Camp for kids with special needs: SCORE!

So there I was, not knowing if Max would do OK at sleepaway camp last week, even though it's one completely geared toward kids with special needs. He's never been away from us; would he get homesick? He always gets up in the middle of the night and comes to our bed; would he freak out if he woke up? Would he get intimidated by all the kids at the activities, given his anti-crowd tendencies? Would they feed him OK? Give him plenty of spaghetti? Go along with his purple requests?

We dropped him off Sunday. Monday, the camp director called to tell us that Max had been dancing the night away at a party. Oh, and then? They sent photos. Max is a perpetual happy camper but I don't think I've ever seen him looking so ecstatic. The only time he got upset was when there were some fireworks on July 4th, although he calmed down once he went inside.

The camp hosts about 60 kids per week, close to 500 every summer. Some campers get their own counselor, some share one, depending on their needs. Kirsten rocked. She's from Scotland and super-nice. She said Max especially loved swimming. I know he enjoyed arts and crafts, because he came home with a bunch of (what else?) purple pictures.

From what I heard, Max slept through the night (of course, he reverted right back to his bed-crashing ways at home).

This is how he looked when we picked him up. His favorite mode of transportation, some of you may recall.

Max decided to give us a tour of the camp before we went home. There was a sing-a-long with counselors and campers, and he busted some moves.

One last time on the slide. And another. And another.

Oh, and one more time with Becca, a cool counselor from England who already knew Max because she happens to read this blog. (Cue "It's a small world after all!")

Yes, I had qualms about sending Max to camp. I appreciated all the encouragement I got here. I was ready to drive to camp and take him home if he couldn't handle it, only it turned out I was the only one who got unnerved. This week was great for Max, both because he had fun and because he flexed his independence. Meanwhile, Dave and I had extra time for Sabrina and some for ourselves, too.

I would do it again next summer and I know for sure Max would, too. I'm also looking into possibilities for integrated day camps.

Meanwhile, anyone got a golf cart we could maybe borrow?

Camp for kids with special needs: We made our decision!

That camp for kids with special needs I was debating about? We all went to to the open house yesterday. I am sold. Max is sort of sold.

Before we even went, I called the local police precinct to see if any complaints had been filed against the camp or whether they'd ever had any criminal (read: perv) happenings there. There wasn't a single one in the three decades the camp has been in operation.

Max wasn't interested in the group tour—too many people. So he hung out in the game room with Dave, and Sabrina and I went. I bumped into the awesome mom I know who first told me about the camp, as well as one of the coach's on Max's Little League Challenger Division team. Her son has been going to the camp for three years, which was reassuring.

My first question: What sort of background checks do they do on staffers? The answer from the camp director (who holds a degree in special ed): Complete background and drivers' license checks. I also found out the medical director sleeps at the camp with her family, and there is a staff of nurses. The local EMS is right down the hill. The staff is fully trained before camp starts, and there are a large number of staffers who return from previous years. There is a one to one staffer-to-camper ratio, and one of the staffers in the bunk is assigned to stay up all night long. It is fully wheelchair accessible.

The schedule they described seems great: The kids are up at 8, then they have breakfast, watch the flag being raised, sing songs. The day is filled with activities—swimming, sports, crafts. The weeks have different themes; there's Adventure Week, Holiday Week, Olympics Week, and Fantasy Week.

The adapted playground (note the purple railing).

Max bait!

I think this bunk is slightly nicer than our home. It is most definitely cleaner.

The crafts room. I actually peeked into the cups on the table for purple crayons. Check!

There's even a jukebox in the dance/music cabin.

I was completely impressed, though not everyone was.

"Max, do you want to go to camp?" I asked en route home.

"NO AM!" said Max. ["NO CAMP!"]

Then, as I was putting him to bed, I asked again: "Max, do you want to go to camp?"

"Eeeyah!" ["YEAH!"] he said.

I'm already picturing a tear-filled goodbye (mine). But I think, overall, this is going to be A Good Thing for Max. Next year, I'll consider inclusive camps but for now, I think this is right for Max.

Oops! Forgot to ask if they serve spaghetti. The brochure says "Special diets can be accommodated when necessary," and I'm pretty sure Max's spaghetti-centric existence counts, right?