Children's Health Children's Diseases and Conditions Autism

A Day at Camp for Special Kids and Their Families

Summary & Participants

A New York Area camp gives kids with special needs and their families a chance to connect with each other.

Medically Reviewed On: August 05, 2008

Webcast Transcript

Kevin Gersh, President, Gersh Academy: We wanted a day where Special Ed children and the parents and the families of these children can come where everybody gets it. They understand it.

ANNOUNCER: For kids with Autism, Asperger Syndrome, ADHD, and other conditions that may limit social skills, making friends can be especially hard.

Lynda Geller, Clinical Director of the Asperger Institute, NYU: They really, really want a friend. They just often times lack the skills, and also had a lot of rejection from other children so they sometimes they stop trying.

ANNOUNCER: At this day camp on Long Island, New York, families with kids with special needs spent the day getting practical information while connecting with each other.

Mother: I have done nothing with like parents or anything. I’ve kind of been on my own. But It’s been really nice, because she feels very comfortable here and then there’s all these resources that I didn’t know existed.

Kevin Gersh, President, Gersh Academy: You’ll see these children interacting in social ways that they normally don’t interact because they’re uncomfortable with who they are. And when they’re with other children with the same issues, magic. It’s magic.

Mother: Harry Potter is one thing that they like, so hopefully we’ll meet some friends down there who also like Harry Potter and make some friends, right? p>Child: yeah.

Mother: yeah.

ANNOUNCER: Autism is now the sixth most common special education disability in the U.S. And for kids like these, having a friend can make a big difference.

Lynda Geller, Clinical Director of the Asperger Institute, NYU: If you have no friends, the outcome is really very dire for these children, because they don’t ever experience the give and take of friendships which contributes so vitally to your social and emotional development. But if you can just find one that has quite a wonderful effect on mental health outcome for these children.

Kevin Gersh, President, Gersh Academy: Give them an opportunity just to be a child and let them play. Let them go in the pools. Let them go down the water slide. Let them just, you know, be a child.

ANNOUNCER: Thanks for joining us on today’s Once Daily!