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The comprehensive care of children with epilepsy involves not only the treatment of seizures but also enhancement of their quality of life. Children with developmental disabilities are often unable to attend traditional summer camps because of safety concerns, as their prevalence of epilepsy is high and tends to be more severe. The goal of the current study is to describe our epilepsy experience at a summer camp adapted for children with developmental disabilities, with which the U. S. military has had a long-standing relationship. A retrospective chart review of all children and young adults attending summer sessions between 2008 and 2010 was performed. A total of 1,526 camp sessions were attended by 818 campers (mean 13.7 years), with 32.3% of campers having epilepsy. Of campers with epilepsy, 46.6% had cerebral palsy, 57.6% intellectual disability, and 28.8% autism spectrum disorders. Seizure frequency was at least weekly in 21.2% and at least daily in 13.3%. A history of status epilepticus was reported in 34.9%. There were seven camp infirmary visits because of seizures (incidence 1.4%), including two for status epilepticus. Thus, despite a high prevalence of severe epilepsy, in the setting of appropriate safety precautions, a safe camp experience can be provided, as seizure-related complications are rare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the concept of specialized residential and day camps for children with diabetes which aims to enable children to learn to be more responsible for their condition in a medically safe environment. It states that the management of children with diabetes at camps is often associated with increased physical activity and controlled access to food. It mentions that its management protocol aims to balance insulin dosage with activity level and food intake.

The study presents the findings of a study on the efficacy of a camp for families with visually impaired children at the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. Surveys and interviews were used to provide information from the parents' perspectives about the effectiveness and outcomes of the camp. Eighty nine percent of the parents agreed or strongly agreed that the eight identified camp goals, such as providing the children with opportunities to interact with other children who have visual impairments, were important to them. The researchers found that 10 out of 14 parents reported that they had contacted or interacted with other families with visually impaired children after the camp experience.

This article reports on a multi-method impact evaluation of a therapeutic summer camp program for children and youth with learning disabilities and related psychosocial problems. The study examines the degree to which program objectives were achieved through a pre-camp, post-camp, follow-up design using a series of standardized instruments, camp evaluations, and interviews with parents. The results indicate that the campers reported less social isolation, experienced modest improvements in self-esteem, and expressed high levels of satisfaction with the camp. The measures for social skills generally failed to register significant changes, although parents reported improvements in the areas of cooperation, responsibility, and self-control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the personal narrative of a medical student who spent a summer as a counselor in a camp for children with life threatening illnesses and how the experienced changed her.

The article reports on sports education camps that are held annually across the United States for youths ages 5-18 by the United States Association of Blind Athletes. A discussion of the history of the camps which began in 1998 after a group of adults with visual impairments recognized a need for sports camps for people with disabilities is presented. Research which was conducted through an affiliation with Western Michigan University which found that the skills learned at the camps have a continuing positive impact on the lives of participating athletes is discussed.

The article discusses the family camps in Camp Patterson, Lake Washington, near Mankato, Minnesota. The camp developed four years ago when the families which made up the Southern Minnesota Cerebral Palsy Club undertook the camp for family recreation and education. There should be at least one physically handicapped children on each families in order to join the camp. The Mankato Kiwanis Club furnishes the camp, and sponsor each handicapped child with $10 fee. The family camp became what its name suggests in the fourth year. There are more fathers who attended the camp, ideal weather contributed to a fine week of fishing, swimming, and cooking, and 14 children that are physically handicapped enjoyed the camp with 12 ordinary children.

The article presents overviews of several articles published in different journals, including "Research Attack Against Neurological Disorders," by Pearce Bailey, "Camping Guide for the Placement of Handicapped Children in Regular Camps," "School of Home Economics," "Frequency of Cerebral Lateral Dominance Variations Among School Children of Premature and Full-Term Birth," by Thomas H. Eames, "A Report on Foster Home Placement as a Resource for Handicapped Children," by Helen M. Wallace, Amelia Igel, and Margaret A. Losty.