Autism Program Frequently
Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the Dragonfly Forest Autism Summer Camp Program?
Who attends the Dragonfly Forest Autism Camp?
Can I come with my child to Camp?
Who works at the Dragonfly Forest Autism Summer Camp program?
What kind of training is provided for camp staff?
What level of supervision are you able to provide?
What about rest time and nights?
How do you handle medication?
How much does it cost to send my child to camp?
Can you accommodate special diets and/or food preferences?
Do you have a question
not answered here?
Please contact us at
610-298-1820 or at
info@dragonflyforest.org.
What is the purpose of the Dragonfly Forest Autism Summer Camp Program?
The camp program was developed to provide a recreational and therapeutic camping
experience for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In addition, we
provide much-needed respite to families.
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Who attends the Dragonfly Forest Autism Camp?
All of our campers have a diagnosis of ASD. Campers range in age from
7 to 14 years old. The Dragonfly Forest Autism Summer Camp Program makes every
effort to serve all children with autism, regardless of the degree of disability.
Our selection criteria is based on matching those applying with the skills of our staff.
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Can I come with my child to Camp?
Camp is just for children with the diagnosis of ASD. This is a residential program
for only those affected by ASD. Parents/Guardians are welcome to visit the site prior
to camp, however they are not invited to be part of the camp program. Parents can
contact the Dragonfly Forest Camp Office to check in on their child.
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Who works at the Dragonfly Forest Autism Summer Camp program?
Our staff is typically comprised of college students from all over the country.
We also recruit staff who work with children with Autism on a daily basis. Our
college age staff are mostly pursuing a degree in education or psychology, but
many are majoring in fields not related to ASD. We run criminal background
checks on all of staff.
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What kind of training is provided for camp staff?
We will conduct a four day intensive training session for all staff prior to the
start of camp. This training includes seminars on ASD and our approaches to
supporting those who are affected, as well as opportunities to observe individuals
with autism each day. These individuals will be paired with a trainer
who will model and teach proper methods for interacting with them.
Our training includes current best practices from the TEACCH model, behavioral
approaches, PECS, and PRT. We send out extensive surveys to the
parents, teachers, and/or caregivers of our campers, and incorporate
the feedback we receive into individualized programs for each camper.
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What level of supervision are you able to provide?
Our counselors are assigned 1 to 2 campers. This allows our staff to give
individualized, constant attention. In addition, there are always extra staff
members available to assist counselors when needed.
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What about rest time and nights?
Campers sleep in
dormitory-style rooms
with one other camper or
staff. Sleeping
arrangements are
individualized by
camper. The rooms
are situated along a
hallway on the 2nd and
3rd floors of a campus
building.
Restrooms are located at
the end of the hallway. During
rest and nights we have multiple staff members in each housing area with additional staff members on call. At night, at least one staff member will stay awake until all campers are asleep. Staff members sleep in the common hallway and in front of each door exiting the housing area.
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How do you handle medication?
As with all Dragonfly Forest program, we have a fully staffed Medical Center
the is available 24 x 7 when camp is in session. Our medical staff will check in
medications on arrival and set up a schedule for administration.
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How much does it cost to send my child to camp?
As with all Dragonfly Forest programs, there is no cost for the camper to attend camp.
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Can you accommodate special diets and/or food preferences?
Many of our campers are on restricted diets. We will accommodate these whenever
possible. If a camper can only eat certain specialty foods, such as gluten-casein
free foods we may ask parents to bring food with them to supplement
our menu if we feel we will not be able to have access to these foods
from our standard supplier.
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