The
complete resource to help parents and professionals include ALL kids in summer camp
Letter
From Jill (Mother of a child with special needs)
In years past,
when the school year ended, I dreaded the summers. It was always such a struggle to find appropriate activities for
my son, Sean, who has cerebral palsy.
While his brother was trotting off to carious camps and activities I was
left to find ways to fell the long days.
He was not welcome where his brother went because his needs for support
seemed overwhelming to those programs.
“Try a specialty camp, one for kids with disabilities” they’d
suggest. We did, and in general they
gave me a break but weren’t very satisfying for Sean. They just didn’t provide enough opportunity for him to play with
more typically developing children.
But
here we are, four weeks into the summer and our whole family is ecstatic! Why?
Because this summer is different.
With the help of an inclusion aide, Sean is participating in the summer
camp at the Jewish Community Center in our neighborhood. The first couple of days were a little nerve
wracking, but then things settled down and have continued to go well. It has made an unbelievable difference in
our lives.
It feels so good
to drop off both of the boys and watch them as they greet friends and go off to
play. At the end of the day they pile
in the car clutching their handmade crafts, backpacks and wet towels smelling
sweetly of sunscreen, Popsicle’s and the outdoors, each full of stories to
tell. Sean doesn’t feel like an
outsider here. He feels like he
belongs.
These valuable
experiences of learning new things, making friends, playing, singing and sharing
have filled the long summer days with fun
and joy.
Kids Included
Together (KIT) is a non-profit organization that helps support youth
service organizations
that make a commitment
to include children with disabilities into their existing recreational and
social programs.
about us | contact | home | hall of fame
Have information to share about inclusion? Please click here!
© and TM 2001
Inclusion For All – All Rights Reserved