Not telling camps that my kid has SN

[Anonymous]

I have not told day/sleepaway camps that my ES kids are special needs for the last few years, and they are fine. They are high functioning and they don't need to take medication, so it seems like the camp are not aware of it (no phone calls to report issues). They do a few different camps every summer. They have ASD, ADHD and etc.. Do I technically violate the law that I don't check the boxes that they are special needs or they have ASD & ADHD diagnosis? I don't want to go through the troubles to fill them out the part of SN because some camps request for interview or phone discussion before I can successfully enroll them. I am worried that they get rejected to join their camp, and I know my kids well enough. If they need accomondation one day, I would fill out those parts.

[Anonymous]

So, are they really SN?

[Anonymous]

As a former assistant director at a camp who was in charge of meds and emergency forms, yes. You need to communicate.

You can communicate that no medication or special consideration is needed, but X or Y may be difficult, or X or Y might need to be explained in a certain way, etc. You should be giving the people taking care of your child all the information you can about your child. They have your child’s best interests at heart, but honestly: how can this even be a question? Yes, you provide the people who are literally in charge of your child’s physical and mental and emotional well-being all the info they need to successfully care for your child.

[Anonymous]

Oh no, you might have to endure a PHONE CALL about your child’s health and well-being? You may have to COMMUNICATE with the people you are entrusting your child to for care?

What the hell is wrong with you?

[Anonymous]

I work at camp and I can tell you that because you don’t get a phone call it doesn’t mean your child doesn’t struggle. It doesn’t take long to figure out which kids have issues that correspond to the check boxes you didn’t check. We just get through the time with your kid as best we can.

If you let us know ahead of time that your child has specific diagnoses, we can plan for them with additional staffing, or put them with more experienced counselors, in a smaller group, etc. Your child will likely have a better experience. Just because the camp didn’t call doesn’t mean there were no issues. And if your child knows their diagnosis, they might well announce it to everyone anyway.

I don’t understand why parents don’t want to be honest with people the entrust their kids to. If we know what needs your child has, we can do a better job of looking after them.

[Anonymous]

I would be honest.
My kid has adhd and I put it on the form. There is space where you can write so I always say no medication or accommodations need to be given but child might be prone to being impulsive or not focused. Just so they’re aware.

[Anonymous]

Seriously, please don't do this. One of my kids was recently a counselor for a child with ASD whose parents didn't disclose. The counselors -- all hs and college-aged -- had no notice, no prep, and no training to enable them to serve this child well. Ultimately, the camp redid its staffing ratio to provide 1:1 supervision for the child, at the expense of all others.

You know your kids well enough when they are in your care. What you know with certainty stops when you send your kids to a new environment to be supervised by others.

Super selfish move not to disclose.

[Anonymous]

You give kids with special needs and their parents a bad name. Which is super unfair to SN kids. Without knowing about their condition, your kid is going to be perceived as a jerk, a bully, “a little shyt,” blah blah blah. Thank goodness for the posters like 10:37 who takes the extra time to figure things out and make special arrangements, despite the stupid and selfish parents like you.

10:37, kudos to you and your staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have not told day/sleepaway camps that my ES kids are special needs for the last few years, and they are fine. They are high functioning and they don't need to take medication, so it seems like the camp are not aware of it (no phone calls to report issues). They do a few different camps every summer. They have ASD, ADHD and etc.. Do I technically violate the law that I don't check the boxes that they are special needs or they have ASD & ADHD diagnosis? I don't want to go through the troubles to fill them out the part of SN because some camps request for interview or phone discussion before I can successfully enroll them. I am worried that they get rejected to join their camp, and I know my kids well enough. If they need accomondation one day, I would fill out those parts.

You think people can't tell a kid is autistic/adhd? Come on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be honest.
My kid has adhd and I put it on the form. There is space where you can write so I always say no medication or accommodations need to be given but child might be prone to being impulsive or not focused. Just so they’re aware.

NP. I am willing to disclose ADHD. It is so common nowadays. But not ASD, which may or may not be common but is misunderstood and stigmatized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be honest.
My kid has adhd and I put it on the form. There is space where you can write so I always say no medication or accommodations need to be given but child might be prone to being impulsive or not focused. Just so they’re aware.

NP. I am willing to disclose ADHD. It is so common nowadays. But not ASD, which may or may not be common but is misunderstood and stigmatized.

If your child actually has autism then it ought to be apparent that they socialize differently. “hidden autism” is not a thing and please don’t reply claiming that your 8 year old can “mask” for the entire length of a sleep away camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have not told day/sleepaway camps that my ES kids are special needs for the last few years, and they are fine. They are high functioning and they don't need to take medication, so it seems like the camp are not aware of it (no phone calls to report issues). They do a few different camps every summer. They have ASD, ADHD and etc.. Do I technically violate the law that I don't check the boxes that they are special needs or they have ASD & ADHD diagnosis? I don't want to go through the troubles to fill them out the part of SN because some camps request for interview or phone discussion before I can successfully enroll them. I am worried that they get rejected to join their camp, and I know my kids well enough. If they need accomondation one day, I would fill out those parts.

You think people can't tell a kid is autistic/adhd? Come on.

You 100% can. My college age DS is a counselor at a camp, and came home complaining to me about this issue. He basically just said it would be nice if they were told that some kids were going to struggle with certain issues and that it is obvious to him which of "his" kids have ASD or ADHD. It's a STEM camp for kids.

Tell them. They will assign an extra counselor, or let the counselor know what to watch for, how to help, etc. The way OP is doing it means the counselor has to come home and try to figure out what's best by talking to his parents. Not ideal.

[Anonymous]

I always share with anyone that will have responsibility over my child. The staff should never be caught off guard. My kid should not be in an environment that does not welcome him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be honest.
My kid has adhd and I put it on the form. There is space where you can write so I always say no medication or accommodations need to be given but child might be prone to being impulsive or not focused. Just so they’re aware.

NP. I am willing to disclose ADHD. It is so common nowadays. But not ASD, which may or may not be common but is misunderstood and stigmatized.

Then don't send him/her to camps run by teenagers and expect them to know how to handle. Come on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have not told day/sleepaway camps that my ES kids are special needs for the last few years, and they are fine. They are high functioning and they don't need to take medication, so it seems like the camp are not aware of it (no phone calls to report issues). They do a few different camps every summer. They have ASD, ADHD and etc.. Do I technically violate the law that I don't check the boxes that they are special needs or they have ASD & ADHD diagnosis? I don't want to go through the troubles to fill them out the part of SN because some camps request for interview or phone discussion before I can successfully enroll them. I am worried that they get rejected to join their camp, and I know my kids well enough. If they need accomondation one day, I would fill out those parts.

You think people can't tell a kid is autistic/adhd? Come on.

This is autism overdiagnosis right here. There was a paper written by an autism researcher saying that autism was now so broadly/overly diagnosed that the data was becoming useless for researchers.