Open for all students with developmental disabilities, Camp RAD supports what students learn in school by practicing skills that point students toward a healthy, active, independent lifestyle, and it all began with a study conducted by Dr. Gavin Colquitt and his Georgia Southern team. The findings revealed a need for extracurricular, recreational, and summer activities for children with special needs.
“A lot of those things related to transition [from school to the community],” he says. Colquitt, along with his wife who is a professor of public health, started holding sessions two days a week for students with disabilities at the Honey Bowen building. They met with school administrators, service providers and parents to determine the needs of the students.
“The purpose of camp is to teach health-related skills for kids in the transition age, primarily from age 10-21,” Dr. Colquitt says. “Federal requirements dictate that children have a transition plan in place when they graduate the eighth grade; that’s part of their individualized education plan, but research shows that we really should start thinking about transition at the age of ten.”
Now more than 13 years later, Camp Rad has 50 campers, a second location in Effingham County, and an online option.
Colquitt describes the system that makes Camp RAD unlike any other organization. “We have a systematic process where we spend hours pouring over everything that child has worked on at school. What are their goals? What is their transition plan? And we create what’s called a ‘functional profile’ that lists their strengths and abilities.”
Once this data is compiled, Camp RAD leaders train volunteers, staff, and students on what each child needs. Each camper has three to four goals in their functional profile. These goals are revisited daily, and individualized plans are created with these skill deficits in mind. Other well-known universities throughout the state of Georgia have adopted Camp RAD’s innovative model.
A well-rounded curriculum
The curriculum was developed with the help of a team of professionals including a registered dietitian, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. Each of the four weeks of camp has its own theme, and, Monday through Thursday, campers will start each day with a topic that goes along with that theme. Appropriate topics such as food sensitivity, food preparation, and sensory integration have been included to make the program activities timely and relevant to campers.
“Primarily what we focus on is [the] transition from school into the community and teaching kids how to stay healthy, be healthy, stay active during that time,” Colquitt shared.
Campers have a wide variety of diagnoses as well as skill sets. A typical day involves two physical activities and one life skills activity, snack, nutrition, and group sessions that flank the start and the end of each day. Placement depends on the needs of the student, with many campers benefiting from a one-on-one pairing, while others are placed in a small group with one counselor. They may play a round of basketball, then transition to dish washing techniques, and then matching illustrated activity cards to appropriate times of day.
Students often prepare their own snacks, honing their cutting skills by using special safety knives. These daily activities translate into independence for Camp RAD attendees. Colquitt fondly remembers talking with a parent who was crying. He recalls her response when he asked her what was wrong: “My son got up and made breakfast for himself for the first time ever.”
Building community
In addition to health and exercise, Camp RAD focuses on education and social aspects. They schedule visits from community helpers such as the Statesboro Police and Fire Departments, and learn about the valuable services these entities provide.
Former camp goers can transition to “counselors in training” and learn from mentor counselors that are there to provide insight and support to their young proteges. Counselors-in-training are guided by counselors who are mostly made up of Georgia Southern students who are in school to become therapists, and they benefit from the guidance of therapists who are working in the field.
Another important aspect of what happens at Camp RAD is an ongoing, supportive community. Many campers return every summer and develop close friendships with one another. Parents are able to connect through the Facebook page and provide support to one another for various parenting questions and needs. Parents share information, advice, and resources with one another.
Camp RAD’s summer session concludes just before July 1, but the connection doesn’t end there. Campers can look forward to Super Eagles, the afterschool program that continues the social stimulation, learning, and fun.
“We do ten weeks, spring and fall, and we really track these kids from a physical perspective in all aspects of motor skills and fitness, so we have a comprehensive assessment battery that we use as well,” Dr. Colquitt explains.
Camp RAD’s 2023 summer session will conclude with a family field day event, where the entire Camp RAD community comes together to celebrate the successes of the campers, and have some fun in the sun.
For more information on Camp RAD, please visit https://chp.georgiasouthern.edu/cril/camp-rad/about-us/.