I love camp. I love everything about it. The mosquitoes, the sunburns, the shaving cream fights, the interrupted sleep - it's all good! I spent four days in the company of 45 campers and approximately the same number of staff at Camp Encourage. This camp is a place for kids ages 8-18 on the Asperger's side of the Autism Spectrum and some typically developing peers to be away from their family, to act like kids, and make friends.
I have to say that I originally thought that I would be going to camp to run music therapy sessions. When I attended the orientation session, I found that that was not so. I was assigned to "assist" the other music therapistst that were attending camp. I was disappointed, but was able to get the camp director to agree to let me lead one session during the last day of camp.
Once I got to camp, I found that, in addition to music therapy and arts and crafts, I was a general go-fer. I spent lots of time taking things from here to there, tracking down specific people, and running from one side of the camp to another. I loved every moment!
The best thing about camp is the way that kids learn. Kids went to the zipline and zipped from a tree platform 30 feet above the ground. Kids who cried when their families left them at camp spent little to no time fretting about their families as they were zipping around. They went to the pool, participated in the campfire, threw things into the fire, and pondered the mystery of the gum tree. They covered themselves and quite a few others with shaving cream. They talked to complete strangers. They gorged themselves on the very good food and then got sick. They attended science, arts and crafts, and music therapy. They played Yu-Gi-Oh and Star Wars Trivia to their hearts' content. It was a great four days.
I'm going back. Back to camp, where I am sure that I will be allowed to run music therapy sessions from now on.
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