Special Needs Camp Paivika: Benefits of Camping

Learn more about Camp Paivika. Watch our video.

Open House: Tours and BBQ Sunday, June 10, 2012.

Social Skills Development
Picture young campers giggling together in their cabin after lights out. Kids just being kids. A typical experience for many children, but rare for those with special needs. At Camp Paivika, children can have that lights-out giggle and other healthy interactions with peers in an environment that encourages and supports social development.

Independence
Using positive reinforcement, we encourage our campers to strive to accomplish everyday tasks. Parents often tell us of their surprise when their children return home with a new can-do spirit, independently choosing clothes for the day, tying their shoes or brushing their teeth without assistance.

Transition
It is not unusual for a child or young adult with a disability to have never experienced an overnight recreational stay, and many of our campers are away from parents and home for the first time. The Camp Pavika staff responds with sensitivity, encouragement and support to help both campers and their families succeed in making this very important transition.

Respite
As campers enjoy their Paivika experience, families can take a respite from the rigors and challenges of providing 24/7 care, knowing that their disabled loved ones are safe, cared for and occupied with a full slate of fun.

Camping for the First Time
The benefits of camping are numerous. But parents sometimes have separation anxiety and concerns about sending their child to camp for the first time. This is one family’s Paivika experience:

Separation anxiety was very much on Greg Nicholson’s mind when he first brought his severely autistic daughter to Camp Paivika. The Nicholsons had checked out the facility thoroughly and attended its Open House, but they still had concerns about 11-year-old Katie’s reaction to a weeklong stay.

Would she be frightened and unable to cope emotifgonally? If so, how would the staff respond? Greg arranged his work schedule in order to be no more than an hour’s drive away if needed.

“I probably called three or four times that first day, and I will confess, every single day for the rest of the week,” he says. He was reassured that no matter how many times he called, “people were very understanding and very, very responsive. That made a huge difference.”

As it turned out, Katie was intrigued by camp and quickly became part of the Paivika community. When Greg arrived at the end of the week to pick up his daughter, he was struck by the difference in her demeanor.

“She was standing with her camp counselor on a big grassy hill and she just smiled a big smile and looked as happy as could be,” he recalls. “It was as though she had grown years.”

“After that, we noticed that she seemed much happier and wanted to do more things for herself. I believe it was a very profound experience for Katie, and as her parents, it was a huge awakening that this would even be possible for her.”

The core factor of the Camp Paivika experience is the trust that it inspires, Greg feels. “As a parent, there’s no better gift.”

Katie, who attends both summer and winter programs, has been a proud, self-proclaimed “Paivikan” for 12 years. Watch our Camp Paivika video to see and hear how camping has changed and enhanced the lives of individuals of all ages.

Watch our Camp Paivika video to see and hear how camping has changed and enhanced the lives of individuals of all ages.