Summer 2022: Therapeutic Day Camps

If your kiddo loves music, making art, dancing, or performing, these camps and classes are for them! Check them out here and watch the recording of our Facebook Live event, where we give you the lowdown on many of these awesome options! Be sure to also check out our lists of recreational camps and classes, sleepaway camps and family weekends, social skills camps and classes, visual and performing arts camps and classes, and education and STEM programs.

We've put together a guide for how to find the best camp for your child: questions to ask, funding options, and what camps legally have to provide.

And don’t forget that since Regional Center restored social and recreational funding, they can now help pay for summer programs (and support in accessing them). Our Public Benefits Specialist, Lisa Concoff Kronbeck, tells us, “Although funding was restored last summer for social recreation and camping, many regional centers are not adequately prepared to fulfill these funding requests, largely due to a lack of vendored providers. Every Regional Center should have a list of vendors on its website. If you know which program you want your child to attend and it’s not on the list, now is a good time to reach out and find out if they are willing to go through the vendorization process. Another option is to look at vendor lists for other nearby Regional Centers and see if anyone on their list is local to you.” You can read more in our article, Regional Center’s Social-Recreational Funding Is Back!

Buddy-Building™ LLC

6001 Chesebro Rd.

Agoura Hills, CA 91301

(917) 697-2227

Licensed Clinical Psychologist: Dr. Lesli Preuss

Type of Camp: Summer Day Camp

Buddy-Building Camp is a four-week summer day program developed by Dr. Lesli Preuss, a licensed child psychologist with nearly twenty years of experience. The camp is designed to help families who have young children who struggle in more mainstream camp programs. The philosophy of the program is “to use sports, arts, and nature to help children with social and emotional delays overcome some of their difficulties.” Buddy Camp shares how the participants learn the basic skills required to participate in typical sports (e.g., soccer, kickball, football) and learn team-building skills, sportsmanship, conflict resolution, and cooperative play. Camper activities include visiting many of the museums in the city, exploring the outdoors, enjoying nature, playing at the playgrounds, and exercising.

Camp and Dates:

• Camp runs June 13 to July 8, 2022
• The camp primarily serves “children with attention deficit disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, autism (HFA), emotional disabilities, learning disabilities, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), speech/language disabilities, and other disabilities.”
• Consultation with Dr. Preuss’ office is required for new campers prior to acceptance into the program.
• The camp works on a reward-based system where the campers earn Buddy Bucks for using their buddy-building skills that can then be cashed in for prizes.
• Each family is met with as regularly as needed to develop individualized plans and goals for each camper.
• The camp is purposefully kept small in order to provide each child with the individual attention needed. There are a minimum of four counselors for the summer, and Dr. Preuss is present daily.

Age: Ages eight to thirteen

Hours: 8:30a.m.—3:30p.m.

Cost: $1050 per week. While private insurance is not accepted, they can assist in completing the required paperwork to submit to your insurance.

Registration: Contact Dr. Lesli Preuss to register and get additional information. Call (917) 697-2227 or email Lpreuss33@gmail.com

Bloom Pediatrics: Summer Break Camp 2022 at Bloom

1523 Wellesley Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90025

(424) 229-2570

info@bloompediatrics.com

Type of Camp: Summer Morning Camp with Extended Day Option

This summer, Camp Bloom is holding an in-person traditional camp with activities such as games, arts and crafts, and music that are set up with an occupational therapy twist. Join them at a unique and peaceful home-based setting to support your child’s sensory exploration, fine and gross motor development, social thinking abilities, communication skills, emotional regulation, and executive functioning using an OT approach. Carefully planned activities are interspersed with opportunities for free play within a structured setting. The daily rhythm “includes circle time, music, games, obstacle courses, arts and crafts, guided learning, snack time, and more.”

Camp and Dates:

• June 6 to September 2, 2022
• Camps are offered in one-week increments.
• Children do not need to be receiving occupational therapy to participate and do not need to be potty trained to attend.
• They infuse Sensory Integration principles, Social Thinking and Zones of Regulation concepts, mindfulness techniques, and Learning Without Tears curriculum into the design of their program.
• There are no more than four children per group to ensure incredibly individualized attention.

• Children are carefully matched considering their age, abilities, areas of strength, and areas of stretch.

Age range: Two to six years old (flexible)

Hours: Morning camp Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m. Extended day Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m.—2:30 p.m.

Cost: $875 to $1,375 per week

Registration: You may register for camp and view current availability online.

CA School for the Blind: Summer Academy Program - Outreach

California School for the Blind

(510) 936-5527

info@csb-cde.ca.gov

Type of Camp: In-Person and On-Campus at CSB

California School for the Blind’s Summer Academy programs offer students “the opportunity to have fun, address elements of the Expanded Core Curriculum, utilize technology, and build social skills.” Courses offered for June 2022 are now available! Students can attend only one course per week but frequently participate in more than one week. To express interest in any of the courses, please complete the brief Summer Academy Interest Form. CA School for the Blind shares that students attending their courses have varying degrees and types of visual impairments. All of the students are visually impaired, but they do not need to be legally blind to participate in their programs.

Camp and Dates:

• Week 1: June 13 to 17 (ages thirteen and up)
  • Cane to Canine: Is a Guide Dog Right for You?
  • Swimming and Goalball
  • Tacos, Disasters, and my BFF: Personal Storytelling, Inspired by The Moth Radio Hour
  • Introduction to Tabletop Roleplaying Games
  • Technology and Sports
• Week 2: June 20 to 24 (ages nine to thirteen)
  • Sit, Stay, Go Play!
  • Swimming and Goalball
  • Explore! Imagine! Create!
  • Astronomy
  • Technology and Sports
  • Online Course: Dating, Relationships, and Identity
• Week 3: June 27 to July 1 (ages thirteen and up)
  • Amazing Race
  • Media Makers Workshop - Making Media That Matters to You!
  • Introduction to Tabletop Roleplaying Games
  • Astronomy
  • Eat Your Way Around the World!

Age: Nine and up (sessions divided by age)

Hours: Varies by course

Cost: Free

Registration: Contact Short-Term Programs Coordinator Scott Smith with questions about Summer Academy Programs and how to sign up.

Camp Escapades

Main Office

Momentum: Pediatric Therapy Network

1815 213th Street, Suite 100

Torrance, CA 90501

(310) 328-0276

Occupational Therapist: Karen Rodriguez, MS, OTR/L, (310) 328-0276 ext. 364

Type of Camp: Summer Day Camp in Palos Verdes

Camp Escapades, located in the Palos Verdes Peninsula, is an “innovative summer day camp” for children with disabilities and their siblings, which creates an opportunity for greater neurodiversity. Camp groups are run by occupational, physical, or speech therapists along with paraprofessional educators and 1:1 teen volunteers who are each child's "buddy" throughout the week. Campers will be invited to participate in sensory experiences, dance, sports, fine motor skill development, music, games, yoga, cooking, and special events. Camp Escapades looks forward to resuming in 2022 at Rolling Hills Country Day School, but since they have not held camp in two years and are currently unsure of how it will look this summer, they shared with us how camp looked prior to COVID restrictions.

Camps and Dates:

• Summer Day Camp: Camp Escapades is a summer day camp experience. Hours have been 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
  • 1:1 Aides: They do have experience supporting campers with significant support needs. They have also had many campers who are accompanied by a nurse or 1:1 aide, whom the family provides. Campers who need additional support or who do not meet the eligibility requirements might have a behavioral therapist, family member, or nurse attend with them.
  • Buddy Program: Aside from outside support (aides, nurses, or family members), each camper is paired with a 1:1 buddy, typically a high school student or college student who is exploring occupations working with children with disabilities. The buddy facilitates their camper's participation, mostly social, so that their 1:1s are buddies and not formal aides. The groups (made of fifteen campers of similar age) have been historically led by a group leader (Pediatric Therapy Network therapy staff) and assistant group leaders (paraprofessionals who work with their camper population throughout the year, as in the local school districts).
  • Activities and facilities are wheelchair accessible.

Age Range: Campers must be five to fourteen years of age.

Cost: The cost has been approximately $500 per week in the past. They are vendored with Harbor Regional Center. They also shared their understanding that Regional Center funding has been reinstated for camps and social skills programs, so they are expecting that the cost of camp this year (yet to be determined) may be covered.

Registration: Registration will open later than expected this year (it usually opens April 1). Camp will be one week instead of two this year, so they anticipate it going to wait-list very quickly. Keep checking the website for updates as to when registration will open.

Friendship Circle of Los Angeles

1952 S. Robertson Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90034

(310) 280-0955

Program Director: Miriam Rav-Noy

Type of Camp: Summer Day Camp in Los Angeles

Friendship Circle of Los Angeles seeks to serve Jewish youth with disabilities by connecting them with their peers, under the supervision of Jewish teens from the community and the support of their parents, by providing workshops and social events. FCLA offers a number of events and programs throughout the year, including two-week winter and three-week summer day camps, headquartered at their Los Angeles office. They provide a range of social and recreational opportunities through daily local trips and activities.

Camp and Dates:

• July 25 to August 12
• While FCLA does not currently have any campers who are wheelchair users, with advance notice, they will do their best to secure transportation and facilities that are wheelchair accessible. Due to COVID, their usual camp locations have been unavailable, and they have had to use other facilities, so they are unable to guarantee wheelchair accessibility in advance at this time.

• Each camper is partnered with a teen volunteer or buddy, but FCLA does not provide a 1:1 aide; however, campers are welcome to attend camp with their own aide present.

Age Range:

• Friendship Circle offers three camp divisions:
  • Boys aged five to twelve
  • Girls aged five to eighteen
  • Boys aged thirteen to eighteen

Hours:

• Camp runs Monday-Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Hours may occasionally be extended slightly on field trip days but parents will be notified should this be the case.

Cost:

• Cost for the upcoming summer session is $600 per week, or $1,800 for all three weeks.
• They have a vendor number with Regional Center and have been covered with funds from Self-Determination as well.
• They request that campers register as soon as possible after registration opens even if they intend to seek Regional Center coverage, so they can hold a potential spot.

Registration: Registration is not yet available for summer camp as the schedule is still being determined. Prospective campers and their parents would have an intake meeting after registration, and the application process would begin after that. Registration will begin on their website’s registration page.

Friendship Foundation

2108 Vail Avenue

Redondo Beach, CA 90278

(310) 214-6677

info@friendshipfoundation.com

Type of Camp: Summer Day Camps and Year-Round Programs

The Friendship Foundation provides families who have children and young adults with disabilities a “safe, accepting, and inclusive environment where they can enjoy sports, art, music, and many other social programs with their peers.” Their staff and volunteers work to create a fun experience for all. It is their belief “that every person is precious and capable of love, connection, and friendship.” Friendship Foundation programs are typically aimed at specific age groups, but some programs include a broad range of all ages including parents. In every program, children with disabilities are matched with a student volunteer to create a day full of peer interaction. The Friendship Foundation “serves to augment our local educational systems and professional therapies by creating a natural setting for individuals with special needs to practice their learned skills amongst their peers.” In addition to offering a wide variety of social enrichment programs for children ages eight to twelve, social recreational programs for teens aged thirteen to seventeen, and programs for adults, they have summer programs!

Camps and Dates:

• Camp will start the week of June 20.
• Camp Programs:
  • Dogwood Camping Trip (Lake Arrowhead): Participants enjoy the full camping experience, which includes sleeping in tents and sleeping bags, building fires, roasting marshmallows, hiking, and more.
  • Beach Camp: Campers have a week spending time in the water and in the sand doing fun activities.
  • Fun Fridays: On select Fridays during the summer, Friendship Foundation goes on field trips to some of the coolest places including Catalina Island, Knott's Soak City, and more.
  • Friendship Camp: The main program is a socially inclusive, full-day camp that engages participants and volunteers in a variety of activities including art, music, science, dance, cooking, field trips, and sports.
  • Camp Conrad Retreat: Watch a movie under the stars, spend a day at the pool, and hike through the beautiful trees at this Big Bear Retreat.
• Located at Pacific Elementary School, activities and facilities are wheelchair accessible.
• They have experience supporting campers who need additional support and will need to come with an aide or caregiver. While they do not provide aide services, they permit families to bring aides as needed to any of their programs, and they do provide a 1:1 volunteer for each camper.

Age Range: Varies based on program

Cost:

• Cost will be $240 per week (Monday–Thursday) and $50 for Beach Camp (Fridays).

• They are not vendored with any Regional Centers, but they do provide financial support to families, especially for summer camp. If you are interested in financial aid, they can provide you with a financial assistance application.

  Registration:

• While they do not have specifics at this time, they will announce their summer camps and all details in March.
• Registration will be open later in March or April.

Hiller Therapy: Outdoor OT

1137 S. Point View Street

Los Angeles, CA 90035

(323) 641-3662

leah@hillertherapy.com

Type of Camp: In-Person and Virtual Classes

Leah Hiller is a pediatric occupational therapist who specializes in working with children with autism and other sensory processing disorders. Hiller Therapy was designed to meet the needs of each individual child and family through play-based OT in a natural outdoor setting. Hiller Therapy offers a variety of programs for various ages, including Occupational Therapy, Handwriting Heros, Executive CHEFS, Making Meal Time Matter for picky eaters, Self-Regulating Strategies (a group for parents), and more. We have highlighted a few of these programs for your consideration.

Executive Chef Camp: Virtual via Zoom This camp is designed as a cooking game show where kids will “build executive functions, sensory strategies for self-regulation, and social skills.” From their own kitchens, kids will develop recipes to share with their families while solving brain teasers and working collaboratively. They will make edible recipes, kinetic sand, and glow-in-the-dark slime. Your child will learn to make your family dinner! Recipes are provided before the session begins in case items need to be purchased. There is a 2:1 student-to-OT ratio.

Dates: Each session meets on six consecutive Mondays and Wednesdays.

Age range: Seven to twelve

Cost: $480 for each six-session group

Registration: To register for this group, contact leah@hillertherapy.com or call (323) 641-3662.

Handwriting Heroes: In-Person The Handwriting Without Tears curriculum is developmentally appropriate and multisensory. Camp takes place at Hiller Therapy, an indoor/outdoor OT therapy studio, at 1137 S. Point View Street in Los Angeles. Activities will take place both indoors and outdoors. Children are encouraged to wear clothes that are okay to get dirty, closed-toed shoes, and socks. (Shoes may be removed inside.) Groups are limited to six to eight children. There is a 2:1 student-to-teacher ratio.

Dates:

• Each session of Handwriting Heroes meets once a week for seven weeks.
• The "Intensive" program meets daily for five days.
• A parent workshop is offered via Zoom prior to the start of the group.

Age range: Five to eight

Cost: Camp costs $595 for each seven-session group.

Registration: Register here.

Quest Summer Camp Program

Fountain Valley Sports Complex

16400 Brookhurst St.

Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Contact: Dr. Jodie Knott at (714) 490-3428 or jknott@questsolutionssocal.com

Type of Camp: Summer Day Camp

The Quest therapeutic model incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy, experimental learning theory, and social learning concepts. The skills learned at camp are transferable to everyday life. “Campers have opportunities to build skills through hands-on, interactive games and activities as well as conversation time and tailored therapeutic activities, including programming in areas like video games, Lego, arts and crafts, drama, mindfulness, movement-based activities, and more.”

Camps and Dates:

• June 27 to July 22, 2022
• For summer 2022, Quest Therapeutic Camps is offering a four-week, in-person summer camp with each week featuring its own theme. Campers must attend all four weeks.
• Services are specifically designed for children with mild to moderate difficulties behaviorally, emotionally, and/or socially.
• The program combines “recreational activities, behavioral milieu, and group psychotherapy.”
• They will also be offering their special event Fun Fridays.

Age range: Six to eighteen

Hours: 9:00 a.m.—3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

Cost:

• Four weeks of camp for $3,915 (new camper fee of $150)
• 2022 summer discounts:
  • Sibling discount of 5%
  • 10% off for registrations completed by April 15
  • Payment plans beginning the day of registration through July 23
• The camp offers guidance on how insurance, Regional Center, and ESY may be an option for funding. In addition, scholarship applications are available and must be completed by May 15.

Registration: Create an account to begin the registration process.

Special Camp

31641 La Novia Ave.

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

(949) 661-0108 ext. 1226

Executive Director: Lindsay Eres

Type of Camp: Summer Day Camp in Orange County

Special Camp provides week-long sessions consisting of daily activities and local field trips. Previous years have included visits to the San Diego Zoo, Adventure City, and regional beaches and pools. Each camper is provided with their own counselor in an effort to form personal relationships and serve campers with a wide range of abilities. Special Camp generally has a number of wheelchair users attending, so the staff is committed to wheelchair accessibility as much as possible.

Camps and Dates: Special Camp offers three summer sessions.

• Session One: July 18 to 22
• Session Two: July 25 to 29
• Session Three: August 1 to 5

Age Range: Special Camp accepts campers aged six to twenty-one.

Hours: All sessions meet Monday to Wednesday, 9:00a.m.—3:00 p.m., Thursday, 8:30 a.m.—4:30 p.m., and Friday, 9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m., ending with a family gathering and award ceremony.

Cost: $575, which includes a non-refundable $50 registration fee. Upon registration, a $120 deposit is required. Need-based financial assistance is available.

Registration: Registration begins by applying on the registration page of their website.