Talking to Parents About Special Needs Camps

At parent teacher conferences in the spring, you will want to have information available for parents about summer camps for their children with disabilities. You will know your parents by this conference and how much information they will want from you about the camps. Some parents are very protective of their children with physical disabilities, so you will need to reassure them that this is a great opportunity for their child to improve his skills, independence, and self-esteem.

The Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) provides special needs camp information on their website. If you have children, who have lost a limb, this may be a great opportunity for them during the summer. If you think parents will worry about the cost or do not have financial means to pay for the camp, then the ACA does provide scholarships for families that demonstrate financial need. This is something you will want to discuss with parents at parent teacher conferences as well as provide cost and sign-up information for the ACA summer camps in many spots around the United States.

The American Camping Association is an organization that parents of children with disabilities will want to familiarize themselves with as a camping resource. As the child's teacher and leader of their school program, you can share this camp resource with families to help them make decisions about special needs camps for their children. The website helps families find a camp with an advanced search where parents can target the search according to their child's disability. Parents can also search the camp database by location. Experts provide advice and tips on camps, which may help you when you are discussing parents' concerns at parent-teacher conferences. Some parents will want to explore the American Camping Association's site on their own, and others will need your help. It might be useful to have a computer available if possible when discussing summer camps.

Many parents of children with disabilities will be more comfortable discussing camps run by well-known organizations such as Easter Seals. As a special education teacher, it is important for you to meet the needs of the families on your case load, and this includes providing information about special needs camps run by Easter Seals. The Easter Seals website page on camping and recreation allows parents and teachers to find a camp by zip code. It also shows an amazing photo of a student with disabilities water-skiing.

Parents and students will thank you for providing information and helping them find summer camps that are filled with inspiration and opportunities they might not realize existed for their children. You should also look into any funding that these camps provide for low-income families and help them understand how to apply for financial aid for their children with disabilities to attend special needs camps.