trip at the end at Farm and Wilderness in Plymouth, Vermont. My son sounds like a younger version of yours, and I can't say enough about how impressed I have been with the Farm and Wilderness organization and camps. They are incredibly inclusive, such a safe place for kids to be themselves - both neurotypical and not), exceptionally run (the counselors get 20 days of training which is nuts), very organized with medication, allergies etc.
Can't recommend them highly enough. https://www.farmandwilderness.org/?utm_term=farm%20and%20wilderness%20camp&utm_campaign=Awareness&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=8295708099&hsa_cam=1668500086&hsa_grp=62025742782&hsa_ad=322853565319&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-1826516237233&hsa_kw=farm%20and%20wilderness%20camp&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAiA98WrBhAYEiwA2WvhOl_EidPBQCZwgdvevGu0Hk7hKHjtFWGVtb_36-tIz8nxWDKfN42uAxoCsVAQAvD_BwE |
Anonymous
To be clear - while my son hasn't done the full overnight camps because he isn't old enough yet, they have multiple great options for overnight camp at various ages and I've only heard great things from families we met at the day camp who have older kids. |
Anonymous
| Yes. We did a week that centered on an interest and was close enough we could rescue them if needed. We talked to the staff, prepped our child, and it went great. |
Anonymous
| Never had any issue with a regular overnight camp. They can all handle ADHD meds. |
Anonymous
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My oldest DC was a camp counselor at a NT camp. He told me about a quarter of the kids take daily medication. Most camps can handle the medication part.
I’m sending my younger kids with ADHD to sleep away camp this summer (not the one my DC was a counselor at) and I called this morning to confirm they can handle meds. They assured me many camper take them and they can handle. |
Anonymous
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Hi, BTDT with lots of highs and lows.
Its not about he diagnosis entirely. Its really about how your child can function in the camp setting and what it takes to succeed. One part of sleep away camp that can be hard for ADHD kids is group living. In ability to organize thier stuff, messiness in the cabin, impulsivity and hyperactivity can undermine good relationships and lead to conflict. There is lots of camp life that takes place before meds kick-in and after they wear off. Look for smaller bunk sizes. You will need a camp staff that can coach your kid with TLC. Obvi look for a solid program that can handle daily meds. Most sleep away programs have this to a science. |
Anonymous
Former camp director here (and I still work at an overnight camp for a month every summer)--Everything above is true and I want to stress that the biggest issue I see with kids with a variety of special needs is the ability to cope with unexpected and/or disappointing things. Camp is a giant bowl of unexpected stuff, from tennis getting rained out and turning into an hour of arts and crafts to the kitchen posting grilled cheese for lunch on the daily menu board and then serving spaghetti because of oven issues (both real things I had kids struggle with last summer). If your child has a hard time with those sorts of things, you need to communicate your concerns and your suggestions to help handle those issues right from the start. I can't tell you how many phone calls I have with parents that include the phrase "I can't be proactive and support your child before a situation becomes a problem if I don't know what to anticipate." As for meds, I cannot imagine an overnight camp these days those doesn't have daily meds down to a science. Where I work there are two nurses who do nothing but handle daily med distribution, which happens 5 times a day (for those counting--wake-up, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime). My phone gets texts all day long about kids who missed their dose and need to be tracked down, usually within 20 minutes of when they should have been there. |
Anonymous
The round lake inclusion program at NJY does a great job of this. The kids bunk separately but are fully integrated for activities during the day. During unstructured time, kids are in their bunk which has less kids and therefore less noise, chaos, and overall messiness. NJY is a huge camp so they eat in shifts. When my son attended, the inclusion kids ate breakfast 2nd shift so that they had more time to wake up and let meds start to kick in. The higher camper:staff ratio meant that in the evenings as meds were wearing off, kids could ask to go back to the bunk. |
Anonymous
| Camp Howe--most of the kids there are typical with a portion being SN. We went last year on a recommendation from this board. |