That camp for kids with special needs I was debating about? We all went to to the open house yesterday. I am sold. Max is sort of sold.
Before we even went, I called the local police precinct to see if any complaints had been filed against the camp or whether they'd ever had any criminal (read: perv) happenings there. There wasn't a single one in the three decades the camp has been in operation.
Max wasn't interested in the group tour—too many people. So he hung out in the game room with Dave, and Sabrina and I went. I bumped into the awesome mom I know who first told me about the camp, as well as one of the coach's on Max's Little League Challenger Division team. Her son has been going to the camp for three years, which was reassuring.
My first question: What sort of background checks do they do on staffers? The answer from the camp director (who holds a degree in special ed): Complete background and drivers' license checks. I also found out the medical director sleeps at the camp with her family, and there is a staff of nurses. The local EMS is right down the hill. The staff is fully trained before camp starts, and there are a large number of staffers who return from previous years. There is a one to one staffer-to-camper ratio, and one of the staffers in the bunk is assigned to stay up all night long. It is fully wheelchair accessible.
The schedule they described seems great: The kids are up at 8, then they have breakfast, watch the flag being raised, sing songs. The day is filled with activities—swimming, sports, crafts. The weeks have different themes; there's Adventure Week, Holiday Week, Olympics Week, and Fantasy Week.
The adapted playground (note the purple railing).
Max bait!
I think this bunk is slightly nicer than our home. It is most definitely cleaner.
The crafts room. I actually peeked into the cups on the table for purple crayons. Check!
There's even a jukebox in the dance/music cabin.
I was completely impressed, though not everyone was.
"Max, do you want to go to camp?" I asked en route home.
"Max, do you want to go to camp?" I asked en route home.
"NO AM!" said Max. ["NO CAMP!"]
Then, as I was putting him to bed, I asked again: "Max, do you want to go to camp?"
"Eeeyah!" ["YEAH!"] he said.
I'm already picturing a tear-filled goodbye (mine). But I think, overall, this is going to be A Good Thing for Max. Next year, I'll consider inclusive camps but for now, I think this is right for Max.
Then, as I was putting him to bed, I asked again: "Max, do you want to go to camp?"
"Eeeyah!" ["YEAH!"] he said.
I'm already picturing a tear-filled goodbye (mine). But I think, overall, this is going to be A Good Thing for Max. Next year, I'll consider inclusive camps but for now, I think this is right for Max.
Oops! Forgot to ask if they serve spaghetti. The brochure says "Special diets can be accommodated when necessary," and I'm pretty sure Max's spaghetti-centric existence counts, right?
