Summer Camps for Autism Spectrum Kids

Parent Q&A

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  • Is there a nurturing camp for a mildly autistic extremely social 10 year old? She needs to feel comforted and that the counselors are nurturing. Thanks so much for your help :)

    While my kids don't have the same diagnosis you describe, they both are extremely slow to warm up/reserved/shy to the point of withdrawn, and both really enjoyed Monkey Business Camp when they were about 10 & 8. (2019) It's all outside at Tilden and has a very mellow, fun vibe. The counselors change somewhat year to year but it seems that the model really values connection and activity.

    Seconding the recommendation for Monkey Business -- it also really helps the programming is multiple weeks, rather than the week-long chaos that many other camps have. We used to have good experiences with Trackers for our 2e child, but the overall leadership has changed a lot, and we've had mixed success with counselors. There used to be more continuity from year to year. Our older child (2e) is now trying out being a CIT at Monkey Business, which I would never have expected was possible, but they have strong ties with the leadership, the past counselors, and I really feel safe that my kid is getting both emotional support and engaging activities. Hope you find that to be true for your family, too!

    Update September 2024:

    I'd like to rescind my earlier recommendation of Monkey Business for neurodivergent kids. 

    Unfortunately, despite proactive efforts as a parent to make sure the camp felt able to support/accommodate my child before camp started, before the CIT orientation, and afterwards, the camp sent our kid home an hour into the first day of their CIT role. Our kid had been nervous about the responsibilities of being placed with younger kids (they were originally told they'd be with a different age group), and we shared that concern with the camp prior to the session. Our child wanted to share their concerns with the staff, but we (parents) were told to share talking points with them, rather than have any of the staff directly speak to our kid. Autistic kids (and non-autistic kids!) can struggle with changed expectations, which can be disorienting and stressful, which this shift in camper group was for our kid. On the first morning, they [my child] handled their anxiety by making a statement the camp deemed unacceptable. The comment was not harmful or radically inappropriate for a 12 year old person not always aware of the impact of their statements, and it seemed to us an opportunity for the staff to help our kid understand their new role as a CIT. Instead, I received a call from one of the co-owners asking me to come get them. The camp took 2 days to respond to our email (sent that same evening) expressing our disappointment and confusion about their decision, and their response focused on blaming our kid for their actions. There was no opportunity for a learning opportunity for our kid, and our child was so distraught and confused by the way it was handled, especially after many years as a camper. For the next two weeks they asked if they could try again. The day they were sent home they sobbed and sobbed because they genuinely didn't understand what had just happened or why they had to leave. 

    Neurodivergent kids get an unjustly high amount of recrimination and blame for their differences, and in the past, we had found Monkey Business to be a supportive environment. Perhaps because our child is now older (and thus often perceived as more mature than they are) or because the camp hadn't fully considered the implications for the staff, there was no opportunity for repair or rebuilding the relationship. It should be noted that CITs pay for camp at a slightly reduced rate, but our expectation was that it was a taste of having a job, thus the relationship ought to have between the staff and the CITs, not asking the parents to be the go-betweens when the camp felt ill-equipped to respond or to support our kid. It is both a working relationship, but given the cost to be a CIT, our child was also a young person for whom the camp has some responsibility to nurture. 


    It seems that many camps in the Bay Area have started implementing 'behavior as a choice,' but failing to take any ownership or responsibility for how the camps/staff understand children of differing capacities and abilities. It is a very unilateral relationship -- we pay for the camps, the kids can be sent home for struggling (regardless of whether staff are actually listening or adapting in a reasonable way), and parents then lose money to a program that uses this model as a way to justify not reimbursing or being accountable for the kids' experiences. I also appreciate that staffing for child-oriented organizations is hard, and that not everyone is well-versed in child development or neurodiversity. But it is harmful to our kids, and so my best advice for those with 2e or other kids is to be clear from the outset about the things you want the camps/organizations to know, and to not hesitate to ask those questions before you sign up. It's hard, and wearing, but protecting our kids from this kind of trauma (and yes, it is trauma), is important.

    Take a look at Camp Augusta. They have a really great approach and better/more training than usual camp counselors. Our gifted group of 2E kids frequented the family camp many years in a row when my kids were younger. Highly recommend. https://campaugusta.org

    +1 for camp augusta where my (low support needs) autistic, ADD + anxiety nature loving 14 year old daughter has gone for many years - it's her happy place. 

  • Do parents have camp recommendations for a 9 year old with ADHD/Autism in the east bay (close to Fremont)? My kid needs structure and regular check-ins as he can get distracted from tasks. Smaller groups work best with him. He is also super interested in machines and gadgets - so we're exploring camps geared towards some robotics or building . Most camps recommended in BPN like Trackers/Quest are too far for us and not offered near Fremont. Camps I've checked with are Steve & Kates (loosely structured) and Galileo Kids (larger group size). Please let me know if you have any recommendations. Thanks!

    We are in Fremont and I’m not sure what ASD needs your child has. But our kids go to Basis Independent (same location as Steve and Kate’s ) and they boast a small class size for summer. 

    The engineering teacher Mr Kasper is teaching a heavily anticipated science course that would be super fun. 

  • Hi there.  My 13 year old daughter has high functioning autism and qualifies for a non-public school through her IEP.  She is lonesome and looking for opportunities to stretch herself, maybe even an overnight camp.  Horses at camp are a plus.  We had thought to try Camp Krem but it appears there was a fire there and they are still regrouping.  We'd really like to know where we should look when we are safe enough from covid to resume things like this.  A day camp that is autism friendly and aware local to Berkeley could be really good for this summer too.  Very low staff to camper ratio is important in this case.   Thanks for any and all suggestions!

    Hi:

    Our son is 15, may be high functioning autistic, and we sent him to yea camp for a week.  It is not specific to autistic kids, but in speaking to the camp director to express particular potential concerns about our son, she said they are very experienced with all kinds of kids,  including kids who are diagnosed as high functioning autistic.  

    Note to the moderator- Since this question has only gotten one reply, I’d like to suggest that the parent check out AANE, Aspergers/Autism Network, at aane.org. They have a list of summer camps specifically for high-functioning autism and a google group for parents where she can get more personal recommendations. 

    Seeds of Awareness is a counseling center in Oakland that offers a summer camp program called Fiddleheads. We went there two summers ago and it was a great experience for my son. https://www.seeds-of-awareness.org/

  • Hello, 

    Has anyone had experience lately with summer camps for kids on the spectrum. My kid is verbal and has no major behavioral issues. It has been hard to find a camp that I trust and can read between the lines with him. Any luck finding ones in the East Bay/ Oakland and Berkeley areas? 

    Thank you, 

    Camp Galileo! My HFA son went for years & loved it. (He’s verbal but very quiet, sensitive to noise/crowds). The counselors are very well trained. So even though the vibe is very high energy, they are ready & on the lookout for quiet/sensitive kids who need a different approach. They really do a great job with having alternate activities, caring staff, understanding different personalities. 

    We are in a similar boat and have had very good experiences with Lawrence Hall of Science and Trackers.

    Also, Outdoor Kids OT camp is amazing, although it's only 1 week long and for 4 hours a day:

    https://www.outdoorkidsot.com/contgo-kids-camp

    Fiddleheads Camp.

    multiple locations in the Bay Area

    https://www.seeds-of-awareness.org/our-services/fiddleheads/

    nature based with therapist on staff!

    Another resource for camp ideas is a terrific Facebook group “East Bay Autism Parents”. Posting your question or searching there should lead to many other great options.

Archived Q&A and Reviews


Questions

Summer Camp for 7 yr old boy w/Aspergers

Jan 2016

My friend just moved to town. She has a 7 year old boy who is diagnosed as ''high functioning autistic.'' She is trying to navigate systems and services... Can anyone recommend any summer camps that are either for special needs or that are not specifically for special needs but would provide a supportive environment? Also - any suggestions about organizations/resource people that can help her navigate services (how to connect with other parents, how to deal with IEP/schools, etc) that would be great. Thank you! Trying to help


I would start with Family Resource Network (www.frnoakland.org) for help with navigating services. Their website states that they help with ages 0-5 but I can't imagine they wouldn't be able to help your friend with an older child get pointed in the right direction at the very least. They have a bunch of support groups and workshops too.

For the sake of other people reading this I'll mention Regional Center of the East Bay but they only work with ages 0-3 and 22+. By state law, ages 3-22 are responsibility of the local school district, but as you probably know they are focused on providing developmental services via the IEP, and not on more general support for families/carers.

I would like to add as a bit of reassurance that although I have not taken advantage yet of all that FRN has to offer, we have worked with people at RCEB and BUSD, and I am very pleased with the level of quality and professionalism we have seen so far, especially knowing how difficult it can be to work in the public sector in this era of dwindling budgets.
Proud Daddy of Son with Special Needs


I can't speak to camps much (only one I've heard of is via EdSupports) but wanted to offer two helpful Facebook groups: ''East Bay Autism Parents'' and ''EBBM IEP/504 Support''. They're quite geographically specific (I guess as the names would imply), but if your friend will be living locally, they're very helpful. Best thing I've found for sharing resources. Also double as online support groups. I look forward to reading other responses here, though. Tired of Reinventing the Wheel


I have an 8 year old son with Aspergers. The best camps for him have been Galileo, Sarah's Science Camp and Lego Camps (Bricks4Kidz). I have been so happy with all of those camps and the subtle extra care they give my son. As far as resources- I could list many here, but probably easiest if you friend emails me directly, as different areas/ school districts have different resources. (We have been in a couple districts due to a move). Also- not sure if your friend has Regional Center Services and/or services through Easter Seals? We receive ABA therapy through ES which is paid for by Kaiser. Two quick links...

EastBay Autism Parents- https://www.facebook.com/groups/325983237562522/

And an Asperger's Resource group (although this is not locale-specific.) https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/AspergersSupport kellita


Summer Camps and Programs for Teens with Aspergers

March 2011

Any ideas regarding summer camps and programs for teens with Aspergers? I would like ideas and feedback regarding programs in the area.


Hi, My daughter and her friends, all on the ''spectrum'', have spent several wondeful summers at Cal Camp at Strawberry Canyon . They have a wonderful program that is focused on building social skills and competence. Dr. Jennifer Selke, the program director, is very knowlegable and knows how to integrate the special teens into the program. The program offers tons of support. You can reach Jennifer at 510-642-7648 or email her at jenn8 [at] berkeley.edu. Please tell her that Varda says: ''Hi''. Feel free to contact me if you have questions.


Camp for high functioning spectrum/aspergers 6-year-old

Jan 2009

Can anyone recommend a summer camp in the East Bay for my son who will be 6 and on the high functioning spectrum/aspergers? He needs a program that emphasizes social skills and teaching focus/staying on task as a prep for mainstreaming in 1st grade. thanks L.


Hi, We have had our daughter who is higher functioning ASD at Glitter and Razz camp(www.glitterandrazz.com) both the last few summers and during school breaks. It is a children's acting and art camp where they do an amazing job following the children's lead to wherever their ideas and minds take them. It is simply the most creative, most amazing environment for ALL kids you can imagine. Our daughter has been successfully included and able to fully participate in ways we have not seen in other camps. The program works because it is done right for ALL kids. The two women who run the camp 'get it' like few adults I have come across. We cannot wait till our 'typical' younger child gets to attend their programs as well. anon


Hi L! I have been involved with This Land is Your Land Summer Day Camp for several years now and I would highly recommend this camp for for your son. The camp directors have extensive experience in dealing with children on the high- functioning spectrum/aspergers and they and their counselors are kind, loving and extremely sensitive to all of the issues of their campers. This camp blends the exciting science and nature studies developed by Sarah Shaffer with art, music, hiking, swimming, and outdoor games. Campers complete and take home one or more science projects daily and get to spend quality time outdoors at Tilden Park, Roberts Regional Park, or Little Hills park. You can check out the website: www.sarahscience.com or call the office (510) 581-3739 for additional information or to discuss you child's special needs directly with Sarah. Kathy