AAC Summer Camps 2011

Civitan Foundation's longest running and most beloved program offers week-long camp sessions throughout the summer, and weekend adventures once a month the balance of the year. Camp Civitan is a 15-acre wheelchair accessible facility for developmentally disabled children and adults located in the cool pine country of Northern Arizona in the town of Williams. This program offers campers a variety of enriching and fun experiences that promote positive self-esteem, teamwork, socialization, and healthy activities.

The Advancing Adventures in Communication Camp offers a rare opportunity for children who use communication devices & their parents to meet many other children who use AAC devices, learn, interact socially, & receive one on one instruction; all while having the time of their lives.

Communication is a basic human right. For a child who uses an alternative/augmentative communication (AAC) device, communication with others is often very challenging and for new users, it can feel slow, intimidating and even frustrating. For many AAC users, they are the only person they know with a device. AAC Camp provides them with:

* Social Interaction with other AAC users
* The ability to gain control
* The chance to be accepted and treated with respect
* Understanding
* The chance to have a fun camp experience

The Camp is designed to provide each Camper with one on one training in a realistic social environment. Campers have the opportunity to meet other kids with various levels of communication abilities. Many times kids who have been reluctant to use their devices, begin using them when they realize that there are other kids who communicate the same way.

Parents have often commented that they never thought their child would independently use their device for more than basic needs, let alone use it to tell them how awesome it was to go rock climbing!

Friendships are fostered, skills are learned and reinforced, and lives are changed.

Does your child have severe communication and/or physical needs? Have you always wanted summer experiences for them that are fun, educational, and accessible? Then this is for your family!
We are a team of therapists, specializing in augmentative communication and speech services for individuals with severe impairments. As therapists and parents, we recognize that the same camp opportunities are not available for all children and have set out to do something about it! Each day will include literacy, art, music/movement, writing, and exploration. We offer 6 half day camps,for children and young adults with a caregiver. Caregiver training will be included. Our science center themes will include:

*Barnyard Fun! * Animal Tales * Dinosaurs ROAR! * I Spy! * If You Give a Kid a Camp * Something's Fishy

This program will provide social and functional language learning opportunities for children who are currently non-verbal or have limited verbal communication skills. It will also provide family education and training on ways to increase functional communication within the family and community environments.

All sessions will be conducted by undergraduate communication disorders students under the direct supervision of a licensed, certified speech language pathologist.

Who: Families with one or more children with limited verbal or nonverbal communication skills. These children may use any of the following forms of communication including: sign language, picture communication, object communication, or augmentative communication devices. Children may be just beginning their use of alternative forms of communication or have no experience with alternative forms of communication.

Camp runs Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for 2 hours a day.

Talking With Technology (TWT) Camp is a weeklong program developed by The Children's Hospital for young people ages 6 to 21 who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. The Children's Hospital contracts with the Colorado Easter Seal Society for this week to be held each summer at its camp facility, Rocky Mountain Village, in Empire, Colorado.

This is a weekend camp providing intensive AAC therapy experiences centered around literacy. Camp will kick-off on Friday, August 12, 2011 with a Gateway Clipper boat ride and a ride on the Duquesne Incline. These activities will provide a framework for a book that campers will create the next day. In addition, large and small group activities will focus on increasing linguistic and communicative competence. Concurrent sessions will be conducted by Dr. Katya Hill and Robin Wisner for parents and educators. For more information and an application to the camp, please visit www.aacinstitute.org.

Camp Communicate is an innovative weekend designed specifically for non-verbal children who use computerized devices, known as augmentative communication, to communicate. Camp Communicate offers these children a unique opportunity to spend a weekend with other augmentative communicators in an accessible summer camp environment. During their stay they will learn new skills, meet new friends and become more comfortable and confident in their communication abilities.

Each camper attends Camp Communicate along with a parent/caregiver. Parents will have the opportunity to attend workshops and share information and strategies in a supportive environment. Learning opportunities for parents will support more effective augmentative communication device use at home and will foster more proficient use in school.

Camp Communicate draws upon the strengths of Pine Tree Society’s Pine Tree Camp and Communication Pathways. The program takes place at Pine Tree Camp's fully accessible 280-acre facility with staff and volunteers experienced in accessible recreation. Program curriculum and activities are developed and led by Communication Pathways staff, all highly qualified Speech Language Pathologists with an expertise in augmentative communication and assistive technology.