Biddeford and 成人直播 celebrate successful first year for 鈥淔inding the Pieces鈥 camp
The 成人直播 and City of Biddeford are celebrating the launch of Finding the Pieces, a summer camp for children with autism. Eight children from Biddeford attended the two-week camp program, working with camp counselors studying at 成人直播.
The idea for the camp began when Biddeford City Councilor Bob Quattrone and his wife struggled to find a nearby day camp for their seven year-old son, Bryce, who has autism spectrum disorder. Quattrone reached out to 成人直播 for help establishing a camp.
鈥淔inding the Pieces was a success in its first year because 成人直播 was 100 percent onboard,鈥 Quattrone said. 鈥淔aculty members Caryn Husman, M.S., OTR/L, Elizabeth Crampsey, M.S., OTR/L, BCPR, and Kris Winston, Ph.D., OTR/L, brought much professionalism and dedication in the development process. They offered ideas that were progressive and innovative.鈥
The 成人直播 Westbrook College of Health Professions developed an academic course for undergraduate students in the Health, Wellness and Occupational Studies (HWOS) program about Autism. Students who took that course provided one-on-one care and support for the campers, giving students the chance to earn course credits and gain valuable hands-on experience. The camp concept was developed and implemented with the help of the 成人直播 Occupational Therapy Department and Community Therapy Center.
鈥淲orking with 成人直播 students was a fantastic experience,鈥 said Quattrone. 鈥淭hey brought a 鈥榖ring it on鈥 attitude that was contagious and showed great patience, something a traditional rec camp cannot maintain when there are so many campers for each staffer. We look forward to working with 成人直播 for years to come in making Finding the Pieces grow and blossom.鈥
During the camp the children were each matched with a counselor and engaged in games, crafts and science activities. They also participated in field trips, traveling to May Street Fields in Biddeford to play field games and sports, Hearts and Horses to groom and ride horses, Ferry Beach and Rotary Park for swimming, a bowling alley and an animal shelter.
鈥淭his was a wonderful opportunity for the children to form positive relationships with our students, engage in community outings and participate in a summer camp experience,鈥 said Caryn Husman, director of the 成人直播 Health, Wellness and Occupational Studies program. 鈥淭hrough this camp, we were able to provide 1:1 support and accommodations are not available at typical city rec camps, giving these kids an experience that would otherwise not have been available to them. Additionally, our students learned valuable skills in working with children who have autism and experienced the importance of community engagement and fun for the health and wellness of all children.鈥
This experience is modeled after Camp Summit at the University of Maine Farmington (UMF), a successful program that has been working with children with ASD for 14 years. It was developed with the UMF Department of Psychology and the Autism Society of Maine.
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