Summer Camp
Autism Resources
Since 2000, Cradle Beach has accepted children with autism. The number of autistic children we serve has climbed steadily since then and we now accept approximately 70 such campers.
Each application is examined thoroughly by our seasoned staff, who are trained to determine if Cradle Beach is right for each child. Though we cannot take everyone who applies, we make every effort to accept children with autism.
The Cradle Beach Autism program has three primary goals:
- To provide children with Autism Spectrum Disorder a positive and safe summer camp experience for 10 days
- To provide support to the CB staff for meeting the campers' individual needs
- To communicate with parents before camp and when the children are at camp
Cradle Beach employs an autism specialist each summer and we have recently added a new feature created especially for children with autism: a new sensory integration cabin. Many children who have autism have sensory integration dysfunction, which may cause problems with learning, development, and behavior. In most cases, one or more senses are either over stimulated or under stimulated. For example, in the tactile sense, the slightest touch may irritate or cause pain for the over stimulated child, while the child who is under stimulated may not even feel it and will need a firmer more pressured touch.
The Sensory Integration Cabin features many types of sensory stimulation in lights, sound, movement, and touch. When children are allowed to interact with these senses, they frequently experience decreases in tantrums, fewer panic reactions, less fear and more willingness to interact with other people. These outcomes are especially beneficial to our autistic campers to reduce any fear or anxiety they may have at being away from home and to increase the quality of their experience at camp.
