Your child’s teacher, Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) and other parents are a great source of information and ideas for summer camp options. In addition, local park and /or recreation departments may have weekly programs that offer inclusive activities for children. Some may have programs designed for children with special needs.
You also can call local chapters of major disability organizations about camps in your area. Many organizations publish lists of camps and can connect you with camp directors and former campers.
Also try religious organizations, other community groups, your local Y and Boys and Girls Clubs to find out about summer camp opportunities for your child.
Y Resident/Overnight Camps in Massachusetts
There are 8 Y camps in Massachusetts.
SPED Child & Teen Special-Needs Camps & Fairs Massachusetts 2024
Lists upcoming camp fairs. You might have a special-needs camp fair in your area.
American Camp Association (ACA) Accredited Camps
The American Camp Association is the national accrediting organization for camps. ACA provides information for campers with and without special needs.
In addition to searching for Camps on Disabilityinfo.org, there are more searchable camp websites:
SPED Child and Teen Massachusetts Special Needs Camps 2024
Autism Speaks: Virtual Summer Activities
Looking for at-home ideas to keep busy over the summer? These activities are not exclusively autism-friendly.
Camp Channel Special Needs Camps
Summer Camps that accommodate people with special needs.
Camps for Children with Diabetes
Find a camp. Diabetes camp is one of the best experiences that a child with diabetes can have.
Easter Seals New Hampshire Summer Camps
Providing residential camping for children and young adults with disabilities and special needs.
Boston Parents Paper Summer Camp Guide for Greater Boston and Massachusetts
Lists day camps & programs, sleep-away and overnight camp adventures, sports camps, arts camps, STEM & enrichment camps, music camps, special needs camps and more.
Behavioral Health Network’s Kamp for Kids is in Westfield, MA. Kamp brings together children ages 5-19 with and without disabilities in a unique integrated model that promotes understanding and growth. The Kamp experience includes art, health, nature, non-competitive sports, and other fun activities. As a fully inclusive summer camp, it is our mission to serve a population of both children with disabilities and their typically developing peers.
Well maintained site allowing searching by geographic area and by program type. Select “Special Needs Camps” category. Ages: children and adolescents. Various disabilities. Day- and overnight-camps listed.
Comprehensive directory and guide of summer camps for kids and teens with “special needs camps”.
Summer camp directory with “Special Needs” category.
Summer Camps for Amputees and Children with Limb Differences
Summer camp programs for children with limb loss and limb difference.
Information and referral for people with disabilities in Massachusetts.
Toll Free: 800-642-0249
Phone: 774-455-4056
Email: info@disabilityinfo.org
Summer Camp and Trip Resources
Free referral service that matches child’s needs with appropriate summer programs [overnight camps, day camps, teen trips, community service programs, specialty programs, programs for children with special needs (specifically ADD, ADHD, nonverbal learning disabilities, Asperger’s, pervasive disability and mild intellectual disability), specialized therapeutic programs, Jewish cultural camps and conventional camps]. Serves ages seven to eighteen years of age.
45 Sloane Drive
Framingham, MA 01701
Phone: 508-877-3648
Toll Free: 800-362-CAMP (2267)
Contact: Judy Levine
Email: judy@summercampsandtrips.com
Autism Speaks Resource Guide to Camps
Many disability specific organizations like Asperger’s Association of New England, local autism support centers, United Cerebral Palsy, and Easter Seals may be able to provide some funding for its summer programs.
Find out if your child qualifies for an extended-school year (ESY). An Individual Education Program (IEP) that includes summer goals may qualify for summer programming. For additional information about special education extended school year program go to Massachusetts Department of Education.
You can help fund your child’s camp experience by applying for a scholarship. It is best to do so from December – March, because the money is depleted by April or May.
Fraternal Organizations. There are charitable organizations called fraternal organizations that can also provide assistance.
Most of these organizations send the scholarship money to the camp in the child’s name.
Fact Sheet last updated on: 5/1/2024
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Disclaimer: INDEX is pleased to provide you this information. Please note, this information is not comprehensive, nor is it intended to take the place of professional advice. We encourage you to check other resources of such information. No endorsement by the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, DisabilityInfo.org, INDEX, or affiliates, should be inferred. We reserve the right to remove, to modify, or to add any information at any time, for any reason, and without notice.