Revealed: August 6, 2024
Recap of our first in-person sensory summer season season camp for teenagers in Pittsburgh, PA! Be taught relating to the targets and key actions of our sensory summer season season camp, and take heed to about all of the gratifying we had and the progress that was made!
20 years before now, a part of my first OT job was working at a summer season season camp run solely by OTs and PTs.
It was unimaginable.
This was all through the DC home and I knew nothing like that existed in my hometown of Pittsburgh.
I’ve really dreamt about this camp for 20 years. Ever since beginning Your Baby’s Desk, it sat behind my concepts as an expertise that I wanted to some day recreate.
And guess what?
At first of July, Desiree and Laura, the choice two occupational therapists on the group, joined me in Pittsburgh, PA and we ran Change and Groove: our very first in-person sensory summer season season camp.
I couldn’t speak about this glorious expertise with out first speaking relating to the partnership that made it attainable with our DREAM sponsor, Satisfying and Operate, LLC.
Ensuing from their sponsorship we had been capable of have 5 days of intensive sensory-based actions for 11 children with 3 OT’s and a pair of OT college school college students. We furthermore had been capable of present needs based partial scholarships.
It was really elevated than I’d want imagined, and it sparked a beautiful larger ardour to proceed doing extra sensory camps finally.
Whereas we tried to share the motion on Instagram, it merely didn’t cowl it, so correct proper right here is extra about this epic week…
Who’s acutely aware of, most likely we would have an in-person camp occur close to YOU all through the approaching years? (that is the mannequin new dream!)
Additional About Our Camp Sponsor: Satisfying and Operate
I’ve used Satisfying and Operate merchandise for years in my remedy intervals and with my very private children. Their high quality toys, gadgets, and equipment completely nook {{the marketplace}} for sensory processing sources. Furthermore they’ve an expansive library of sources full of knowledge which will enable you to most attention-grabbing assist your sensory children!
My ardour for sensory processing is normally onerous for others to fully perceive, nonetheless realizing that Satisfying and Operate “will get it” and was unified with this ardour was so useful.
We labored really onerous to plan this week in a vogue which will income all the children who purchased proper right here, it will not matter what their age, prognosis, or sensory needs had been.
And I’m proud to say that we achieved this! Additional on that later.
I’ll share just some of our favourite merchandise all by the use of this recap that made this week so worthwhile, though yow will uncover so many unimaginable gadgets on Satisfying and Operate’s internet web page to create your specific individual sensory camp expertise.
Goals of Sensory Summer season season Camp
Step one to creating the sensory camp was to search out out targets to deal with. We knew there have been 1,000,000 completely different strategies to go about camp, so we wanted to slim down what we’d prioritize as a result of the purpose of our actions.
We landed on the following 6 targets:
1. Regulation
As a baseline for the entire objects else, we wished our campers to expertise an arousal stage (aka alertness) that matched any course of at hand. If it was time for arts and crafts, the goal was to chill down and focus.
If it was time to run, soar, and roll by the use of an impediment course, the goal was to regulate to instructions and coordinate the ideas and physique to do what it wanted to do to comprehend success. This was the largest purpose and it was the muse for each prepare.
2. Sensory integration
This was the choice foundational purpose of camp. In any case, we couldn’t run a sensory camp with out sensory integration being a significant focus.
This meant assembly our youngsters the place their sensory preferences had been and gently powerful them to course of sensory info in a extra organized technique.
We had seekers and avoiders (and the entire objects in between), so every prepare was tailor-made to assist assemble vital abilities whatever the place a toddler fell on this spectrum.
We furthermore included standard sensory integration actions like linear swinging, enhancing righting reflexes, scooter board rides whereas on stomach, and weight shifting.
3. Reflex integration
So a great deal of our youngsters battle to coordinate their our our our bodies, focus, and reply to their environments appropriately. And retained reflexes are usually, on the very least partially, accountable.
I really wished to be intentional with our motion actions to not solely take a look at for retained reflexes, nonetheless to include actions that helped combine these reflexes.
In our progress critiques on the top of camp we gave mother and father clever suggestion for a manner one can begin engaged on these. This purpose really set our camp aside as expert and therapeutic.
4. Tactile desensitization for clothes and meals
Numerous mother and father shared with us that getting messy, carrying sure clothes, and consuming fully fully completely different meals textures had been onerous for his or her children as quickly as they crammed out their camper’s info sheet.
So we knew that desensitizing the tactile system wanted to be a purpose. Some mother and father had been stunned to look out out that messy play, sensory bins, and utilizing therapeutic sensory brushes on the pores and pores and pores and skin will help with choosy consuming. But it surely absolutely completely’s true! Examine extra sensory and choosy consuming methods.
Each single day, we labored on this, and it was such an attractive situation to see our tactile avoiders coated in paint, shaving cream, and ooblek by the final word day of camp. One mother acknowledged this:
I used to be shocked and so joyful to take heed to how correctly he responded to the shaving cream messy play. The extent he [engaged] was a major for him and I’m so happy with him!
I’ve under no circumstances been worthwhile at getting him to make the most of a sensory brush. By the tip of camp he was displaying and galvanizing others how one can do it. That is unbelievable!
5. Excellent Motor Expertise/authorities functioning abilities
It wouldn’t be an OT-run camp and by no means using considerably standard high-quality motor work. Whereas this wasn’t a significant focus, we determined to weave in choices to work accessible vitality, coordination, and authorities functioning abilities by the use of arts and crafts.
And the children (and adults) cherished each minute of this!
6. Social abilities
Final nonetheless not least, we had a purpose of socialization for every little one who attended Change and Groove. Peer relationships are so vital, and a great deal of children with sensory variations have hassle connecting with others who can fully perceive what they’re going by the use of.
Social relationships are such an vital a part of the camp expertise, and this was no fully fully completely different. From shared meals, small teams, to social and emotional modeling, this was an infinite theme in every prepare all by the use of the week.
These 6 areas are widespread difficulties for our sensory children and people with diagnoses equal to autism spectrum dysfunction (ASD), ADHD, sensory processing dysfunction, and developmental delays.
Our 11 children had quite a few ranges of help wanted, and a great deal of had targets to spice up in all 6 areas.
And since we knew our campers had been fairly just a few of their needs and targets for the camp, filtering all of our actions by the use of these 6 targets helped cowl our bases to ensure that they’d every income individually and collectively from their time at Change and Groove.
Similar to we’d have carried out significantly specific individual treatment intervals with these children, having targets allowed us to place collectively a “plan of care” of sorts to work off of, to each get concepts for a manner one can enhance abilities, and in addition to mark progress.
Dad and mom had been made conscious of those targets forward of time and had been capable of share their priorities for what they hoped their little one would work on. It was an incredible collaboration!
To the therapists discovering out alongside, you understand how vital child-led targets are to outcomes!
Sensory Summer season season Camp Day-to-day Routine
After all of the dreaming, planning, and purpose setting occurred, it was time to set a day by day schedule!
As occupational therapists, everybody is aware of that children thrive on routine, and this was way more vital with our sensory campers.
Repetition was so useful over the 5 days, and we seen immense progress from Monday to Friday. To be dependable, I used to be shocked at various the modifications I seen!
To make day by day predictable and assemble pleasure, we started day by day with circle time which started with us going over a visible schedule.
Attempt significantly teaser of what camp appeared like day by day:
Sensory Summer season season Camp Actions
Fairly a bit intention and thought went into day by day’s actions, and it paid off to see the children each having gratifying with and benefitting from each.
Only a few of our favorites had been: Impediment course, drum circle, messy play, and humanities and crafts.
I’m going to interrupt down every of those to level how Satisfying and Operate helped us make factors run merely, and what every child obtained from the actions.
Impediment Course
Arms down, the impediment course was worthwhile day by day.
We usually did one initially of the day as a method to get children shifting, regulated, and following instructions.
Whether or not or not or not it was crawling by the use of a tunnel, bouncing on a remedy ball, or utilizing a scooter board, the children cherished it. And the regulating sensory enter was unmatched!
Impediment packages are one among my favourite methods so as in order so as to add organized sensory enter correct proper right into a routine, and beginning our days with one made the remainder of the day easier.
Correct proper right here had been just some of our favourite parts to combine and match into the day by day course:
This pop-up tunnel
Correct proper right here, we had children stand and toss a ball correct proper right into a basket whereas balancing on a wedge. Good hand-eye coordination and vestibular enter!
Scooter boards like this one are so versatile and gratifying for teenagers. They may sit, be on their abdomen, and even stand in a “bear crawl” place with one. We love them!
We blended up fully fully completely different devices of the course, added a sprinkler to take a seat again off, and watched our youngsters expertise enhancements in regulation, cognitive processing, and coordination. To not degree out we seen enhancements in coordination, gravitational insecurity, and following instructions by the tip of the week!
Correct proper right here’s a financial institution of impediment course concepts to make one among your specific individual!
Drum Circle
You is prone to be unfamiliar with this prepare, nonetheless the drum circle was an infinite blast for every of our campers. And it was massive therapeutic as correctly!
Day-to-day at Change and Groove sensory camp, we circled up, grabbed buckets, tubs, packing containers, and egg shakers and felt the rhythm!
For the campers who had hassle sitting for the whole drum circle, these wiggle seats really helped!
The children cherished this prepare, they usually didn’t even understand the unimaginable abilities they’d been engaged on.
The sensory, social, cognitive, bodily, and emotional advantages of a drum circle and shared music are onerous to beat!
The proper half is that we didn’t must do one factor too particular or powerful.
We began by making a easy 1-2 beat and having the group “catch” the beat by mimicking what they heard.
We practiced utilizing 1 hand, 2 arms, hitting the most effective and sides of the drum, and dashing up and down the tempo. We even had children resolve a tune to play after which tried to look out the beat.
All individuals cherished it, nonetheless we did have just a few kids with auditory sensitivities who hottest to positioned on noise canceling headphones and truly actually really feel the drum vibrations in its place.
After camp ended, I seen that Satisfying and Operate has these really cool skinny headphones that’s prone to be an excellent threat for these kids subsequent yr. I like how small they’re, which makes them appear extra snug all through the warmth!
Messy Play for Tactile Desensitization
Would you concentrate on that these children beneath are normally tactile defensive?
We made an effort day by day to get tactile enter by the use of messy play, with sensory bins, ooblek, and an epic shaving cream get collectively equal to you see above.
It was so gratifying to see children develop to be quite a bit a lot much less hesitant to dig their arms into messy play over the course of the week.
This prepare can be good due to it’s straightforward to hold over all through the dwelling after camp. Sensory bin pebbles like these from Satisfying and Operate can be massive gratifying to usually play with all through the dwelling!
Attempt our large itemizing of sensory bin fillers!
Arts and Crafts
The last word prepare I need to share with you was arts and crafts.
Every of the crafts we did all by camp knocked it out of the park by way of gratifying and useful sensory enter for the children.
Ultimately we made a sensory wand, impressed by The Studying Co.
This prepare was good due to each the technique to make it and the tip consequence had been useful to serving to assemble high-quality motor abilities, authorities perform abilities, and for regulating and calming.
It’s a win any technique you slice it!
The children had been challenged by the hand vitality and coordination wanted to do this one. Nonetheless their onerous work paid off!
These wands would make an excellent addition to a fidget assortment. Assure to flick by the use of the choice fidget selections that Satisfying and Operate has as correctly.
Progress Made at Sensory Camp
Many, if not a lot of the children who attended Change and Groove sensory camp, haven’t attended a every day summer season season camp before.
It is on account of typical camps usually shouldn’t outfitted to assist assist these children in a vogue that retains them protected, included, and capable of take part fully. This was the driving stress behind camp.
If there was a barrier, we brainstormed methods we’d knock it down so that every child had a chance to be included. With creativity, dedication, and lodging, I’m happy with the strategies whereby every child was capable of work collectively.
On Friday, every of our campers took dwelling a person progress report highlighting their strengths, areas to work on, and proposals for the “subsequent step” to hold over from our group of OTs.
This course of helped Change and Groove sensory camp create a ripple have an effect on from progress made all by this week. Loads of our campers have remedy suppliers in place, nonetheless some didn’t, so this was really vital for them.
Correct proper right here’s what just some of our mother and father acknowledged:
“She continues to be doing a drum circle at our home with buckets! We cherished seeing her* pleasure about camp every and commonly! I cherished one of the simplest ways you despatched us a schedule forward of time so we knew how the day was. The progress report on the top really helped. That is giving our therapist at dwelling an thought-about factors we’re going to work on.”
“I like that he met and made new associates all whereas discovering out fairly a bit at camp.
I used to be shocked and so joyful to take heed to how correctly he responded to the shaving cream messy play. The extent he went was a major for him and I’m so happy with him!”
“I’ve under no circumstances been worthwhile at getting him to make the most of a sensory brush. By the tip of camp he was displaying and galvanizing others how one can do it. That is unbelievable!”
“I furthermore really really love that you just simply guys supplied a progress report on the top of camp. SO terribly useful to know what you seen in him and his responses and strides whereas at camp.
The ideas and sources you supplied to proceed engaged on factors at house is so invaluable to me!! I’ve been following you, the web packages, your blogs and emails for years and it was so cool to meet you all significantly specific individual.
I’m so grateful we’re native to you and likewise you’re improbable group!”
“Thanks SO MUCH for an stunning summer season season camp. he* misses all of you and hopes that there can be one completely different camp for him to take part in. “
Sensory Camp Subsequent Yr (and Earlier!)
I hope you appreciated this recap from our very first in-person sensory summer season season camp! We had the best time, and are already dreaming and scheming for one of the simplest ways we’re going to do it as quickly as additional subsequent yr.
Suppose your little one might be an incredible match for our future camps? We’ve a wait itemizing that you could possibly be be a part of to remain present on the whole upcoming pleasure.
Be a part of the waitlist correct proper right here, and possibly we’ll get to see you significantly specific individual subsequent summer season season!
And, inside the event you’re a therapist that should present a sensory summer season season camp the place you reside, we’d like that will help you. Attain out to us at whats [email protected]
Alisha Grogan is a licensed occupational therapist and founding father of Your Baby’s Desk. She has over 19 years expertise with experience in sensory processing and feeding progress in infants, toddlers, and children. Alisha furthermore has 3 boys of her personal at dwelling. Be taught extra about her correct proper right here.
Laura Mau is a licensed occupational therapist and member of the Your Baby’s Desk group. She has over 8 years of scientific expertise in serving to households navigate superior feeding and consuming, sensory processing, and reaching developmental milestones with their kids. She at present practices in Colorado and has 3 youthful children of her personal.