Summer, Here We Come!

Whether your child has autism, a craniofacial condition, behavioral challenges or a physical disability, chance are there is a summer camp in Washington that meets their needs. But where do you start your search, and how do you know what to look for?

The Washington State Department of Health, Seattle Children’s and the Center for Children with Special Needs make your job a lot easier. Their Summer Camps and Programs 2016 guide includes a brief description of and contact information for more than 50 programs across Washington specifically designed for children with special needs.

A few examples:

• Camp Sweyolakan (Spokane Valley, WA) offers a residential camp for children and young adults ages 6-25 with activities that range from hiking and singling to fishing and cooking. The camp strives to help campers “build skills, try different activities and gain self-esteem in an outdoor environment by focusing on what you CAN do.”
• Camp Fire of Central Puget Sound is a day camp closer to home (with various locations in the central Puget Sound region) serving children with and without disabilities in a mainstreamed setting. Siblings are allowed!
• Puget Sound Kids Social Skills Day Camp serves children K-6th grade with activity-based social skills groups designed to teach and enhance social learning skills.

Ask your therapist or teacher at CTC for a copy of the PDF or visit the CSHCN site to download one there.