Sample Questions

The following questions are examples of what you may want to consider asking when meeting with a camp provider:

What is the typical camp composition?

• Are campers a mix of typical peers and children with disabilities?
• Is the camp solely for children with disabilities?
• Are campers from primarily one type of diagnosis (ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, etc.)?
• What is the ratio of campers to staff/counselors?

What is the camp schedule like?

• A couple hours per day?
• Full day?
• One or two days per week?
• Full week?
• Multiple weeks?
• Sleep-away?
  

What are the camp counselors like?

• Mostly high school students?
• Mostly college students?
• Professionals?
• A mix of one or more?
  

What kind of experience do counselors have?

• Have they received specific training? If so, what kind?
• Have they worked with children who have challenges similar to my child's?

What skills are addressed during camp?

• Academics/IEP goals?
• Speech and language?
• Social skills?
• Recreational skills?
  

How does the camp handle behavior problems?

• How do you handle children who refuse to participate or are non-compliant?
• What happens if my child is aggressive toward staff or other campers?
• What is the procedure to keep campers from eloping or running away?
  

What funding do you accept?

• Family resource dollars/NEON?
• Campership dollars?
• Scholarship money?
• Grants?

Need to learn more about funding? Check out our Finding Funding How-to Guide.

What communication should I expect?

• What's the best way to get in touch with staff?
• Will my child's day be communicated with me? If so, how?
• How often can I expect to hear from the camp?
  

Is the camp set up to handle my child's disability?

• Is the camp wheel chair accessible? What about walkers, gait trainers or canes?
  
• Is my child's service animal allowed at camp?
• Is there a speaker/FM system to help my Deaf or hard-of-hearing child?
• Is there a nurse on staff?