Resources

Summer Camp Associations
American Camp Association – www.acacamps.org
American Camp Association, New York Section – www.aca-nynj.org

Camp Akeela is a proud member of CampGroup, a family of independent, summer camps where kids come first.

Site Rental Information
For information on how to host a retreat or meeting at Akeela contact Lakeside Retreats –www.lakesideretreats.com

Charitable Organizations
CampLauncher (www.camplauncher.org), a charity that provides summer camp scholarships to neurodivergent campers.

Summer Camp Resources
R&B Camp Baggage for baggage transportation to and from camp. R&B serves the greater New York metro area, as well as Connecticut, Boston, Providence, Baltimore, Washington, DC-Virginia, and Florida. For more info visit www.rbcampbaggage.com.

Camp Akeela uses and recommends H&H Purchasing Services to help small businesses save money on food service purchasing.

For summer camp jobs visit the Great Camp Jobs website

What is the ACA and why is accreditation important?

The American Camp Association (ACA) is a community of camp professionals who, for nearly 100 years, have joined together to share camp knowledge and experience and to ensure the quality of camp programs.

In addition to being actively involved in the ACA and many of its organizations, Camp Akeela is an accredited camp. ACA accreditation means that your child’s camp cares enough to undergo a thorough review of its operation – up to 300 standards are examined from staff qualifications and training to emergency management. The American Camp Association collaborates with experts from The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, and other youth service agencies to assure that current practices at accredited camps reflect the most up-to-date, research-based standards in camp operation. ACA accreditation is generally considered in the camp industry to be the best evidence for parents that a camp is committed to creating a safe, nurturing environment for children, as it assures that the accredited camp has passed regular, independent safety audits that go beyond regulations in most states.

What is Asperger’s Syndrome?

Asperger’s Syndrome — also called Asperger Syndrome, Asperger Disorder, Asperger’s, or AS — is a neurobiological “disorder” characterized by difficulties with social skills and social interaction, problems with transitions and changes, and often a preoccupation with a limited set of interests or activities. Asperger’s Syndrome was named after the Austrian physician Hans Asperger who first documented the pattern of AS behaviors in young boys in 1944. It wasn’t until the mid 1990s that Asperger’s Syndrome was widely recognized by medical professionals and parents.

Individuals with Aspergers have normal to high intelligence and normal language development. People with Aspergers can have incredibly rich vocabularies; their main difficulty with communication lies in misreading nonverbal cues and social situations. The number and severity of Asperger symptoms varies by individual. Many people with a high functioning form of Aspergers see AS not as a “disorder” meant to be treated or cured, but rather as a neurobiological “difference” that need only be understood.

As of yet, there is no one definitive classification for AS. It has been described as an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a form of High Functioning Autism (HFA), a Nonverbal Learning Disability (NLD), and a Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). It is not until recently that AS has been recognized as a unique condition and diagnosed. In fact, many children originally diagnosed with ADD or ADHD were later re-diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome.

Asperger’s Syndrome and Summer Camp for Children
Treatment for children with Asperger’s Syndrome typically focuses on interventions to help kids better interact with others and become more self-sufficient. Activities and situations where kids receive social skills training, proper communication cues, and emotional support are most helpful.

This is why sending a child with Aspergers to a summer camp that understands AS can be quite beneficial. The summer camp experience in and of itself is a social situation where social skill development and communication are important parts of daily life. A child or teenager at the right summer camp has a wonderful opportunity to learn and practice the social skills needed throughout his or her life.

The program at Camp Akeela is not therapeutic per se, but it offers a structured environment where life skills, friendship development, respect for the community, confidence and fun are encouraged by caring, knowledgeable experts and adults. Not all campers at Akeela have been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. The small nurturing community Camp Akeela provides benefits all children who wish to improve their social skills. To learn more about Camp Akeela’s philosophy and program, click here.

Additional Information on Asperger’s Syndrome
The web offers a wide range of information on Asperger’s and other non-verbal learning disabilities. Below is a limited list of some of the online resources we recommend.

ASPEN (Asperger Syndrome Education Network)
http://www.aspennj.org
The website of this non-profit organization headquartered in New Jersey offers information on education, support, and advocacy for people with Asperger’s Syndrome and other Autism Spectrum Disorders.

AANE: Asperger / Autism Network (formerly Asperger’s Association of New England)
http://www.aane.org
Online Asperger’s information, support groups, services, grants, resources, events and more, particularly in the New England area.

Asperger Syndrome And High Functioning Autism Association
http://www.ahany.org
Primarily a support group for parents in New York, this site also offers comprehensive information and links on high-functioning special needs / aspergers / autism.

OASIS @ MAPP Services
http://www.aspergersyndrome.org
An extensive set of articles, educational information, links to resources, recommended reading, and moderated support message boards for families, individuals, and professionals who deal with Asperger’s and other spectrum disorders.

Tony Attwood
www.tonyattwood.com.au
Australian psychologist Tony Attwood is an internationally recognized expert on Asperger’s Syndrome who studied under Uta Frith, one of the pioneering researchers on AS. Tony’s comprehensive website is “a guide for parents, professionals and people with Asperger’s Syndrome and their partners.”

Social Thinking
www.socialthinking.com/
The website for Michelle Garcia Winner’s excellent approach to teaching lifelong social skills.

The Gray Center
www.thegraycenter.org/
Home of Carol Gray, the developer of Social Stories and Comic Strip Conversations, tools that help many on the spectrum with social understanding.

Asperger’s Syndrome is much like non-verbal learning disability. For more specific information on NLD (or NVLD), click here.

What is Non-verbal Leaning Disability (NLD)?
Non-verbal Learning Disability (NLD or NLVD) is a neurological syndrome / developmental disability that is characterized by a series of specific abilities and disabilities. People with NLD exhibit a lack of coordination and balance, a lack of visual and spatial skills, a high level of sensory sensitivity, and a distinct lack of social skills, particularly an inability to read non-verbal communication cues such as facial expressions, body language and tone. At the same time people with non-verbal learning disability tend to learn to read and speak early; have excellent vocabularies, spelling skills, and rote memorization skills; and they often speak with great eloquence. As a result, NLD often goes undiagnosed or – worse – children with NLD are thought to be “behavior problems” as many parents and teachers assume that a high level of verbal ability should be a predictor of normal social interaction.

Non-verbal Leaning Disability (NLD or NVLD) and Summer Camp for Children
Treatment for children with nonverbal learning disability typically focuses on interventions to help kids better interact with others and become more self-sufficient. Activities and situations where kids receive social skills training, proper communication cues, and emotional support are most helpful.

This is why sending a child with non-verbal learning disability to a summer camp that understands NLD can be quite beneficial. The summer camp experience in and of itself is a social situation where social skill development and communication are important parts of daily life. A child or teenager at the right summer camp has a wonderful opportunity to learn and practice the social skills needed throughout his or her life.

The program at Camp Akeela is not therapeutic per se, but it offers a structured environment where life skills, friendship development, respect for the community, confidence and fun are encouraged by caring, knowledgeable experts and adults. Not all campers at Akeela have been diagnosed with non-verbal learning disability. The small nurturing community Camp Akeela provides benefits all children who wish to improve their social skills. To learn more about Camp Akeela’s philosophy and program, click here.

Additional Information on Non-verbal Leaning Disability (NLD)
The following sites are recommended for more information about Non-verbal Learning Disability (NLD):

Understanding Nonverbal Learning Disabilities
www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/nonverbal-learning-disabilities/understanding-nonverbal-learning-disabilities
A great basic description of NLD.

NLD is considered quite similar to Asperger’s Syndrome. Many Akeela campers have been diagnosed with one or the other. That said, many of our campers have no official diagnosis but are described as “quirky” and benefit greatly from a summer camp with a high staff-to-camper ratio and a little extra attention paid to helping kids connect with one another.