Believe it or not, summer will soon be approaching and camp registration is already underway! Summer camps can be a wonderful place for your child to experience something new in a safe and supported environment. Summer camps often give children more opportunities to increase confidence, encourage independence, develop friendships and build relationships. We recommend researching summer camps now as registration and enrollment has already begun.
Below is a list of some of our favorite camps that have come highly recommended. If any of you have experienced a great summer camp for your child, please let us know! We would love to add it to our list!
- PALS Programs. PALS creates inclusive camp experiences for individuals with Down Syndrome. PALS offers several overnight inclusive camp programs ranging from 4 – 7 nights. The PALS Summer 2024 application is now open. https://www.palsprograms.org/
- Keshet Summer Camps. Keshet summer camps provides inclusive camp programs (day camp and overnight camps) where campers with disabilities participate to the greatest possible extent in the full camp experience. Each camp site has a Keshet site director who works closely with the staff to make sure each camper’s individual needs are met. https://keshet.org/our-programs/camps/
- SOAR. For over 45 years, SOAR Summer Camps have provided outdoor adventure activities for children with ADHD and Learning Disabilities. SOAR camps are currently located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the Florida Keys, Wyoming, and the coast of California. https://soarnc.org/
- Western DuPage Special Recreation Association (“WDSRA”) Summer Camps. WDSRA provides community based social and recreational programs for individuals of all ages with special needs. WDSRA Summer camps are designed similar to park district programming and includes camps for athletics, adapted sports, music, dance, Special Olympics, social clubs, theater, etc. The 2024 Summer Camp Brochure will be posted on their website on 3/4/2024, with registration opening on 3/18/2024.
- Willow Friends Productions. Willow Friends is an inclusive ministry for children with intellectual disabilities and their peers. Each year, this ministry puts on a full musical starring kids with intellectual disabilities and their peer mentors. Willow Friends has been putting this performance on for 11 years. This summer’s production will be Finding Nemo, Jr. and the performances are June 8 & 9, 2024. https://www.willowcreek.org/locations/south-barrington/willow-friends-production/
- Glen Ellyn Gators Inclusive Swim Program. The Glen Ellyn Gators is a swim team program through the Glen Ellyn Park District that started an inclusive swim program last summer. This program allows kids of all abilities to experience the fun, team spirit, and friendship that comes with participating in the Glen Ellyn Gators. The program provides a modified practice schedule, smaller groups, and one to one coaching. https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/recilgeg/page/home
Contact Us Today
Clancy & Associates, Ltd., is the only full-service special needs planning law firm in Illinois. Our attorneys are dedicated to supporting individuals with special needs and their families. We, too, are parents and siblings of loved ones who have a disability and know how daunting and exhausting it is to go from firm-to-firm and provider-to-provider to find solutions and help.
Each child and family’s needs are very different — and we provide tailored, common sense ideas and strategies that reflect your goals, resources, and hopes for your family’s future security.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation to learn more about our services and talk about your planning needs.
