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Sofisol612
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12 Nov 2017, 8:49 am

Hi everyone!

I am thinking about applying for a job as a counselor in a summer camp. I already have some experience working with children as a teacher, but I have very little experience with summer camps. I would like to know about your personal experiences as an autistic person in a summer camp. I am interested in all kinds of experience (as a camper, as a counselor, in a mainstream camp, in an autism specific camp). I´d like to know what kind of accomodations they make in different camps, how inclusion works in mainstream camps and what makes it a good or bad experience for campers and counselor with ASD.

So, what was your experience like in summer camp?


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Professionally diagnosed with PDD NOS as a child, but only told by my parents at the age of 21.

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Trashikawa
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12 Nov 2017, 9:14 am

I went to mainstream camp with people from my year level for a few years.

I always felt vaguely out of place, and very uneasy in the shared cabins, especially because I only really had one friend I cared about and we'd never be in the same one.

I was lucky - the other kids were surprisingly tolerant and accepting, especially considering it was a mainstream camp, and I was never bullied or treated differently even on the occasions when I had a camp related meltdown. I was afforded a lot of leeway just by virtue of being shy, bookish, and socially awkward. Additionally, my meltdowns aren't very disruptive, so I don't think many people apart from my friend actually realized they happened at the time.

Those occurrences notwithstanding, it was overall an enjoyable experience. However, I found that I much preferred volunteering at a nearby petting zoo over the summer around 6th grade, so I stopped going.


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ASPartOfMe
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12 Nov 2017, 12:43 pm

Still out of place but a lot better then school.


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Laki
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12 Nov 2017, 12:54 pm

As a kid at summer camp I was always the loner, without friends, reading in the cabin while the others were having fun around campfire. All school trips were the same for me, even the highschool ones. Once I fell asleep in my cabin and noone noticednot even the girls who lived with me...even if they were checking attendance :D
Later I went to a summer camp organised by rafting club from town across the republic...altought I didn't know anybody we became friends really quickly and still, four years later, are - almost all of us are adult. Maybe the thing that helped was being a total stranger and talking about current things - people at the camp, sci-fi, food, stuff like that.
Few years after that I actually went as a kinda camp counselor (cutting out cards, preparing snacks,...) but they still counted me as a kid. So I attemped to bond all the kids together. It worked well but there was one kid who didn't want to go to this camp and he just sabotaged everything. He was like 15, really cool and interesting, liked cool stuff, fun to chat but when it came to camp activities, he just screwed s*it up. Sabotaging everything, taking himself as a hostage complete wit a hunger-strike and other stuff. Noone bullied him, I tried to drag him among the others and our squad...make him sit at our table... I simply tried my best and quite liked him - he hated me with an udying grudge rage. Didn't even get his facebook... Problem is I can't figure what did I do wrong and I'm pretty sure that it was me...the others liked me and became great friends, but this boy...maybe I wasn't empathetic enough but that's my main problem in life... :/
I still tend to make groups out of people and dragging the loners to my group but theres one guy in my class who only talks to one girl and I am not able to start a conversation with him. Ugh.



Sofisol612
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12 Nov 2017, 4:53 pm

Trashikawa wrote:
I went to mainstream camp with people from my year level for a few years.

I always felt vaguely out of place, and very uneasy in the shared cabins, especially because I only really had one friend I cared about and we'd never be in the same one.

I was lucky - the other kids were surprisingly tolerant and accepting, especially considering it was a mainstream camp, and I was never bullied or treated differently even on the occasions when I had a camp related meltdown. I was afforded a lot of leeway just by virtue of being shy, bookish, and socially awkward. Additionally, my meltdowns aren't very disruptive, so I don't think many people apart from my friend actually realized they happened at the time.

Those occurrences notwithstanding, it was overall an enjoyable experience. However, I found that I much preferred volunteering at a nearby petting zoo over the summer around 6th grade, so I stopped going.


Thank you for your reply! I am glad to hear you were accepted by the other children in the mainstream camp. I have been bullied as a child, and having to witness bullying situations between campers and deciding what to do as a counselor in such situations is one of my fears about the job. I hope it never happens.

When you wrote about your ¨camp related meltdowns¨, did you mean meltdowns that were caused by something related to camp, or that they merely happened while you were at camp? Do you remember what the triggers were?

Again, thank you very much for answering!


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Professionally diagnosed with PDD NOS as a child, but only told by my parents at the age of 21.

Autism Quotient: 30
Aspie quiz: 123/200 aspie; 75/200 NT
RAADS: 135


Trashikawa
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12 Nov 2017, 5:19 pm

This was before I learned to recognize the signs of an upcoming meltdown and take myself out of the situation before it happened.

I'd say that the stress of being in an unfamiliar environment and surrounded by other people 24/7 was a major contributing factor. I felt as though I was constantly being watched, with no place to go be alone and recharge.

There wasn't a single particular person or incident that triggered them. It was a stress build up with nowhere to go that I inevitably had to release.


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Sofisol612
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12 Nov 2017, 5:22 pm

Laki wrote:
As a kid at summer camp I was always the loner, without friends, reading in the cabin while the others were having fun around campfire. All school trips were the same for me, even the highschool ones. Once I fell asleep in my cabin and noone noticednot even the girls who lived with me...even if they were checking attendance :D
Later I went to a summer camp organised by rafting club from town across the republic...altought I didn't know anybody we became friends really quickly and still, four years later, are - almost all of us are adult. Maybe the thing that helped was being a total stranger and talking about current things - people at the camp, sci-fi, food, stuff like that.
Few years after that I actually went as a kinda camp counselor (cutting out cards, preparing snacks,...) but they still counted me as a kid. So I attemped to bond all the kids together. It worked well but there was one kid who didn't want to go to this camp and he just sabotaged everything. He was like 15, really cool and interesting, liked cool stuff, fun to chat but when it came to camp activities, he just screwed s*it up. Sabotaging everything, taking himself as a hostage complete wit a hunger-strike and other stuff. Noone bullied him, I tried to drag him among the others and our squad...make him sit at our table... I simply tried my best and quite liked him - he hated me with an udying grudge rage. Didn't even get his facebook... Problem is I can't figure what did I do wrong and I'm pretty sure that it was me...the others liked me and became great friends, but this boy...maybe I wasn't empathetic enough but that's my main problem in life... :/
I still tend to make groups out of people and dragging the loners to my group but theres one guy in my class who only talks to one girl and I am not able to start a conversation with him. Ugh.


Thank you very much for your reply! I can relate to your first experiences as a camper (being the bookish loner during school camps). I´m glad to hear you made friends at the other camp, even though you didn´t know anyone there. As for your experience as a counselor, I think I´d probably try to do the same as you: do my job and try to bring all the children together, paying special attention to those who don´t join in and participate on their own. I have noticed I´m usually drawn to loners, too.

But don´t blame yourself for the anger of that boy. He´d probably decided he didn´t like camp before he met you. If you tried your best to make him happy, and if everyone else had no complaints about you and they actually liked you, I think it means you are not to blame.

About classes, I have also been attracted to one guy in my class. He´s a loner and never speaks to anyone, except sometimes to the teachers. I know he is an aspie because a teacher had the indiscretion of revealing his diagnosis to all the class one day when he was absent, in an attempt to make his classmates be sympathetic and help him because he was struggling in that subject. Nobody else cared, so I was the one who approached him to help, and since that moment we have had several conversations on different topics, though most of them were college related. I now have the honor of being the only girl he talks to or even waves his hand to when he sees me.


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Autism Quotient: 30
Aspie quiz: 123/200 aspie; 75/200 NT
RAADS: 135


TheAP
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12 Nov 2017, 5:27 pm

I went to a summer day camp for kids with disabilities. I often enjoyed it, though I did sometimes have meltdowns about losing a game and things like that. The other kids were mostly nice, though I did have mild verbal altercations with some of them. I had some friends, though I never truly felt like I fit in.



Sofisol612
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12 Nov 2017, 5:31 pm

Trashikawa wrote:
This was before I learned to recognize the signs of an upcoming meltdown and take myself out of the situation before it happened.

I'd say that the stress of being in an unfamiliar environment and surrounded by other people 24/7 was a major contributing factor. I felt as though I was constantly being watched, with no place to go be alone and recharge.

There wasn't a single particular person or incident that triggered them. It was a stress build up with nowhere to go that I inevitably had to release.


I don´t usually have problems with unfamiliar environments, but being surrounded by people all the time could be a trigger for me. At home I have my own room and I like to spend most of the afternoon there, reading by myself and undisturbed. I´ll have to find a way to get some down time at camp to avoid getting stressed.

Again, thank you for your answer!


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Autism Quotient: 30
Aspie quiz: 123/200 aspie; 75/200 NT
RAADS: 135


Sofisol612
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12 Nov 2017, 8:12 pm

TheAP wrote:
I went to a summer day camp for kids with disabilities. I often enjoyed it, though I did sometimes have meltdowns about losing a game and things like that. The other kids were mostly nice, though I did have mild verbal altercations with some of them. I had some friends, though I never truly felt like I fit in.


Thank you for answering! I was considering applying for a job at a camp for children and teens with disabilities, so your answer was very helpful, as it provides me with some insights as to what to expect. I´m glad you had a good experience overall at camp.


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Dear_one
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12 Nov 2017, 10:52 pm

I was sent to a "Y" camp for two weeks around age 9. I didn't make any friends there, but I did choose the bunk under the cabin counsellor's, which afforded certain protections. Most evenings, I would be the last one awake, and would lift my feet to rouse the counsellor when I heard his name called for a staff poker game.
When swimming, we were told to stick with an assigned "buddy" for safety. Then, when we played volleyball in waist-high water, my buddy was assigned to the other team. Even though he was in plain sight and no danger, the rule conflict had me wailing.
One evening, the food was far better and more varied than usual, and we could "buy" what we wanted with "gold nuggets" (painted rocks) that we had found scattered in the woods. When we set off on the hunt, I was toward the rear, as usual in athletics, and decided to do a more thorough search instead of running for the far reaches. After about two minutes, I realized that participation was not mandatory, and that I could just go back to the cabin for some quiet time. This I did, not even feeling hungry, just relieved.
Another night, we paddled the canoes a few miles away, and slept out in our bags under fair skies. I chose a mossy hollow a bit away from the rest. I woke up only half as far from a cliff edge.
One day, we had mass-start canoe races. (I had my own boat at home.) As we jammed together, starting from stern on the beach, I didn't even have room to get my paddle in, so I grabbed the gunwale of the next boat and shot us forward into clear water.
When I got off the bus to re-join my parents, I said "See, I told you I wouldn't like it."

The story of the girl who took books to camp: https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_th ... introverts



BCTucker
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13 Nov 2017, 9:01 am

Summer camp is near and dear to my heart. I went to camp for a week each summer starting when I was 8. My special interests are mostly crafty and outdoorsy with some horses thrown in, so I was mostly in heaven at camp. Especially once I was old enough to go to horse camp for the whole week instead of just getting a couple of horse rides. When I was engaged in a special interest camp project, it didn't matter as much that I didn't like engaging with the other kids. They awarded skill badges like scouts, so I would just work on getting as many of those as I could each week.

I was a third-generation camper with both my grandma and mom going there when they were kids, and even though I did generally love camp, there were a few things each week I really didn't enjoy, although I didn't know why then. Meals me uncomfortable because they assigned tables at random and I hated sitting with new people every meal. I developed a strategy of getting the table with the staff I wanted while the other kids were developing strategies to sit with their friends. All-Camp games made me uncomfortable because I wasn't athletic or popular. I'd usually try to find a way to sit out those activities or hang near a counselor. I always got along better with the staff than the kids.

I kept going all the way through their teen leadership program and eventually was on staff for a couple of summers before and after college. As a staff member, I didn't ever feel like I was as "cool" as the other staff and often didn't get invited to hang out with them on the weekends. Opposite of when I was a kid, I got along better with the kids than the staff once I was working there. The structure and routine of camp staff life was really good for me, but if something routine had to change it was meltdown city.



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13 Nov 2017, 10:25 am

I only went to summer camp once. It was a day camp as I was too scared to be away from home overnight, it was for horseback riding. I was obsessed with horses back then. It was only a week but I loved it. I don't know if I would have been able to handle any longer. It was a small group of nice girls and we did other things like swimming too.


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Sofisol612
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13 Nov 2017, 6:30 pm

Dear_one wrote:
I was sent to a "Y" camp for two weeks around age 9. I didn't make any friends there, but I did choose the bunk under the cabin counsellor's, which afforded certain protections. Most evenings, I would be the last one awake, and would lift my feet to rouse the counsellor when I heard his name called for a staff poker game.
When swimming, we were told to stick with an assigned "buddy" for safety. Then, when we played volleyball in waist-high water, my buddy was assigned to the other team. Even though he was in plain sight and no danger, the rule conflict had me wailing.
One evening, the food was far better and more varied than usual, and we could "buy" what we wanted with "gold nuggets" (painted rocks) that we had found scattered in the woods. When we set off on the hunt, I was toward the rear, as usual in athletics, and decided to do a more thorough search instead of running for the far reaches. After about two minutes, I realized that participation was not mandatory, and that I could just go back to the cabin for some quiet time. This I did, not even feeling hungry, just relieved.
Another night, we paddled the canoes a few miles away, and slept out in our bags under fair skies. I chose a mossy hollow a bit away from the rest. I woke up only half as far from a cliff edge.
One day, we had mass-start canoe races. (I had my own boat at home.) As we jammed together, starting from stern on the beach, I didn't even have room to get my paddle in, so I grabbed the gunwale of the next boat and shot us forward into clear water.
When I got off the bus to re-join my parents, I said "See, I told you I wouldn't like it."

The story of the girl who took books to camp: https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_th ... introverts


I´m sorry to hear you had a bad time. In my little experience with camps and recreational groups for children I didn´t make any friends either. At least you could find a way to avoid doing some activities you disliked and managed to get some quiet time alone.


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Autism Quotient: 30
Aspie quiz: 123/200 aspie; 75/200 NT
RAADS: 135


Sofisol612
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13 Nov 2017, 7:03 pm

BCTucker wrote:
Summer camp is near and dear to my heart. I went to camp for a week each summer starting when I was 8. My special interests are mostly crafty and outdoorsy with some horses thrown in, so I was mostly in heaven at camp. Especially once I was old enough to go to horse camp for the whole week instead of just getting a couple of horse rides. When I was engaged in a special interest camp project, it didn't matter as much that I didn't like engaging with the other kids. They awarded skill badges like scouts, so I would just work on getting as many of those as I could each week.

I was a third-generation camper with both my grandma and mom going there when they were kids, and even though I did generally love camp, there were a few things each week I really didn't enjoy, although I didn't know why then. Meals me uncomfortable because they assigned tables at random and I hated sitting with new people every meal. I developed a strategy of getting the table with the staff I wanted while the other kids were developing strategies to sit with their friends. All-Camp games made me uncomfortable because I wasn't athletic or popular. I'd usually try to find a way to sit out those activities or hang near a counselor. I always got along better with the staff than the kids.

I kept going all the way through their teen leadership program and eventually was on staff for a couple of summers before and after college. As a staff member, I didn't ever feel like I was as "cool" as the other staff and often didn't get invited to hang out with them on the weekends. Opposite of when I was a kid, I got along better with the kids than the staff once I was working there. The structure and routine of camp staff life was really good for me, but if something routine had to change it was meltdown city.


Thank you for your reply!

I´m glad to hear you had a good time at camp and that you could engage in your special interests there. I´m thinking of applying as a lifeguard, because I love swimming (plus, the pool is the best place to be in the summer). I think meals won´t be my favorite time either, but it doesn´t scare me. All-Camp games, though, are something I would like to avoid (I totally see myself hiding in the bathroom to wait it out hahaha).

I hope I find someone to hang out with on the weekends, but after my past experiences with being bullied and excluded, I wouldn´t be surprised if I was not invited. I relate to your experience of getting on better with the adults when you were a kid and with the children as an adult. It has happened to me as well. If I´m lucky, that will be an advantage in the job. As for structure and routine, I usually have no trouble with that (adherence to routines is the only symptom of ASD I have never had) but I usually like to know what will happen in a day and what I´m supposed to do, so a well established routine would be great to make me feel more confident and not so lost.


_________________
Professionally diagnosed with PDD NOS as a child, but only told by my parents at the age of 21.

Autism Quotient: 30
Aspie quiz: 123/200 aspie; 75/200 NT
RAADS: 135


BCTucker
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16 Nov 2017, 2:51 pm

Sofisol612 wrote:

Thank you for your reply!

I´m glad to hear you had a good time at camp and that you could engage in your special interests there. I´m thinking of applying as a lifeguard, because I love swimming (plus, the pool is the best place to be in the summer). I think meals won´t be my favorite time either, but it doesn´t scare me. All-Camp games, though, are something I would like to avoid (I totally see myself hiding in the bathroom to wait it out hahaha).

I hope I find someone to hang out with on the weekends, but after my past experiences with being bullied and excluded, I wouldn´t be surprised if I was not invited. I relate to your experience of getting on better with the adults when you were a kid and with the children as an adult. It has happened to me as well. If I´m lucky, that will be an advantage in the job. As for structure and routine, I usually have no trouble with that (adherence to routines is the only symptom of ASD I have never had) but I usually like to know what will happen in a day and what I´m supposed to do, so a well established routine would be great to make me feel more confident and not so lost.


I think you should definitely give it a shot as long as you won't be bothered if you do end up getting left out on the weekends. The kids are awesome, and tons of fun, and even though kids can be mean and judge-y sometimes, I always felt like I could be more myself around them.