Inclusion Philosophy
The Kent Cummins Magic Camp is a mainstream day camp in Austin. It is not targeted to any particular group of children.
However, we believe strongly in diversity and inclusion, and will work hard to accommodate any child who wants to attend. For example, when we had a kid with cerebral palsy who used a wheelchair, we installed, at our expense, a grab bar and toilet frame in the bathroom of our rented space.
Although our staff has limited training for kids with severe disabilities, we have had some wonderful successes with children with ADD, ADHD, OCD, Tourette’s syndrome, Down syndrome, Asperger syndrome, high-functioning autism, mental retardation, vision impairment, hearing impairment, severe emotional distress, prostheses and other challenges. And we are eager to try to meet the needs of any child.
There is no guarantee that we will be successful with everyone. Every child is unique, and our philosophy and teaching style may not be the right "fit" for a particular camper. However, in our first twelve years of operation, there have only been three instances where we have asked parents to remove a child. We will always give it our best effort.
We cannot afford to provide individual attendants for special needs kids, but if an attendant is required, we will allow the attendant to enjoy the camp without paying tuition. The child pays, the attendant goes free, and that includes getting all of the supplies that any other camper would receive.
We also have a scholarship program for kids who otherwise might not be able to attend. The scholarship program is based primarily on financial need, and provides partial or full tuition for kids with economic hardship.
If we know in advance of a particular need, we will include it in our staff training. For example, we have taught counselors how to deal with severe cases of ADHD, provided information on signing, and brought in guest speakers with expertise on "differently-wired children." As a measure of our success, several of our most challenged campers have become successful counselors. Most of all, we will listen to parents, social workers, and other people who are trying to provide a fun summer experience for a child. At The Kent Cummins Magic Camp, we believe that all kids have “special needs.”
