Summer: ESY & Camps

Extended School Year

• DESE Question and Answer Guide on ESY Programs - FAQs from Mass. Department of Education to provide school districts with an overview of the basic requirements for ESY programs.

Camp Directories & Resources

• SPED Child & Teen — Camps & Camp Fairs - An extensive listing of area camps for children with special needs, and also of upcoming camp fairs.

• Federation for Children with Special Needs — Camp Directory - Links to over 200 camp websites serving children with disabilities, as well as ither useful information and resources.

• Family TIES of Massachusetts — Camp Assistance - The Regional Coordinators at Family TIES of Massachusetts are happy to help any family looking for recreational activities, including summer camps. Call the toll-free line and leave a name, phone number, town, and reason for the call; staff will return your call promptly: 800-905-TIES (8437)

• BMC Autism Program Summer Guide  (2016) - This comprehensive guide for families is packed with helpful information, tips and resources to support summer planning for children with autism.

• SEPAC Camp Resource Sheet (2015) - A listing of local camps and resources distributed at our 2015 Summer Planning meeting.

Summer Camps

• Needham Community Education - NCE offers after-school and summer programs open to all students, and makes every effort to accommodate students with special needs.

• Needham Park & Recreation - The Park and Recreation Commission and Department provides year-round recreation opportunities, including summer camp and adaptive swimming lessons. They will work with parents to accommodate children with special needs.

• Aspire's Adventure Summer Camp - Offered by MGH's Aspire program for children with a high cognitive autism spectrum disorder or related social profile achieve success, this camp is a fun-filled 7-week therapeutically-based day program that provides children with a time-honored summer activity – the summer camp. From the child’s perspective they are participating in typical day camp activities, much like their mainstreamed peers, such as swimming, hiking, boating, nature exploration, art, drama, cooking, camp games or yoga. However, campers receive social coaching and supports that are interwoven throughout the day as part of Aspire’s state-of-the-art curriculum and interventions.

• Boston Ability Center's BAC Camp - One or two weeks of summer camp in August. Children participate in literacy, indoor and outdoor motor games, cooking, crafts and language games galore. The camp will be staffed by a therapist from each discipline (Speech, OT and PT). Call 781-239-0100 for more information or to register.

• Child Therapy Boston Summer Friendshops - One week programs (9:00-3:00) for kids and teens. Learn and practice the essential skills for making and keeping friends.  These fun and supportive workshops include games, art projects, improv, teamwork challenges and more. 

• The Bridge Center Summer Camp - The Bridge Center offers a wide variety of summer camp programs for children, teens, and young adults to enjoy recreational and skill building activities in a supportive and nurturing environment that is accessible to all.

• Plugged In Music That Matters Camp - Plugged In’s Music That Matters (MTM) Summer Day Camp includes all the most popular parts of their Spring and Fall Sessions including band class, songwriting workshops, offsite events, and performance opportunities. MTM is open to musicians ages 11 to 18.

• Social Dynamix - This interactive learning program combines expressive therapy, psychodrama, social pragmatics, and theatre to help individuals overcome anxiety in social settings and acquire a larger repertoire of pragmatic skills.

• The Charles River Center - CRC's Family Support offers recreational programs in December, February, April, June and August so that children and young adults have the opportunity to socialize and participate in recreational activities when schools are closed.