"Bolting's an issue," explained Margaret Novotny, a speech language pathologist who helps run Camp Kaleidoscope and has worked with autistic children for many years. Temporary fencing encircled the barn so that staffers would have time to reach any child who might try to run off.
On a humid summer morning during this year's session, a converted horse barn was set up with various play options: arts and crafts, Legos, a gooey Oobleck station and, just outside the door, a playground and sandboxes. College students studying speech language pathology also help out for credit or experience, offering one-on-one supervision to campers who need it. Managing those challenges are paid staff who work with autistic children during the school year. Camp Kaleidoscope uses the same facilities, with a few modifications.Īutism spectrum disorders "can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The nonprofit Common Ground Center where the camp is held hosts an eclectic range of gatherings: weddings, yoga retreats, Camp Outright for LGBT teens and allies, camps for divorced parents in conflict, and family camps for parents and kids. At the end of June, 31 kids and their families took part. The camp, which sits on 700 acres in the foothills of the Green Mountains, is open to children with autism, their siblings and parents. His dad says, "If he sees a snake, he wants to touch it and pick it up." And he still makes sense of the world through touch. Quinn likes to socialize, but in his own way - he might respond to questions with just one or two words. Today, he is calmer and less impulsive, his dad says. There, campers can relax and swim, do archery, play tennis, run through meadows and zoom down a Slip'N Slide in a safe, supportive, judgment-free environment.Īfter coming to Kaleidoscope five years in a row, tall, dark-haired Quinn is familiar with the other families, and he's gained independence. The annual four-day family camp at the Common Ground Center in Starksboro, is designed specifically for kids with autism and their families. This past June, though, Quinn and his dad enjoyed some carefree summer fun at Camp Kaleidoscope. "It looks like you have a kid who's not behaving," Sylvan explains. Other beachgoers, who couldn't see Quinn's developmental disability, would glare at both him and his parents. When Quinn was younger, "something as simple as going to the beach was a real challenge," Sylvan says, because his son wanted to touch every towel on the sand. That's because his 13-year-old son, Quinn, has an autism spectrum disorder. But New Hampshire dad Rob Sylvan says that typical seasonal activities haven't always been easy for his clan. Summer, for many families, means carefree time spent together, often outdoors.
0 kommentar(er)
