A breath of fresh air. That’s how parents and caregivers have often described summer Adventure Camp hosted by Aspire, a renowned program at Mass General that specializes in helping children, teens and adults on the autism spectrum achieve success.
Now in its 20th year, the camp — part of Aspire’s year-round slate of programming — was designed to provide the classic camp experience for children and young teens who identify as having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or similar social profile. For six weeks every summer, campers get to explore swimming, music, fishing, boating, art and more at Hale Education in Westwood, Massachusetts.
Attendees, who range from 5 to 13 years old, are placed into similar-age peer groups of four to six participants, each supported by two Aspire staff who provide direct instruction and in-the-moment social coaching. Campers also set personal goals at the beginning of camp and receive daily feedback from staff about their progress.
“The best way to serve folks with this profile is to engage them in real-life activities and then provide support, education and opportunities for success,” says Scott McLeod, PhD, executive director of Aspire. In this safe and supportive environment, campers can learn, grow, connect, express themselves, feel successful and have fun.
“Often, the difficulty in being successful socially for this population isn’t knowing the skills, but rather knowing when and where to use them,” says Dr. McLeod. “The only place you can practice is out in the environment. That’s why these programs are so important.”
For more information or to support the Aspire Program, please visit https://www.massgeneral.org/children/aspire/child.
