All children benefit from the structure and positive peer interaction that summer camps provide once classes have ended for the school year. Camp can be particularly important for children and teens with autism spectrum disorder and other special needs. By enrolling in a camp program that is designed exclusively for them, these children can continue to develop positive behaviors and social skills during the summer months while at the same time engaging in fun, age-appropriate activities.

Specialized camps help young people with autism build the essential social, communication, cognitive and sensory skills that they are often unable to gain naturally. These programs also aim to prevent the regression that can occur during summer break. Camps provide children with the opportunity to learn, play with peers and interact with the world around them in everyday settings. Children are able to improve their confidence, increase self-esteem and establish important communication skills and friendships that they can carry with them into their adult life.
 

For the first time, this year The Help Group’s Kids Like Me program will be offering summer camps in both Sherman Oaks and Culver City, as well as Teens on the Go and Teens on the Go Travel Camp. Day camps include Village Glen Camp, a fun and enriching social skills camp specially designed to promote social skills development and foster new friendships; Camp Sunshine, an opportunity for children with moderate to severe autism and other special needs to experience summer fun and social growth; Camp Discovery, a one-week adventure for children to safely explore and enjoy the great outdoors; Teens on the Go, a unique social skills camp featuring daily trips around the greater Los Angeles area; and Teens on the Go Travel Camp, a 6-day, 5-night fun-filled trip to experience the sights and attractions of California’s beautiful Central Coast.

For more information about Kids Like Me summer camps, please visit the new Kids Like Me website, or contact Program Director Nicole Webb at nwebb@thehelpgroup.org or 818-778-7136.