The Differences Between Camps for Children with ADHD and Mainstream Camps

There are a number of camps around the country that specialize in children with ADHD. Celebrate ADHD, in Washington DC offers one such camp. According to their website, they stress:

1)      Building Confidence

2)      Building Friendships and Developing Social Skills

3)      Problem Solving and Conflict Resolution

4)      Building Purpose, Meaning and Responsibility

5)      Providing Feedback to Parents

Many camps that specialize in working with children with ADHD will stress the similar philosophies. Many are staffed with medical professionals or college graduates seeking a career in medicine, social work or education.

Developing friendships is an important part of summer camp. Most camps specializing in ADHD will monitor children to help develop social skills and to make sure no children are left out of activities and groups. In addition, they often have a lower counselor to camper ratio, allowing your child to receive more individual attention as well as helping campers to learn skills in social skills, life skills and allows counselors to closely monitor behavioral issues. 

Camps specializing in ADHD also usually have a medical staff available to make sure children on medication have access and are provided their medication on a daily basis. In addition, there may be additional medical staff such as nurses or pediatricians. For example, Summit Camp, located in the Pocono Mountains has a full time pediatrician and five full time nurses on staff.

Camps for Children with ADHD

Although there are many different camps, some examples of camps specifically designed to help children with ADHD are (in addition to the ones mentioned above):

Talisman Camp

This overnight camp is located in North Carolina, accepts children from age 9 to age 17 and works with children with ADHD, learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Their programs are highly structured and have “campus based” camps for children from 9 to 13, a combined classroom and camp for ages 11-14 and several adventure camps for children from ages 12-17.