It’s that time of year again — time to decide on a summer camp for your child with ADHD.
Should he go to mainstream camp, where he will be challenged to keep up with non-ADD boys and girls? Does he need a camp that focuses on learning problems? What about a sports camp? A social-skills camp?
“Figure out which aspect of ADHD is holding back your child,” says Alan Rosenblatt, M.D., a specialist in neuro-developmental pediatrics. “Then choose a camp that addresses it.” Rosenblatt encourages parents to try mainstream camps. “ADD kids can learn a lot from non-ADD campers—everything from good behavior to social skills,” he explains.
How do you decide which camp will benefit your child the most? Evaluate your child honestly. “If he is extremely aggressive or impulsive, he may not do well at a mainstream camp, which is less tolerant of those behaviors,” explains Rosenblatt. “In that case, go with a specialized camp.”
ADDitude asked Rosenblatt and David Stoch, the director of Camp Kodiak — whose campers include children and teens with and without ADHD, learning disabilities, and Asperger’s syndrome — what types of camps are best for children with special needs.
