Choosing the right summer camp for your child can be a daunting task. Watch our quick video to learn five questions you should be asking every summer camp provider or browse our list of questions below to decide what's most important for your family.

Ready to interview providers face-to-face? Download our question sheet to help guide your interview.

Sample Questions

The following questions are examples of what you may want to consider asking when meeting with a camp provider:

What is the typical camp composition?

• Are campers a mix of typical peers and children with disabilities?
• Is the camp solely for children with disabilities?
• Are campers from primarily one type of diagnosis (ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, Down Syndrome, etc.)?
• What is the ratio of campers to staff/counselors?

What is the camp schedule like?

• A couple hours per day?
• Full day?
• One or two days per week?
• Full week?
• Multiple weeks?
• Sleep-away?
  

What are the camp counselors like?

• Mostly high school students?
• Mostly college students?
• Professionals?
• A mix of one or more?
  

What kind of experience do counselors have?

• Have they received specific training? If so, what kind?
• Have they worked with children who have challenges similar to my child's?

What skills are addressed during camp?

• Academics/IEP goals?
• Speech and language?
• Social skills?
• Recreational skills?
  

How does the camp handle behavior problems?

• How do you handle children who refuse to participate or are non-compliant?
• What happens if my child is aggressive toward staff or other campers?
• What is the procedure to keep campers from eloping or running away?
  

What funding do you accept?

• Family resource dollars/NEON?
• Campership dollars?
• Scholarship money?
• Grants?

Need to learn more about funding? Check out our Finding Funding How-to Guide.

What communication should I expect?

• What's the best way to get in touch with staff?
• Will my child's day be communicated with me? If so, how?
• How often can I expect to hear from the camp?
  

Is the camp set up to handle my child's disability?

• Is the camp wheel chair accessible? What about walkers, gait trainers or canes?
  
• Is my child's service animal allowed at camp?
• Is there a speaker/FM system to help my Deaf or hard-of-hearing child?
• Is there a nurse on staff?