Welcome to the Parks and Recreation Series, where we will be exploring all the ways that various Parks and Recreation departments have made their programming more accessible to Autistic people, either by providing more accommodations in standardized programming or providing specialized programming. 

In Part 1, we will be taking a look at summer camps specifically through the parks department.

One thing worth remembering as we explore is that there are many different Parks and Recreation Departments across the country, and each has a different approach to accommodations and inclusivity. 

Prince George's County, Maryland, includes a detailed explanation of its disability services and specialized camps in its summer brochure, while Centre Region, PA, makes no direct mention of such programming in its brochure. That is not to say they don’t have those services available! It just goes to show that what is available locally to you and how it is advertised can vary considerably depending on where you live.

With that in mind, let’s dive in!

As we saw in the Prince George's County summer camp brochure, it is possible for Parks and Recreation programming to be made more accessible to Autistic people via accommodations. 

Prince Georges Country refers to such accommodations as “modifications” and explains the process for requesting a modification to a particular program. It also outlines the limitations of the modifications they can make to a given program and the minimum requirements for joining a program with modifications. 

While your local parks department may or may not offer the same level of detail, it may be worth asking if a program you are interested in could be modified as well! Many Parks and Recreation departments have an interest in making their programs as accessible as possible, given their resources. 

Standardized programs that offer accommodations are often referred to as inclusive programming. Some inclusive programming may simply offer accessibility options, while others may be more intentional about bringing together disabled and nondisabled participants.

Therapeutic programs are more specialized and focus exclusively on Autistic or disabled people. Therapeutic programs will likely still have themes and specific types of activities planned, but with a more intentional focus on accommodating as many people as possible. 

If inclusive programming does not turn out to be a good fit for one reason or another, a more specialized program might be a helpful option! 

When considering therapeutic programming, it is also helpful to be conscious of what you or the person you are supporting wants or needs out of such an experience. Is it a continuous structure and schedule similar to that of school? An opportunity to try new activities? A chance to connect with new people? It can be all of those things, but knowing your priorities can help inform which options are most worth exploring! 

We will be covering the ins and outs of inclusive programming and specialized programming in the next two parts of our series.

The distinction between inclusive and specialized camps can, in many cases, come down to support needs. While inclusive programs make every effort to offer accommodations, there may be some limitations based on planned activities, personnel, and available resources. 

If you run into challenges meeting certain accommodations or worry whether some accommodations will be feasible in certain settings, it may be worth considering a more specialized option. 

If you think an inclusive program should be able to meet your accommodation needs or you especially want to attend that particular program, then an inclusive setting might be best!

We hope this look at summer camp programs has offered a helpful starting point for exploring what Parks and Recreation has to offer in terms of programming for Autistic or disabled people.