Summer Programs: Time to Start Looking!
The weather is getting warmer (finally!). Many parents are now thinking ahead about summer and beginning to consider summer camp options for their children with special needs.
Choosing a summer program is much like choosing a school placement: information is your friend. The right program becomes clear with a thorough and detailed comparison of your options.
Given the sea of details that you will compile, the underlying, fundamental question to start with is: What do you want your child to get out of the experience?
Do you want your child to:
Gain independence?
Develop confidence?
Get practice doing daily living activities?
Increase maturity?
Work on social skills?
Have fun?
The items on this list are not mutually exclusive. Parents could want them all. However, having an understanding of what is important to you will help you to prioritize what you value most in a summer program.
Below is an outline of additional information to consider, request, and compare across programs.
Location
How far is it from home?
If your child has significant medical needs, how far will the child be from trusted providers and your child’s pediatrician?
Population
What is the makeup of the camp population?
Would you like an environment that is designed to meet your child’s needs in a very specific way?
If so, is the program tailored to your child’s disabilities?
If not, gather information on programs with a more generalized, diverse population.
Day or Overnight Program
What is the maturity and comfort level of your child?
Would they be more suited to a program that has a similar layout to their school environment (whether that be day or overnight/residential)?
Cost
How much does the actual program cost?
Is the price affected by your child’s length of stay?
Is the price affected by the level of support? Or experience of the counselors?
Do you incur extra travel costs depending on its location?
Can you get reimbursed for the program? (The answer is yes, but it depends.)
Does your child’s IEP indicate 10 or 12 month placement?
Is there a substantial risk of academic regression over the summer?
What percentage of the programming at camp itself is academic?
Is it the summer session of a special-needs private school?
Is it a special-needs summer camp or a camp that accommodates children with disabilities?
If you have a program in mind and would like to know whether it is reimbursable under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, please give us a call. We can help you figure out if the program is recoverable; and if so, what percentage of it you can expect to get back.
Jonathan Gottlieb
Partner
195 Montague Street
14th Floor
Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201
Jonathan@GottliebFirm.com
(646) 820-8506