Anyone sent their kid with HFA to sleep away camp

[Anonymous]

DS will be 10 next year and does fine at small private mainstream but does not have many friends. He enjoys outdoors and is well- behaved. He is ok with self-care. Any experience with a suitable camp?

[Anonymous]

Our son did well at Camp Shohola. Super kind and lots of different activities for all different kinds of kids. And we talked with them before and they pretty much were unfussed about him being a quirky kid with a diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our son did well at Camp Shohola. Super kind and lots of different activities for all different kinds of kids. And we talked with them before and they pretty much were unfussed about him being a quirky kid with a diagnosis.

Great to hear! I (not the OP) was looking at a camp down the street from Camp Shohola.....either Lake Owego or Pine Forest. My kid is not HFA, but has social/pragmatic communication disorder, so a lot of the same traits. Anyone ever sent their nuerodiverse kids to one of those?

[Anonymous]

My autistic kid started at capital camps, which has a dedicated inclusion program that matches each kid with disabilities to a 1:1 counselor. This worked when she was younger (9 and 10 years old), but then felt too restrictive. She's at a different Jewish camp focusing on her special interest, and that camp does a great job supporting her in age appropriate ways.

[Anonymous]

We sent our son to Camp Fairlee. He did really well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our son did well at Camp Shohola. Super kind and lots of different activities for all different kinds of kids. And we talked with them before and they pretty much were unfussed about him being a quirky kid with a diagnosis.

NP here, but this doesn't surprise me. The counselors and staff there are so warm and loving and really focus on making sure everyone is included, in our experience. FWIW.

[Anonymous]

Another fan of Shohola here. My son, with diagnosed anxiety disorder, had a wonderful time there and the counselors and mgmt staff handled his challenges beautifully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS will be 10 next year and does fine at small private mainstream but does not have many friends. He enjoys outdoors and is well- behaved. He is ok with self-care. Any experience with a suitable camp?

I sent my kid with HFA to Trackers PDX in Portland. It had a LARP camp that was within his interests and he loved it. He went for the first time when he was 12.

[Anonymous]

Check out Camp Akeela in VT. It is a camp for kids just like your son.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our son did well at Camp Shohola. Super kind and lots of different activities for all different kinds of kids. And we talked with them before and they pretty much were unfussed about him being a quirky kid with a diagnosis.

NP here, but this doesn't surprise me. The counselors and staff there are so warm and loving and really focus on making sure everyone is included, in our experience. FWIW.

That camp sounds great but also kind of expensive. May I ask what was the age you send your kid to the boy sleepover camp? And how long did you do, 2 weeks or 3 or 4 or 5 weeks? No homesick and was it your kid's first sleepover camp choice for the first time? My boy has mainly adhd and HFA, and he is a super picky eater.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our son did well at Camp Shohola. Super kind and lots of different activities for all different kinds of kids. And we talked with them before and they pretty much were unfussed about him being a quirky kid with a diagnosis.

NP here, but this doesn't surprise me. The counselors and staff there are so warm and loving and really focus on making sure everyone is included, in our experience. FWIW.

That camp sounds great but also kind of expensive. May I ask what was the age you send your kid to the boy sleepover camp? And how long did you do, 2 weeks or 3 or 4 or 5 weeks? No homesick and was it your kid's first sleepover camp choice for the first time? My boy has mainly adhd and HFA, and he is a super picky eater.

To add, my kid has low muscle tone, so he is not that good at any sports, can't swim and can't bike. Is that fine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our son did well at Camp Shohola. Super kind and lots of different activities for all different kinds of kids. And we talked with them before and they pretty much were unfussed about him being a quirky kid with a diagnosis.

NP here, but this doesn't surprise me. The counselors and staff there are so warm and loving and really focus on making sure everyone is included, in our experience. FWIW.

That camp sounds great but also kind of expensive. May I ask what was the age you send your kid to the boy sleepover camp? And how long did you do, 2 weeks or 3 or 4 or 5 weeks? No homesick and was it your kid's first sleepover camp choice for the first time? My boy has mainly adhd and HFA, and he is a super picky eater.

To add, my kid has low muscle tone, so he is not that good at any sports, can't swim and can't bike. Is that fine?

I'm not sure it's the right choice, to be honest, though you could set up a time to chat with the director--he's very nice. I sent my NT kid there and he had a wonderful time, and I can see how it would work for kids with certain needs, but it wouldn't have been the right camp for my kid with ASD who really struggles with "hanging out time" and free choice time, and who doesn't like sports. While it's not a super sporty camp, the kids do play a lot of sports together and that's part of the fun of camp. I'd recommend the camp for a kid who likes sports, whether he's good at them or not, but I don't think I'd suggest it for a kid who doesn't do any.

The counselors are very warm--great staff overall and great communication. Everyone takes instructional swim in the lake and there is a beginners' swimming class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our son did well at Camp Shohola. Super kind and lots of different activities for all different kinds of kids. And we talked with them before and they pretty much were unfussed about him being a quirky kid with a diagnosis.

NP here, but this doesn't surprise me. The counselors and staff there are so warm and loving and really focus on making sure everyone is included, in our experience. FWIW.

That camp sounds great but also kind of expensive. May I ask what was the age you send your kid to the boy sleepover camp? And how long did you do, 2 weeks or 3 or 4 or 5 weeks? No homesick and was it your kid's first sleepover camp choice for the first time? My boy has mainly adhd and HFA, and he is a super picky eater.

To add, my kid has low muscle tone, so he is not that good at any sports, can't swim and can't bike. Is that fine?

I'm not sure it's the right choice, to be honest, though you could set up a time to chat with the director--he's very nice. I sent my NT kid there and he had a wonderful time, and I can see how it would work for kids with certain needs, but it wouldn't have been the right camp for my kid with ASD who really struggles with "hanging out time" and free choice time, and who doesn't like sports. While it's not a super sporty camp, the kids do play a lot of sports together and that's part of the fun of camp. I'd recommend the camp for a kid who likes sports, whether he's good at them or not, but I don't think I'd suggest it for a kid who doesn't do any.

The counselors are very warm--great staff overall and great communication. Everyone takes instructional swim in the lake and there is a beginners' swimming class.

For boys who don't like sports, I can't recommend Kabeyun enough. https://kabeyun.org/ Lots of art, waterfront, and adventure activities. It's been perfect for my ADHD and dyspraxic son. But there is a lot of free time, so your son would have to be comfortable with hanging out time/minimal structure.

[Anonymous]

Maybe at 10 years old when he can't swim (which is a safety hazzard) you wait until he's 11 years old? I think even for an NP child 10 years old can be early for sleepaway camp (not that some 10s can't do it, but there is lots of time to do it)

And I'd see if you could enroll him in swim lessons weekly for the next 12 months and see if he can learn to at least be safe in the water (float, swim a specific stroke enough to get away from an overturned canoe and not panic) even if he's never a true swimmer. I know he's low tone - does that mean he can NEVER swim or just that it will take a LONG TIME to learn?

Some places the rule is you need to pass a swim test in order to do the water activities (canoe, boat, etc)

[Anonymous]

DP. What do you do with an HFA kid who just hates all group activities? I don’t want to force him, but I want him to get out into the world.