Winter2005: Let the games begin

So here we are, on a typical January day in Colorado—starting out at -4 degrees and ending up at 65! Makes us think of orange mocha frappaccinos and the upcoming summer months… Summer, oh no! What should we do with the kids? Tracy suggests to our patients that they send their kids to her uncle’s spread in Palm Beach. Too hot, says Mouse—why not send them instead to visit the National Fragile X Foundation in sunny San Francisco! Alas, Robby Miller nixes that idea!

So, what are your options for the summer? This is the perfect time to start planning. Sometimes summer school and therapies through school are an option. This helps keep kids in the all-important established routine and helps them maintain skills. But this year, are you perhaps looking for something a bit more challenging? Something that might build skills as well as maintain them?

In this Coffee Talk, we‘ll share what we think are viable and even expansive options for summer camps and related activities.

Many of us have fond memories of summer camp, and we hope your kids will, too! In the last Foundation Quarterly, Jeff Cohen wrote about his son’s transforming experiences at camp last year. You can re-visit his article at: www.FragileX.org/NewsLetrWinter2004.pdf (pg. 10).

Given the right preparation, your child can have a successful experience at most any summer camp. (That translates to success for you and the camp as well.) Consider both overnight camps or day camps. Many communities have local parenting publications that should list a broad range of available summer camp experiences. Also, most major newspapers run a special issue on local camps. The Internet is another great source for finding out about camps. A good site for general information is http://www.summercamp.org/guidance/.

One basic guideline is to make sure the camp you choose has a good, strong history for running solid, safe programming. Some are even accredited. Also, make sure that the camp director is willing to work with you to make it a success for your child. Jeff’s article has a lot of good ideas in it—consider copying and sharing it with your camp director to set a positive tone.

Another option in summer is to focus some time on therapy goals. Since we are therapists, we have a lot of ideas about this!

Some kids who haven’t been able to access good sensory integration (SI) therapy during the school year can attend a camp that focuses on it. Following is a list of many camps around the country with a specialty in sensory integration.

TEXAS

Sensory Integration-Therapeutic Sports Riding Day Camp, Dallas. A week-long hippotherapy camp. Prior to the camp’s opening, a parent session will be held, introducing the “How Does Your Engine Run” program by Mary Sue Williams, OTR, and Sherry Shellenberger, OTR. This curriculum will be integrated into the camp. Phone: 1-972-412-1099

WASHINGTON, DC

Summer Adventure Camp, Sensory Integration emphasis. Phone: 1-202-986-9896.

MICHIGAN

Able Abe’s Summer Camp, Birmingham (suburb of Detroit). Small, therapeutic day camp environment with physical, occupational, and speech therapists on staff. Can register for one to six weeks. Phone: 1-248-855-0030.

MICHIGAN (ALSO BIRMINGHAM)

The Abilities Center sponsors summer intensive therapy services for people who come to the area from out of town. Stays of a few days to two week can be arranged, with an individualized therapy program based on the needs of the child and family. Family education is integral to the program. Specially trained in neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT), sensory integration, interactive metronome, therapeutic listening, craniosacral therapy, Fast ForWord, and more. Phone: 1-248-855-0030.

MARYLAND

Over the Rainbow Camp, Kids Therapy Works, Silver Spring. Sensory integration camp for children. Phone: 1-301-384-5081.

MARYLAND

Camp Littlefoot, Treatment and Learning Centers, Rockville (www.ttlc.org). Special needs in speech and language development, learning enrichment, academic and sensory integration. Phone: 1-301-738-9691.

MINNESOTA

Camp Avanti, through Camp St. Croix of greater St Paul. Has served children with learning disabilities since 1986 with a sensory integration therapy program by Research & Development in Pediatric Therapy. Nearly 50 children attend this unique week each June. Phone: 1-715-386-4380.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Summer Adventure Camp. Sensory integration emphasis. Phone: 1-202-986-9896

COLORADO

Little Tree Sensory Integration Summer Camp, Breckenridge, for children with sensory integration impairments as well as learning and/or attention deficits. Phone: 1-303-861-6590.

If an SI camp isn’t to your liking or if a camp isn’t available that will accommodate your child, or if you are simply worried about it, there are a number of other camps for children with special needs. The following website lists many of them: http://wmoore.net/therapy.html.

Aside from a camp experience, there are other ways to enhance therapy during the summer months. How about a summer therapy intensive? A therapy intensive, you ask?? What could that be?

A therapy intensive involves a commitment on the part of your speech therapist, occupational therapist and your family for one to three or four weeks. The therapists provide a speech and/or occupational therapy program for two-to-four hours a day, four to five days a week, aimed at a specific goal to boost a skill or get over a hurdle. This is usually supplemented by intensive home programming during the hours away from the clinic, making for an extremely focused, goal-directed experience. The home programming may be more community-based and involve field trips to the pool, hiking, hippotherapy, cooking or other high interest activities. We’ve seen great changes using this model here in Denver.

Last summer we worked with several children with fragile X syndrome who came to Denver with their families specifically for therapy intensives. We addressed divergent skills ranging from speech development and pretend play learning in two brothers, ages 4 and 9 years, to teaching a 15-year-old girl to tie her shoes. Later on in the summer, an intensive approach helped a 5-year-old girl diminish some significant behavior problems and verbalize her feelings. A community based program allowed us to help a 14-year-old acquire more appropriate public behaviors such as not running on the escalator. (This was a problem as he would run away from his family in airports and malls and ride up and down escalators with abandon!)

Whatever you choose to do this summer, remember, keeping some element of routine in the midst of fun, challenging and new activities is the key to success! Happy summer, 2005!