There are different types of physical and development disability camps for children. There may be disability camps that accept all handicapped kids, while there are others that accept kids with specific needs. These handicap camps range from learning disability camps to cancer camps to physical disabilities.

Camps for kids with disabilities

• The June Rusche Hamrah Camps for All : This is a non-profit organization that works in co-ordination with various special needs groups to provide an accessible environment for disabled kids. It offers ample opportunity for activities, education and therapeutic needs of children of all ages.

• Very Special Camps : This is an online camp directory for locating special needs camps. They have a variety of camps to choose from depending on your special need and activities preferred.

• Children’s Association for Maximum Potential : is a weeklong camping session held every summer to benefit kids with special needs.

• Timbertop Camp : This non-profit camp is jointly sponsored by YMCA and the Association for Services for Learning Disabilities. It is designed for children who require extra care and attention due to their various types of learning disabilities.

• Lose the Training Wheels : is an organization dedicated to teaching children with disabilities how to ride a two-wheeled bicycle and become independent bike riders.

• Camp Lee Mar : helps children with learning and development difficulties to participate in regular camping activities and improve on their interpersonal and activity skills.

Special needs camps for kids with disabilities are abundant in variety and availability. There are disability camps that serve specific needs and wants of children with learning, behavioral and physical disabilities. While regular camps are well equipped for disabled kids as well, there are also specific camps to help a child adjust better around similar children.

A handicap camp is one of the best ways to allow a child to interact with other kids who are in a similar situation and thus allow them to develop their communication skills, as well as make friends. These tips and resources may serve as a starting guide to your perfect special needs summer camp search.

What to expect out of a handicap camp?

A child with special needs has the same basic needs when it comes to the growing up process. With an extra emphasis on addressing their unique disabilities, a handicap camp is designed to benefit kids by developing their interpersonal skills and also making sure they have a good time.

Even though each disability camp has its own way of conducting activities, there are some basic aspects that must be expected out of all of them. Special needs summer camps exist to make sure kids are involved in several activities and unique interests that develop their athletic and creative sides. Some of these handicap camps are designed to address specific disabilities so that children do not have to feel out of place.

Moreover, this encourages interaction with other kids, and helps them develop inner confidence. These disability camps also allow kids to have an opportunity to develop friendships, respect elders and also develop leadership skills. As they are away from their parents for extended periods of time, they also learn to become independent and self-reliant.

Different types of special needs summer camps

Deciding on the correct kind of disabled camp for your child is very important. It is essential that you include your child in this decision as they might have specific requests as well. The first step is to determine the duration of the camp. Camps range from daytime only, weekend, or even entire summers. Talking to your child and figuring out what would be best for them and their special needs would benefit all. After deciding on the duration, one must look into the different types of camps.

Inclusionary camps are the main kind of camps that have existed for years. However, in recent years, the ADA – The Americans with Disabilities Act – requires that all camps must make appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities. This may include adding wheelchair accessibility ramps, wider hallways and so on. In this way, regular camps can now accommodate special needs kids and make them feel welcome.

Sometimes, the disability of a child makes it impossible for them to attend a regular camp. The family might even prefer not to send them to a regular camp for the fear that the child may feel out of place there. Camps for kids with disabilities are very common these days.

Finding the correct kind of special needs camp is essential to the growth and confidence building process of the kid. Conducting a lot of research and asking other parents for recommendations would help in making the right decision for your child. Refer to the List of Camps for Kids with Disabilities.

Child Care Guide For Special Needs Kids

Just because your child has special needs doesn’t mean that he/she won’t benefit from being in childcare, indeed many children with disabilities or learning difficulties have benefited greatly from being away from the home environment.

Not only can your child benefit but you can too, you will get a much needed break because looking after a child with special needs 24/7 can be a drain both mentally and physically on yourself and any relationship you may be in.

The hardest part is finding suitable day care for a child with special needs, the center will have to provide not only excellent normal childhood activities for your child but they will also have to meet the particular needs of a child with a disability.

Special Needs Child Care Requirements

Every child with special needs is different so there are no hard and fast rules when looking for a day care center but they should meet certain basic requirements, things you should consider are:

• The center should include children with and without learning difficulties giving the children a chance to intermingle with each other, this then helps children develop skills such as helping each other. It also helps inspire respect for other’s and helps your child to look past another child’s disability.
• Staff should be trained to provide your child with the specific requirements he/she needs for their particular problem. If your child has special needs due to an illness then staff should be fully aware and able to cope with any situation which may arise from the illness.
• Your child should be able to be independent as much as his/her disability will allow them to be, restriction should only be made for any activities which could harm them or are prohibited by your Doctor. In which case the center should be made fully aware of any restrictions.
• The center should allow for flexibility in activities for example alterations to toys and equipment for children who are visually impaired or in a wheelchair.
• The center should have equipment that will meet the needs of the children for example breathing aids for children suffering from asthma and chest problems. Staff should be fully trained in the use of any equipment.
• Staff should be able to recognise the onset of symptoms of any medical problem the child suffers from, for example a child suffering from chronic asthma, staff should be able to recognise the onset of an attack and know how to deal with it quickly.
• Staff should be able to administer any medication a child may need and know how to reach the child’s Doctor and parent in the case of an emergency.
• The center should be able to cater for children in wheelchairs and accesses to any areas such as playgrounds and equipment should have wheelchair access.

Before deciding which day care center your child should attend it is well worth making an appointment to go and look around the center and ask some of the above questions and see for yourself the range and quality of the care which is available at the center.

Any respectable day care provider will be more than happy to discuss your child’s requirements and suggest any changes or extra training staff might have to undertake if you decide to put your child under their care.

Usually if staff needs special training to be able to deal with your child’s problems then if the center is willing to offer this training to a staff member any costs that will occur as a result will be down to you to cover.

Children with ADD or ADHD often make the home and school environment stressful and if not diagnosed properly, adults may have a hard time dealing with them. It is important that the caregivers of an ADD or ADHD child are not dismissed as merely disobedient but they should try to understand the underlying issues for the child’s hyperactivity and lack of ability to concentrate.

ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) Diagnosis

An ADD or ADHD child may not be spotted immediately but if you feel like your child may suffer from it, it is important to see a trained and qualified psychiatrist immediately.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) manual published by the American Psychiatric Association, an ADHD child must satisfy certain criteria for them to be declared as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.An ADHD child must show at least six or more of the symptoms of ADHD, from one of the two categories as listed below. Also, ADHD may also be confirmed if a child shows six or more of the signs from each of the two categories.

The symptoms for the diagnosis of ADHD & ADD are divided into two categories – Inattention & Hyperactivity and Impulsivity

Inattention

• Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork other activities.
• Often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities.
• Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
• Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork or chores (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions).
• Often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities.
• Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework).
• Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (for example, toys, school assignments, pencils, books).
• Is often easily distracted.
• Is often forgetful in daily activities.

Hyperactivity and Impulsivity

• Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat.
• Often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected.
• Often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate.
• Often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly.
• Is often “on the go” or often acts as if “driven by a motor”.
• Often talks excessively.
• Often blurts out answers before questions have been completed.
• Often has difficulty awaiting turn.
• Often interrupts or intrudes on others (for example, butts into conversations or games).

Other ADHD Symptoms

In addition to the symptoms highlighted above, an ADD or ADHD child usually shows some of these signs as well:

• Has inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive signs and symptoms that caused impairment and were present before the age of 7 years.
• Exhibits behavior that is not ‘normal’ for children the same age who do not have ADHD.
• Has symptoms for at least six months.

If your child is showing any of these symptoms and you are worried, you should seek disability help immediately so they can receive the right help.

Who Is Responsible For Raising A Disabled Child?

A lifelong debate has been on the topic of who is responsible for caring for a disabled child. Is it the Federal government? Is it the State? Or is it the parents of disabled children? Even though arguments have been made for all of them separately, it is actually a combined effort of all of them coming together that would ultimately benefit a disabled child. Parenting disabled children can be a challenging task but in the initial stages of their lives, raising a disabled child is similar to raising a non-disabled one. The disabled child needs the same kind of love, upbringing and habit forming atmosphere as any other kid would demand. In addition to this, extra disabled child help may be required; such as frequent visits to the hospital, mobility care, special schools and expensive assistive technology equipments. Financial help for this can be obtained from various social security and other benefit programs by the Federal Government, as well as the State. The responsibility of providing adequate education to the disabled child falls on the State until the child turns 18. They must provide appropriate facilities and accommodate transportation needs of the disabled child as much as possible. With the financial factor taken care of, it is ultimately the parents who are always the primary caregiver. They help in raising the disabled child and providing them with all the love and emotional support they can offer.

Disabled Child Help & Support

Raising disabled children can be a very challenging task. Apart from the regular issues faced by parents of other children, parenting disabled children come with their own set of setbacks and difficulties. However, a disabled child deserves just as much attention and care, if not more. In order to help parents of disabled children in their journey of raising their child, many communities and groups have been formed. These groups seek to provide disabled child help to parents of disabled children and hope to form a platform where ideas and experiences can be exchanged in order to help others in similar situations. Some of the commonly known disabled child help groups are:

• Special Child (1): This website is provided by the Resource Foundation of Children with Challenges (RFCC). It is a non-profit, charity organization which forms a community of parents of disabled children who meet there to discuss their life experiences with others. It provides numerous helpful tips on raising a disabled child and also gives information on various types of disabilities.
• Loving Your Disabled Child (2): This community has been formed by parents of disabled children who are keen on helping others in the same situation. They feel that there is not enough emotional, spiritual and educational support available for individuals like them and want to lend a hand out to anyone who needs it.
• Henry Spink Foundation (3): This is an independently run organization which aims to provide as much professional disabled child help and information as it can. Apart from educating parents of disabled children more about the disability, it also provides current information on therapies, surgeries and medication opportunities that are available to help their disabled child.

While we see that disabled child help is available from the Government in many different forms, it is ultimately the parents of the disabled child who must provide and care for them. A disabled child requires emotional support, more than anything else, for them to grow and mature. Help regarding parenting disabled children can be obtained from various organizations which discuss stories of individuals facing similar situations. Reach out and look around, a disabled child is welcomed and supported by several people who know and understand what parents of disabled children go through and are willing to help in any way possible.

References:

1. Special Child
2. Loving Your Disabled Child
3. The Henry Spink Foundation

Understand a Child with Leaning Disability

What is a learning disability? Children with learning disabilities may feel it is a lack of intelligence or brainpower. This is entirely untrue as a number of famous people like Winston Churchill, Walt Disney, Tommy Hilfiger, Orlando Bloom, William Hewlett, Albert Einstein and many others all suffered from learning disabilities while growing up. Learning disabilities are problems with brain receptors that disallow it to receive and process information like regular children. Thus children with learning disabilities become slow learners and find it difficult to focus on material. The complex processes in our brains get mixed up in a learning disability student and he finds it extremely hard to decipher it.

Learning Disability Help: Types of Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities can occur in a number of regions of the brain. Children with learning disabilities are most commonly diagnosed with:

• Dyslexia: Inability to read
• Dyspraxia: Sensory/Motor Disorder
• Dyscalculia: Math reasoning disability
• AD/HD: Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder
• Dysgraphia: Inability to write
• Visual and Auditory
• Communication

Learning Disability Resources & Help For Children

While learning disabilities are permanent and there is no absolute cure for it, there are a number of learning disability services and special education resources that are available to improve one’s condition.

• Recognize a child with learning disability instead of ignoring it and blaming the child.
• Provide a learning disability student with extra help in the form of private tutors, extra classes in school, study programs and any other form of learning disability services that may be available.
• Certain schools offer learning disability students with programs like IEP (Individualized Education Program) which might prove beneficial
• Help children with learning disabilities to adapt to their condition and work around it.
• Medication is available for certain kinds of learning disabilities which makes it easier for a child with learning disability to function normally.
• Self-perseverance and belief from family members goes a long way to improve the condition of children with learning disabilities.

Children with learning disabilities find it hard to cope up with studies and even daily activities of life. However, it must be remembered that these learning disability students are smart and equally capable individuals once they overcome their learning disabilities. Even though a treatment is not possible for most learning disabilities, a number of learning disability services are available for the betterment of these children. With these learning disability resources and the  love and support of people around them, children with learning disabilities can grow up to be successful and confident individuals.

References:

1. Protecting Students With Disabilities – U.S. Department of Education
2. LD Basics – National Center for Learning Disabilities