When Daniel was first diagnosed with autism I had no idea what that meant, I only knew that it was going to change our lives forever. What I didn’t know at the time was how difficult the journey was going to be. From therapy, to behaviours, to schooling, to making friends, to childhood experiences, I had no idea how hard it was all going to be. One of the things that my husband and I decided very early on what that Daniel wasn’t going to miss out on anything. We were going to ensure that he experienced everything that a child should experience. Unfortunately there was one experience that we were never able to give Daniel: camp.
There is a wonderful daycare my daughter attends for before and after school. We have been so lucky through the years that they have welcomed Daniel and his therapist during their day camp programs. Daniel has loved every second of it and the children there truly are awesome. As much as Daniel’s loves his therapist, he knows that having her there makes him different. He loses a little of his independence of being a child having someone there. The problem is that Daniel isn’t able to attend without support. Daniel is a flight risk, and although this has decreased dramatically over the years there is still no guarantee that he won’t run. Daniel also still needs some assistance in the bathroom and with some activities. Due to safety concerns the daycare or any other camp cannot take him without assistance, and to be truthful I wouldn’t send him alone. Unfortunately what this means is Daniel hasn’t had the opportunity to experience everything that camp has to offer.
When I started the Lighthouse I knew right from the beginning that incorporating a day camp during March break and the summer was mandatory. Having a day camp that Daniel could safely participate in was a right of passage as a child he hadn’t been afforded before, and I was going to make sure he got it. It seems like our children on the spectrum are forgotten sometimes due to the misconception that they don’t enjoy activities that typically developing children enjoy.
Summer camp at the Lighthouse is going to be just like any other camp and will feature themed weeks
- Around the World
- Circus
- Safari
- Survivor
- Under the Sea
- Emergency Services
Lighthouse Summer Camp Weekly Field Trips
- Centre Island
- Peterborough Zoo
- Bingeman’s / FunworX
- Petticoat Creek
Lighthouse Summer Camp Daily Activities
- Arts and crafts
- Science experiments
- Drama
- Daily water activities
- Team games
- Weekly BBQ
Given that all of the Lighthouse camps are all-abilities, social skills will be embedded in each and every activity every day. With highly trained and experienced staff, children with autism can finally get the camp experience that every child deserves.
The best part about camp at The Lighthouse is the price! We know that costs associated with having a child on the spectrum can be exorbitant. We have kept the price of our camp comparable to that of a town run camp.
Don’t miss out on what could be your child’s best summer yet! Visit our Day Camp page to learn more. For questions or more information contact Serena Thompson at
serena@www.lhldc.com.
