Summer Plans for Children with Attention Deficit Disorders (continued)

Step #4: Accreditation and references

Many camps and programs choose to participate in the accreditation process of the American Camping Association, which is a voluntary process intended to ensure a commitment to certain safety, training, and programming standards. Not all programs that may indeed be appropriate for your child will choose to affiliate with this organization. In any event, be sure to ask for references of parents who also send children with ADHD to the camp and follow-up on asking them about their experiences.

Step #5: To tell or not to tell - that is the question

Parents often ask me whether they should tell program directors the truth about their children or try to give their children the benefit of an unbiased, "clean slate," fearing that labeling their child as "difficult" has a negative biasing effect. The fact is that the best predictor of future behavior is still past behavior, and if your child's behavioral difficulties are going to intimidate program staff, it is best to find out ahead of time. You need to be a role model and set the stage for ongoing, open communication that will enhance your child's experience once he is in the program. Of course, to decrease the shock value of a label or an official psychiatric diagnosis, you will want to focus on behaviors, not labels, and on the strategies you and others have used that have helped your child adjust socially, to routines, to limits, and to frustration and anxiety. You will want to make a written list of these strategies to share with your child's counselors, as well.

Step #6: Medication

There are several schools of thought regarding the administration of medication during summer vacations. The most current, well-designed, long-term, large-scale research studies indicate that children taking medications for ADHD are best served by maintaining their schedule year round. As children enter new and unstructured situations, often supervised by less experienced individuals who know them less well, it seems ill advised to withdraw significant supports that help your child function better. As always, discussion with your own health advisors is recommended before you make any changes.

Step #7: A Match is Made

So, you have done your "due diligence" and have found a program that seems like a "good fit." The directors are aware of your child's needs and interests, have convinced you through their knowledge, ease, references, and possibly their program accreditation, that they have what it takes to help your child have a successful summer experience. You have given them your written list of tried and true strategies to deal with the most likely behavioral issues and you are all well on your way. Your child, although mostly excited, expresses some healthy ambivalence about how things will work out. Your role is to focus on reinforcing coping skills and strategies. You can role-play the various situations he or she has concerns about, or that you anticipate, and praise your child for good problem solving. You will want to make sure that your child knows who to go to, and where to go, if they feel uncertain or need help. In many cases, I have helped children prepare for summer camps (and helped the camp programs prepare for the child) by having the children write letters to their new counselors ahead of time. They can introduce themselves, explain who they are, and what they like to do. Additionally, they also can describe the kinds of difficulties they sometimes have and what is helpful to them at those times. One teenager explained that he likes to take lots of risks but doesn't hurt himself. Another seven-year-old youngster explained to our day camp director that he does better leaving a group to calm down rather than taking the (usual and customary) time-out. These extra steps go a long way toward maximizing a child's experience. It is also a very positive self-advocacy step for the child.