Question on Summer Programs

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I didn't want to bring the thread this was on off topic, so I am making a new topic for it.

I understand the logic behind summer school for autistic kids b/c it is is supposed to be habit reinforcing and all that. But especially for the programs where speech and OT and other services are not continued and the focus is not academic, is this a net plus or a net minus for most kids?

This is mostly curiosity on my part b/c the one year this was offered to me, we rejected it as my son definitely needed the break (and we ended up pulling him out, anyway.) I am just wondering b/c autistic kids have to work harder than NT kids, tend to need more downtime than NT kids, and the summer school program is usually neither a continuation of the prior year's schedule nor the same as the next year's. I could see there being a social benefit for some kids, but that is not the reason it is proposed. In my mind, given that it is not like either the prior or next year, in my mind it is actually more of a transition than a continuation.

In the early years (before it was offered) I might have done it if the therapies were continued, but without it seems just like a bunch of additional stress.

We were never offered anything like that but I say go with your instincts.

My son loved summer, because he could pick day camps that met his interests and delve deep into topics that school did not get into.

We talked about this in the IEP meeting and I mentioned that my son had found it to be a waste of time. He said "How am I supposed to learn social skills by hanging out with a bunch of other kids who have poor social skills?"

The people at the meeting seemed to think that this was an excellent point and it became apparent that the summer program was a sort of glorified day-care. We said we were open to the idea if anything more productive was offered.

Our school has an 11 month program, which is really a continuation of the school year but only with the IEP children and really is only an excuse to keep giving OT, PT, Speech or whatever. The day is basically recess with snacks and pull outs for therapies.

With therapies provided, I could see the point, especially if someone qualified was on hand during the day to provide assistance with social interactions.

In our district it was provided when there were behavioral issues and they thought they saw more issues after weekends or vacation periods. (Plus they were mixed in with the kids in for remedial work--so it would not just be recess--it would include sitting through remedial work, too.) The funny thing is that in our case, the behaviors were better when he was fresh off summer vacation even with the early-year adjustments. It was the end of the year when he was burnt out when it was worse. At the end of last year (before we told them he going to be homeschooled this year) they pushed really hard on the summer school thing, even after I explained the burn-out issue, and they treated me like I was woefully misinformed b/c it was what autistic kids need.

That was why I was curious as what the results were like for other kids. They acted like summer school could never be a bad thing, and I was really surprised they didn't have experience with more kids with burn out issues for whom it would not be appropriate.

I've seen summer programs that are great, and others that are basically day care. It may be worthwhile knowing what you're getting into, but if the family needs daycare and other camps aren't options, it makes sense, even if the program is a disappointment.

I think the burnout issue depends on the child. My older son, definitely needs a break, because he hates being told what to do and having other people schedule his day (he HATES school). But my younger is son is different; he gets overwhelmed by the social expectations and the sensory stuff and all that, but he also can't function without someone dictating a routine. His meltdown over changes in routine is way worse than his meltdown over being overwhelmed, although it happens with both options. He likes the routine more than he likes what he's doing- which is really weird for me, but it is the case. He loves going swimming but if we go on a day that we don't normally go, he won't get in the pool (until we go several times on that day so it becomes the new routine).

Our school system does not offer year-round schooling, but I wish they did, because that would help a lot for him. Summers are really tough for him (so are all school breaks). He is "just getting used to it" right up until about August 30th and then it's like "OK now you're going back to school!" AAAAHHHHHHH!

I work, so unfortunately, my older son has always had to go to camp anyway (except this summer because his dad's going to be home, yay!) but I try to find more relaxed environments for him, whereas my younger son goes to a structured camp every week (that helps but not nearly enough).

Your burn out experience is reminding me of a conversation we were having on another thread about my son and if he was acting out to get attention or because he didn't have the control there yet. It occurred to me later that he might be using up all his control at school, where he is basically "used" (too often) as a the "good" kid who sits next to the more wild child types, but he then runs out of control when he gets home... Burn out exists...definitely.