Summer Camps for Kids on the Spectrum: How Boys & Girls Clubs Gave My Son the Best Summer

Last June, I was on the hunt for a summer camp for my 10-year-old son, Elliott.

A little about Elliott: he’s a happy-go-lucky kid — caring, a great helper, adventurous. He lives in Tampa Bay, with me, his dad, his grandmother and brother. And I can still get a hug in public without it being seen as embarrassing or “not cool.”

Elliott was also diagnosed at the age of three with ADHD and being on the autism spectrum.

While these diagnoses don’t define him, they do impact his life daily. Sometimes, it can be hard for him to focus. Changes in his routine can also easily upset him. His speech and occupational therapy have been extremely helpful. But what’s made the most difference is his Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy.

Elliott’s ABA therapist works with him every day at school to build his behavioral and social skills. One of his goals is to grow his confidence in socializing with different people, and it was essential for him to keep up his progress during the summertime.

As a parent, this meant finding the right summer camp to not only accept but empower Elliott’s social development. But, like many parents with a child on the autism spectrum, finding a supportive summer camp can be difficult.

An Experience I Wouldn’t Wish on Any Parent

I’ll never forget the first time I enrolled Elliott in summer camp. He was five years old, and it was a camp for kids on the autism spectrum. I thought it would be a good environment with staff who would understand his challenges. Yet, one day, when Elliott got very upset and the camp staff had difficulty calming him down, they threatened to call the police if he wasn’t picked up in 20 minutes. I got there in time, and Elliott didn’t go back. But my family and I were shocked and disappointed at how the camp handled the situation.

Later that year, Elliott started ABA therapy and has spent his summers building social-emotional skills at our local clinic. Over the next five years, Elliott’s progress soared. So much so that I thought he deserved a second chance at summer camp last year.

Finally Finding the Right Summer Camp

I always wanted Elliott to have a typical summer camp experience — play games, try sports, go on field trips. I was determined to find one that could provide all these activities and be equipped to support Elliott on any day. My list of qualifications included:

• A caring, non-judgmental environment
• Staff eager to understand Elliott’s needs
• A smaller camp setting with a positive vibe
• Opportunities to bond with peers around Elliott’s age
• A variety of fun, learning experiences
• Must allow ABA therapist

Out of the 15 camps in my area, only my local Boys & Girls Club checked all these boxes.

Before enrolling Elliott in Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast, I called the director to explain the importance of keeping up his ABA therapy at camp. To my relief, she was very receptive.

In my experience, it can be tricky having conversations with camps about ABA therapy and its benefits for kids. Some camps I talked to were hesitant to allow an outside therapist on site. Many were not willing to discuss it at all. And once camps began to question what Elliott was capable of, the conversation was over for me.

The Ridgecrest Boys & Girls Club may not have been familiar with ABA therapy, but they understood that Elliott was in need of a supportive camp and agreed to let him attend with his therapist.

My conversation at the director’s level, meeting the camp counselors, and seeing how happy the kids were to be there all confirmed that the Boys & Girls Club was the best place for Elliott.

After his ABA therapist passed the Club’s background checks, he was enrolled.

Elliott’s Unforgettable Summer

At the Club’s summer camp, Elliott joined in just about every activity and got along with his peers and counselors. When I came to pick him up each day, the staff would often tell me how much of a positive example he was for other kids.

Elliott did so well that he earned the “Member of the Month” title just a few weeks after starting. The staff made him a “President” name tag to celebrate. Elliott was thrilled and wanted to make sure no one forgot his title, requesting a fresh “President” name tag each day until camp ended.

During the last week of camp, the Club staff were disappointed to learn that we wouldn’t be continuing with Boys & Girls Club’s after-school programming in the fall, as Elliott’s school was 25 minutes away. They told his ABA therapist that they weren’t counting down the days until camp was over; they were counting down until the day they may never see Elliott again.

The Difference a Great Summer Can Make

Elliott attending the Ridgecrest Boys & Girls Club summer program was a great experience for everyone involved. The staff learned more about the needs of kids on the spectrum and the benefits of ABA therapy. As a parent, the Club provided a safe space where Elliott could thrive and be accepted by adults and his peers.

And Elliott, of course, had a great summer. He was excited to go to camp every day, and after it ended, I noticed how comfortable he’d grown in social settings. He’s now more likely to put himself out there and strike up conversations with kids his own age.

A year later, Elliott is still the same happy-go-lucky kid. He’s starting to have crushes and can’t wait to be a teenager. I keep telling him that he’ll have plenty of opportunities to keep finding himself. Including, of course, this summer, back at the Boys & Girls Club.