Camps supporting autistic young people and their families

AUTISM Camp Australia (ACA) are providing much needed support for autistic young people and their families.

The camps offers a place where autistic communities can connect, while enhancing life skills in a supportive environment.

ACA run 40 to 30 camps a year across three Australian states, including in Queenscliff.

ACA’s Sandy Palmer said they have a very holistic view with their programs.

“We create this really safe autistic community, the whole family can de-shackle and try what our founder has quoted as a ‘smorgasbord of activities’ and capacity building.”

The camps are designed for autistic young people, their siblings and parents or guardians to attend and normally run during the school holidays.

For autistic young people, they participate in capacity building, activities, therapy sessions and work one-on-one with a specialised career.

The siblings follow the same sort of programming which Ms Palmer describes as being “very nature based.”

Parents and guardians take part in a mix of free time, education and workshops, including self-care sessions.

The camps bring a range of benefits for participants from short term outcomes through to long term.

For autistic young people who have attended the camp, 87 per cent agreed what they learnt made them feel more confident in standing up for themselves.

Ms Palmer said the enrolment process for families to take part is thorough and helps them understand their participants.

“We want to know as much as possible about our participants attending camp as we can.

“Through that, we hope they find things that support them and help them and things they may want to explore beyond camp as well.”

All of the camps in Queenscliff are fun out of Camp Wyuna with the upcoming Queenscliff camp running from June 30 until July 5.

Ms Palmer said registrations for their camps generally fill up very quickly, and those interested in attending the next Queenscliff camp in September should be looking into it now.

For more information, head to autismcampaustralia.org or check out their Facebook page Autism Camp Australia.