ADHD Summer Programs Near You

We live in the Chicago area. We have a now 17 year old son who is a junior in high school this year. Our son has ADHD and Non-Verbal Learning

Differences. He is socially awkward and it’s very easy for him to miss social cues in dealing with his peers. Over the years, he has had several camp experiences, each of which has involved his being away from home for 1 to 3 weeks. For 6 years, he spent 2 weeks each summer (except 1 week the first summer) at Camp Tecumseh, which is a YMCA camp in Brookston, Indiana. While Tecumseh has no special program for kids with special needs, we always felt that our son was well taken care of by caring counselors and he came home each year talking about going back the next summer. Unfortunately, he’s now too old for Tecumseh. One summer, after 8th grade, he spent 3 weeks at Franklin Academy, in Connecticut, for the first session of its summer program; he opted for an aeronautics program. Franklin is a private boarding school for kids with Non-Verbal Learning Differences. Our son was very happy with the experience, but we were not happy with the lack of communication from Franklin and we are not convinced that the kids were appropriately supervised at all times. In light of the significant cost of the program, we did not send our son back again. Last summer, our son went on a SOAR (Success Oreinted Achievement Realized) trip to the Florida Keys. SOAR’s programs are designed for kids and teens with ADHD, ADD and LD. Our son had a fabulous trip and he may be going on a SOAR trip to Costa Rica this summer. We were very pleased with our interactions with the SOAR staff, and since the entire program is designed for kids like our son, we didn’t have to explain him to the staff; they got it when we told them the first time. We would highly recommend both Camp Tecumseh and the SOAR programs.

Suzanne Bessette-Smith of IL 6:27PM January 24, 2010

I am looking for a ADHD camp in the Northern California area, i have a ten year old son and has been battleing this since age five years, and yes it has taken a tole on my family i have become a advocate for our kids, i am now battleing the school system where he once attended they have told me that his behavior was only a excuse and ADHD is not a real diagonsis and told not to bring him back to school until i medicate him, he had a file for displine bigger than Al Capone, this school district in Lake County has just hammerd my son and brow beat him, which in turn now he has level 8 adhd and odd behavior, they took his spirit, all he knew was to remove him self from class and suspend himself and turned into a runnner, and when asked to help him they told me he did not qualify for IEP becasue his star scores were high! i have since filed a compliant with Sacramento and in the process of a due process hearing coming up in Dec, what i need and am going to ask that this school with their malice behavior towards my son pay for aleast two years of a summer program and try to fix the mess they have done, in addition to my behavioral health MD that i take him too. He is now in a special ed class with only 15 students and doing fine with teacher that care and this whole time this program had only been fifteen miles away in another district that i found, at any time did this school provide me with the tools to help him, only them saying he knew how to control his behavior and had many chances to turn it around. try telling a five year old with ADHD and ODD to turn their behavior around, and telling him he was a bad seed, i am just so upset that this school has been allowed to do this and how many more kids have they done this too, before and after my son, i am just a mom that stuck up for my son and started to learn the law, and reading the WRIGHTS LAW BOOK. ANY ONE HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR CAMP I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR. THANKS TO ALL YOU PARENTS WHO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE GO THROUGH EVERY DAY.

CATHY of CA 12:38PM November 10, 2009

I am trying to find a camp to send my son to I live in IL and I can't find a camp for him to go to He is 8. Do you have any suggestions?

Danielle Burcar of IL 4:43PM June 20, 2009

Ms. Richardson-Hall-

I am a special education administrator and to my knowledge, if you are referring to a public school denying your child access to a "Free Appropriate Education" as stipulated under the Federal IDEA laws, that is illegal. It is equally illegal for a school to require or suggest medication. That is only legally done so my an medical doctor (psychiatrist, neurologist, etc.)

Having a child with very involved ADHD as well as another with BiPolar and Diabetes Type I, I was too leery of meds. However after having tried them on a smaller dose, my son stated to me that day (at the age of 5), "Mommy, those pills really help me feel better; not so hyper. I like that!". Since then he has gone from daily visits to the principal's office to only twice in one entire school year.

I am not encouraging nor discouraging the use of meds in children with neurological impairments. That is a decision you and your mental health team must decide. Most research indicates that combination therapies work best (that is medical, behavioral therapy, family therapy, etc.). You must always make the decisions that feel best for you. There is no ONE right way.

Good Luck!

CMD

CMD of DE 7:40AM January 31, 2009