Comments on: Hot Summer Autism Topics

By: Watch Your Words When the Subject is Autism, and Vaccines

Watch Your Words When the Subject is Autism, and Vaccines — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:56:13 +0000

[...] notion that vaccines or something in vaccines is linked to autism is a topic of much (and often heated) debate—one has got to be very careful, and precise, with the language one uses. Tags: asd, [...]

By: alyric

alyric — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:27:57 +0000

Happy the 4th, or is that “May the 4th be with you”. Later today I’ll be going to a 4th July bash, should be fun though I’m not that fond of hot dogs,

Good luck with the camp thinking and hope Jim’s back is getting better, though it]s a painfully slow process (pun intended).

By: farmwifetwo

farmwifetwo — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:17:53 +0000

Kristina, we’ve had some good fits and some poor fits for my eldest son, but all the people looking after the programs were kind. We’ve always attended “regular” programs. Nothing specifically tailored to special needs kids. And I have sent support as well. He needs to be kept busy, anytime they stand around and he has nothing to do… that’s when he wanders off or starts talking constantly or something irritating to others. Nothing bad… just annoying.

Last summer I sent him to a friends and she kept him busy all the time and he had a good time. I have 2 that take kids. Little boy is going to the other this summer for half a day/wk. Both have attended a speech day camp program and loved it. I tried to get little boy into one closer to home this summer, but they were late getting it organized and had to cancel due to lack of attendees

This year we are staying home, playing in our pool, daytripping and homeschooling.

I’m tired of running.

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:42:45 +0000

Oh boy. That’s the kind of thing I’d rather hear about…….

Charlie’s ESY is too good to take him out of, though camp for a full day would be nice. There are a couple of social skills type camps, but he doesn’t have the language skills to attend those.

Very glad to hear about some positive experiences!

By: Marla

Marla — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:12:09 +0000

I can’t get myself to do the camp thing for M. Last year we almost did and then I heard in the news a girl was taken into the woods and forced to do sex acts. This was done by a camp leader. It was terrible.

I know I have to deal with these fears too. I really like the aide idea for a camp.

By: Shawn3k

Shawn3k — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:33:25 +0000

Once again, I have to praise my local YMCA…my son has gone to two out of three of their area day camps now for the past 3 years. These are not special needs camps, but regular camps that also are able to accommodate those with special needs/learning disabilities. The first one, was done right on the property of our Y. We went with that the first year to see how both our older two kids did in the setting (my oldest daughter also went, she does not have Autism). The last two years, they have gone to another Y camp in the area – that offers canoeing, horseback riding, hiking, archery and other activities. The best part is, because its done through the Y – he qualifies for a 1-1 through their Y-Kids program. The counselors assigned to such kids all go through a special training program and are monitored by other staff as well. Also, it is close to home, so I am only a few moments notice away. The bus picks them up at our local Y and brings them to the camp or I have the option of driving them their myself. For now, this is a perfect fit…someday we may do the camps further away from home and overnight…but not yet. I like the combination of giving him normalcy and me peace of mind. Oh one last kudos to our Y…they also offer scholarships to offset the cost (which they also do for their normal YMCA memberships). These are not income based either, but done on a case by case basis – which I like very much. They truly go out of their way to give every child a chance to experience a fun summer camp setting.

By: mayfly

mayfly — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:34:49 +0000

In the SF Bay area, thee is a great Organization, VIA services. They run Camp Costanoan which is in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Cupertino. My daughter has been going to their summer camp which runs Sunday to Friday for, well it will be her fourth time later this month. She has a one-on-one aide for the camp, but they also have children there requiring less attention. She really enjoys it, although we need to take her out of her ESY program to do so. I highly recommend the camp. The cost is $1100 dollars I don’t know how that compares ,but the local regional center offered to arrange overnight respite care. The cost $1250! per night. We declined that.

By: Regan

Regan — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:48:07 +0000

Other families have noted good experiences when they’ve hired an aide and sent a child to “regular” camp and perhaps (perhaps) this might be a possibility.
——————————
I share some of your trepidations about camp, and I don’t know if we’re quite at the overnight camp stage, although I’ve got a tent and we are going to practice sleeping out in the backyard just to see what happens, and if that’s good, then some overnight family trips to some campgrounds.

Eleanor has been going to a typical afterschool program for a few years and in the summer they have been doing all day field trips to various places with activities. The last one was a rope-challenge course in the mountains requiring team cooperation, and this trip included a new group of kids from a city agency. I was not sure how Eleanor would handle the above or enjoy the rope challenge course, so I obtained and gave permission for her and her shadow to leave early just in case.
As it turns out, they stayed the entire day, from the photos Eleanor really enjoyed it, participated well in the team challenges except for the slow parts (which annoyed the typical peers too) and when they finished the day with a hike to the top of the mountain, she got up there first with nary a huff or a puff or complaint, which apparently boosted some of her status with the group because it wasn’t an easy climb.
Crossed fingers. Step by step, so far so good.

By: Bonnie

Bonnie — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:04:23 +0000

Hi Kristina, just wanted to share that we have our son in a day camp for kids with disabilities 3 days out of the week (4 the first couple of weeks of August). It’s cool because a couple of days have a theme on which the activities are based, and swimming is included for sure on these days, and the other days are centered on field trips. So far, he really likes it. Next week he’s going to the best and most inexpensive camp ever! He’s spending a week primarily with my sister who is a very experienced OT who happens to work with Autistic children, and other family members a whole other state away! Could it get much better!? I’m pretty sure I’ll miss him much more than he’ll miss me!
Thanks for summarizing all your great blogs.