The First Camper With A Years Old Girl With Cerebral Palsy

The girl with down syndrome was very outgoing and talked to me the whole time! However, the girl with autism was very set back. She would barely communicate with me, and that was because she did not know me and was not comfortable with me yet. It was difficult keeping up with them in the hallways because one would go one way, and the other would go a different way. With that being said, I would not have traded that experience for the world.

Another encounter I had just recently was while subbing at the local school district I got a chance to work with a group of Pre-K students and one of them was a cute little girl that has dwarfism; she is five years old and she is very independent she picks up her toys when she is finished playing and we created bunny ear hat bands and she was one of the few that actually attempted to color her sheet by

No matter what happened during the school year I would always come back to camp and be able to spend time with the girls that went from friends to family over the nine years that I had known them. This last year was the last time I would ever get to do activities, earn merits or even swim a mile. During my last two weeks at CLH I knew this but it did not sink in until it was my last time to hike up to Church Mountain as a camper. On the way up my eyes started to sting and I reached over and grabbed my friend Riata’s hand. I looked over at her and saw that she was crying too. Once I realized she was I looked around and witnessed my entire cabin start to break down and come to understand, this was our last year, our last chance to do anything a camper could do. It was during this time that I truly came to appreciate everything camp has taught me and the great friends that I made along the way.

Cerebral palsy is non-progressive but some effects of cerebral palsy on the body may change through life stages.

In ninth grade, my mother suggested that I volunteer with peers at my high school who are special needs. She thought it would be good for me to meet other people my age who have their unique struggles in school, much like myself. I protested originally, but little did I know I would love volunteering with my peers, regardless of their disability. During this time, I signed up to volunteer with a local organization called Buddy Ball. At Buddy Ball, I had the opportunity to teach children with disabilities ages five through twenty-one baseball. When I volunteered with my peers, I mainly saw high schoolers with severe autism, intellectual disabilities, and emotional disturbances, whereas with Buddy Ball most of the participants had severe autism, intellectual disability, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, epilepsy, or a multiple of disabilities. Both of these experiences allowed me to gain knowledge of a variety of special

For two years I worked as a camp counselor for the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association (WDSRA). In this time, I have worked day camps, inclusion camps, social program,s and even an overnight camp for children, teens, and adults with special needs. My responsibilities were to plan crafts and activities that were inclusive to the various needs and abilities of the campers. Most of all, being a camp counselor meant creating a safe and fun environment for each

The long 172 days had finally passed, and the day I had been waiting for, for months, had finally come. We were in Chicago for my One Direction concert, the day couldn’t have come faster. The agonizingly slow hours that passed that day was too much to bear. Before arriving at Soldier Field, I was highly anticipating meeting one of my closest friends, Jessica, for the first time. It’s actually rather incredible to me, we first were introduced on social media, we didn’t know each other at all, all we knew was that we both loved the same band, and we were both going to the same concert. Prior to meeting for the first time, we were restricted to Skyping each other almost every other day and texting every day.

In my time volunteering at Adams Camp, I have received the opportunity to be able to know Jordan Ficke. Jordan Ficke is a brunette, young woman who has devoted most of her life to helping other people. While she has spent over a decade of her life helping people with developmental disabilities, she has also worked at schools and a rehabilitation center. She stated that “if you love what you do, you will never have to work a day in your life!” She truly has lived by this motto, as her life has been lived for the benefit of others. Prior to moving to Colorado, she lived in Baltimore, working at a day habilitation program. She “served clients with dual diagnosis in mental health as well has an intellectual disability that

I had been a camper at Camp Fatima in the small town of Gilmanton Iron Works, New Hampshire since I was 7. Camp Fatima is a place that allows children ages 5-15 participate in a multitude of activities that they would never be able to try back in their own hometowns. For example, the camp offers rock climbing, tubing, ultimate Frisbee, and another other sport/game that you could possibly think of. However, the most important part of this camp is its ability to develop lasting and meaningful friendships between the even most different campers. As I grew up,

As a child, I remember accompanying my mom to various Adams Camp events. I never truly knew what Adams Camp was until my middle school years. Adams Camp is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing various therapeutic programs for children and families with special needs, as well as hosting recreational programs for fun, social connections, and growth in independence. Adams Camp was founded by one of my mom’s friends, Carol Horney. Carol’s son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and hadn’t taken a step until he turned 5 years old, but only after a week of intensive therapy. Carol believed in supporting others like Adam, and eventually organized the first Adventure Camp a year later. To this day, I know Adam particularly well. Yes he has his funny quirks, but now he is a fully-functioning adult. He has devoted his life to helping others like him, as he holds a job with Developmental Pathways, a company that sustains fundraising for Adams Camp.

They taught me that challenges may hinder your ability to do things, but it can never steal your joy. During my time at Camp Courageous I got to work with lily, a 12 year old girl who was non-verbal and only able to walk for a limited amount of time. Nonetheless, lily managed to find joy out of a simple sneeze. Despite the obstacles she faced, when someone sneezed she would burst into contagious laughter. Sometimes I would act out the most dramatic sneezes just to make her smile. Working at camp courageous was my best experience during my time in the program. Altogether, I have so many life changing stories to share and lifelong lessons to apply through this adventure we call life.

When I was first awoken before 8:00 a.m on a Monday morning in July, it is not hard to imagine how unamused I was. My mom had signed me up to volunteer for two weeks at the Munroe Meyer Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Their summer camp for kids with special needs ages three and a half through twenty-one had become my home for the next week. This camp provides an summer camp experience for kids who would not otherwise have one. The campers are divided into groups with staff and volunteers as well. A volunteer at Camp Monroe has a new buddy every day they help their buddy with tasks, offer encouragement, and give simple direction when needed. The activities for the campers include: swimming, cooking, sports, creative

I have had numerous opportunities to volunteer and work with children of all abilities. Many of these children had independent or concurrent learning disabilities, emotional problems, and/or behavioural problems. I met these individuals through organizations I volunteered or worked for, programs I organized, and through summer camps where I was a counsellor that all catered children with disabilities. I also have personal relationships with children of family friends.

My camper’s name was Francesca, she was thirteen years old, and she had Down syndrome. As I read her file, it seemed like she was the easiest child to take care of. It was her third year at camp and she was able to feed herself without using special utensils, had no sleeping problems, loved to sing,

My freshmen year, I decided to join Best Pals, program’s main purpose is to allow volunteers to be paired up with a buddy with a disability and provide them with a friend or a mentor. I was keen in following in my sister’s footsteps as she is a Special Education teacher to a Kindergarten class. I was glad to be picked because I like helping people out, especially people who may not have the same opportunities that I do. Every day, I was in Room 108 with the students helping them with their classwork and missed work. Some days we’d have to go to P.E. and play volleyball with them. My favorite day was when our school had a send-off for the Special Olympics players – originally, our high school’s award ceremony had no time to give the students