As the school year ends for families with children that have disabilities, the new question enters everyone's mind, what am I going to do with my child or children. The conventional camp are not made to handle learning disabled children and if they tell you they are, I sincerely tell you, INQUIRE! Most of the camp counselors are not knowledgeable to help these children and the camp does not provide training. It is difficult to find an affordable camp that can help your child become engaged and work with their disability. I know, it took years of searching for a camp that would be suitable for both my daughter and son. Luckily we live in the modern world of the internet. We, parents, can search every criteria of what we want for our child and have it in a camp. The downside, these camps vary in pricing. Yes, when you need extra coverage you are paying a premium. I will agree, sometimes my husband and I are budgeting for camp during the year versus a new stove. You pick what you need.
I have been lucky enough to have fallen into the realm of good camps. I always ask for recommendations, but my children's disabilities are not common and no one in my general living region knows of anything, not their fault, but of course my learning experience as as I tell everyone, this is a continual learning experience. My children have had the privilege (yes privilege) to go to Franklin Academy in CT. As a parent I cannot tell you how comfortable I am with the staffing, counselor and the kids at this facility. The best find on the East Coast. My daughter went for the first two weeks the first time she went, after that she always stayed for 4 weeks and wanted nothing to doe with us. Okay, I buy that, but the staff always kept me informed!!! Yes, I knew what she was doing and so did they. The great part, our children are with other children like themselves, they find out they are not this alien group that is so far from everyone else. They accept and learn to deal with their disability. Key, learning to deal with their disability, it will always be there but they need to work with it, not you! Now I have introduced my son to this marvelous camp. I did have my doubts as he is the one who does not like to leave the nest. He interviewed and was excited!!!! Yes, my husband and I dropped him off, got him settled and thought that it would be a tear ridden good bye. Yeah, right, just for me! He adjusted so well, he didn't get away from his friends to say good bye. So much for homesick!. He does text me some interesting tidbits. Yesterday he told me that he tried scrambled eggs for the firs time. I asked him what they tasted like, his reply " They tasted like what I thought a protein would taste like, bland". Okay really, protein? Really! He texted me a picture of his dorm room. I said you didn't make the bed? He replied " Mom don't your remember the sheets blend into each other!" Really, okay he's adjusted!!!
There are times when you doubt life, why is my child like this, and how is he or she going to get through life with all these issues. Life survives, children are resilient. This generation will survive and these children, as I have always said, are God's chosen. They will triumph and make believers out of the rest. God gave them these issues to help other overcome normal issues. I truly believe this and my kids are proving this to me.
And so, the summer begins.
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