Bonus: Camp Checklist
Here are points to address to ensure that your ADHD child’s experience at camp is optimal.
- Ask the camp for names of families in your area who have attended. Talk to the parents and have your child talk to the camper.
- Include your child in the selection process. Show him brochures, watch the sample DVD together, and talk about what he can expect at camp. The more he knows beforehand-and the more input he has-the less anxious he will be during his stay.
- Be honest about your child’s strengths and weaknesses. It won’t help to downplay his problems. If one camp isn’t right for your child, another will be.
- If your child has a learning disability, consider a camp that has some academic instruction so that he doesn’t lose the gains he’s made during the school year. If you decide to develop an academic plan for him at camp, be honest with your child. Don’t wait until he gets to camp to spring it on him that academics will be a part of his summer.
- Role-play solutions to potential problems ahead of time. What can your child do if he’s homesick, for example, or if he has a problem with another child, or has a reaction to his medication? You don’t want to scare him; you want to prepare him.
- Remind him of the challenges he has met and the successes he has had, and tell him that he will be able to add summer camp to the success column. Stay positive and confident in his ability to adapt and thrive at camp.
- Relax! You’ve done everything to ensure that your child will have a productive, fun-filled experience.
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