In Salisbury, NC there is a special summer camp opportunity for children with special needs. The summer camp, hosted by the nonprofit organization Footprints in the Community, gives children a chance to play and learn no matter what obstacles they face.
Director Ashley Deaton said the camp welcomes all children, whether they have physical disabilities, speech disorders, problems with socialization or no special needs at all. “We feel very strongly that if it’s inclusive, and if their typically developing peers can be here with them, doing these same things, that they can both learn from each other,” she said.
The Footprints in the Community camp featured four “stations” representing different aspects of child development. These stations were based around sensory, physical therapy, speech, and academics. At the sensory station, children glued grains of rice, cereal, and coffee grounds to a cartoon bear to give it “fur”. Several children crinkled their noses with the touch, but leaders encouraged them to press their fingers into the glue to spread the items around. 
Rhonda Hoce, an occupational therapy assistant, explained that the sensory station explores touch, texture and fine motor skills. “A lot of kids have sensitivities, so the idea is to expose them to different sensory experiences,” Hoce said. A lot of the children that attend the camp do not go to school yet, and they’re not outside interacting with other children. Hoce said the camp provides a place where they can be outside of the home environment and receive therapy and interact with other children.
Read the full article on the Footprints in the Community summer camp here.
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