There are no summer camps for autistic children

• Specialized camping is too expensive and not possible locally.
• I can’t find a summer camp that provides the amenities I need, like toileting assistance and one-on-one support.
• Even though I had a bad experience with a childcare center, I still want my child to experience camp.

With my son, who has autism, almost turning 6, I thought our summer camp options would finally be expanding. But I didn’t expect that none of the camps would be a good fit for my son, even though he’s on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) at school. The only local program we currently have doesn’t offer the potty assistance he needs.

He needs someone to let him know when he needs to go to the bathroom and help him get dressed. His communication style includes echolalia, where he repeats what he hears as a means of confirmation or assertion. For example, if asked if he is hungry, he might reply, “I’m hungry,” but won’t explicitly say what he wants until you give him the option to repeat for confirmation. Another example is singing the toilet song instead of directly saying he wants to go to the bathroom.

He doesn’t have summer camp.

I understand that getting one-on-one support at summer camp can be a struggle, but we have no options outside of our local standard camps — no drop-off sensory camps, not even the option to participate as a helper (he’s too old for parent-inclusive camps), and I’ve had bad experiences in the past with child care centers that promised this kind of support but couldn’t accommodate my son.

These negative experiences led to a formal diagnosis and enrolment in an IEP. As part of this programme, he is entitled to attend an Extended School Year (ESY), a month of half-day classes, to continue his progress. In this programme, he will undertake activities in short bursts and develop his communication skills through a variety of approaches.

However, ESY is not a summer camp. ESY is intended to maintain a grade structure to avoid starting afresh next year. I want my son to have as much fun as possible over the summer, and I know he will have a blast with music, water, outdoor activities, and more. If I can use a quick, incremental approach to a summer athletic and music program, he will do well.

He loves playing with other kids

He may not be able to follow the rules of the game, but he loves to run around and join in when the neighborhood kids are playing basketball or soccer. He may have trouble following instructions, but he can dance along to any song and enjoys the joy of music. But finding an affordable program that provides the type of accessibility he needs and the fun of soccer and dancing seems impossible.

There are a few overnight camps in more remote locations, but they are geared towards older kids and are very expensive. The camps that do exist only offer a one-on-one scenario to a limited number of campers and the fees are prohibitive. On average, they cost between $2,000 and $4,000 for five days. Even if I could afford this option, my son would not be able to stay overnight without my assistance.

I asked parents and teachers of his classmates for advice, but no one could come up with anything. I don’t know the exact number of kids with neurodevelopmental disorders in the area, but I do know that the school does a lot more to support parents during the school year than it did when I was a kid. What I don’t understand is why that support doesn’t extend to other kids’ activities locally.

So, this year we will again use the community pool and local library to plan as many fun summer activities as possible, and hopefully next year there will be even more options.