THE WAY I SEE IT by Temple Grandin, PhD
How to Find Good Summer Camps & Other Programs
Parents ask me all the time, “How do I find good programs for my child?” One of the best sources is word of mouth from other parents who have found programs in which their child thrived. If you have a recently diagnosed child, the first step is joining a local autism support group. If an autism group is not available, look for programs for ADHD, learning problems, dyslexia, or developmental delays. Do not get hung up on labels. There are many characteristics that are shared between the labels. When evaluating programs, talk to other parents who have children with similar ages and abilities.
There are some settings that would clearly be poor choices. For example, placing a fully verbal ten-year-old with non-verbal younger children would probably not work well. Another poor choice would be putting a non-verbal seven-year-old with severe behavior problems in a program where one staff member supervises ten children. This child will require more attention than this person could provide.
Hands-On Activities
One of the worst things that some school districts have done is removing hands-on activities, such as art, music, woodworking, sewing, cooking, and theater. There are some children on the autism spectrum who excel at these activities. The programs can also help children get interested in careers.
Many rural communities have agriculture-related programs in 4-H and FFA. 4-H programs can be accessed through the local county extension agent. For young children who like animals, raising and showing a rabbit or a chicken are great activities. It requires both the responsibility of raising the animal and, then, being able to present it at a show watched by many people.
Create Your Own Programs
There are many retired folks in the neighborhood that may be interested in teaching theater, art, or small-engine repair to middle school and older kids. My mother worked with local kids in the neighborhood and had them put on a play. A retired mechanic could lead a small-engine repair club. This could be done very economically. Old, broken lawn mowers are free. A child who discovers that engines are fun could go into auto mechanics. He/she is guaranteed a job because there is a huge shortage of mechanics.
The reason why I recommend parent-to-parent word-of mouth is that most parents do not have an economic interest in selling a particular program. When you talk to another parent, ask them for specifics on how a particular program either benefited or was a poor choice for their child. This is important because a program that may be ineffective for one child may benefit another. For example, one child loves loud noisy activities and another child hates them.
Temple is an internationally respected specialist in designing livestock handling systems. She is the most famous person with autism in the world today. Temple has authored numerous books on the subject and frequently speaks at conferences.
The post How to Find Good Summer Camps & Other Programs appeared first on Autism Asperger's Digest.