Catering to special needs kids

EVA COHEN

Many parents would like to send their children to camps for the summer for them to gain interpersonal skills and enjoy the experience with other children. But, in some cases, it is very difficult to do so.

Staff at most summer camps do not have the training to attend to youngsters with learning and behavioral disorders. When such children do attend camp, it puts a strain on the staff and can be unfair to everyone involved. However, alternative camps for youth with difficulties such as Asperger's syndrome, mild autism and Attention deficit disorder (ADD) have become more numerous and popular over the years as more research has been conducted and more is understood about these disorders.

At Round Lake Camp in New Jersey, the belief is that every camper deserves friends, fun and laughter in an accepting environment. For Jewish youth ages seven to 17, it is run through the Jewish Community Centre Association and New Jersey Y Camps. It is the only Jewish special needs camp in the United States and attracts children from across the country and from Canada.

Round Lake hires mature staff who have experience with children. Throughout the camp session, counsellors receive routine support and guidance through in-service sessions and hands-on supervision. The camp feels this one-on-one backup ensures empathetic care and positive leadership experiences for campers.

"We are a recreational environment first with therapeutic support," said camp associate director Sheira Nowack. "We offer a lot of support services such as adapted physical education, speech therapy, social skills group lessons and counselling."

Activities are similar to those at any other camp, with athletic fields, basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, forest trails, cooking and overnight facilities and two spacious all-purpose activity centres. The camp is located on 500 wooded acres within the Blue Ridge Mountain Range, about five kilometres south of Lake Como, Penn., and three hours from New York City. The area boasts open meadows, mountains and streams that create a relaxing atmosphere away from city life. The camp is near a 40-acre spring-fed lake that is used by the camp for swimming, boating and fishing.

Campers live in cottages near all of the facilities, including the central administrative offices, which is ideal in case of emergencies. The rooms are fully equipped with modern sinks, flush toilets and showers.

The camp has both a registered physician and a registered nurse who are on duty 24 hours a day. Parents can rest assured that their children will receive any medication or special attention required.

Meals are prepared according to Jewish dietary laws and prayers are said before and after each meal; further dietary accommodations can be made upon request. Activities also include a variety of Jewish programming with Shabbat as the weekly key component. Each Friday evening, everyone takes part in services and a traditional meal, followed by a camp-wide Israeli dancing session. Like all Jewish camps, at Round Lake, ruach (spirit) is a huge component. On Saturdays, there are no activities but there is fun Judaic programming, and Shabbat is ended with Havdallah. During the week, programming also focuses on Jewish-related arts and crafts projects and the teaching of Jewish song and dance.

Round Lake Camp understands how difficult it can be for some children to relate and make friends and feels that their program provides the necessary tools for children to belong and build friendships. Each camper receives guidance in a wide variety of recreational and social opportunities and the program is flexible enough to allow for individual interests and needs, supportive services and social skills training. For staff at Round Lake, having kids enjoy a successful summer and having them carrying that into the school year is the main goal.

For more information, visit www.roundlakecamp.org. Camp tours are available throughout the year (weather permitting). Scholarships and support services are available and families are urged to inquire if funding is a problem.

Eva Cohen is a student in the journalism program at Carleton University in Ottawa.

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