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Family vacations can incorporate supervised overnight camp programs specially designed to be fun for kids with physical and/or mental challenges.

With so many camps to choose from, it can be difficult to find the one that's right for your child's individual needs. Below is a list of special needs residence camps in Illinois, Colorado, Michigan, Texas and in Canada.  Each provides diverse programs that cater to the needs of your children, offering them a home away from home amid the fun of summer camp.

U.S. Camps for Children with Special Needs

Easter Seals
233 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2400
Chicago, Illinois 60606
800/221-6827
With 140 locations throughout the U.S., Easter Seals camps are a great option for many families. They provide educational and recreational activities and programs for kids and adults. From sports and fitness, to social gatherings and community field trips, Easter Seals brings those suffering from autism and other disabilities together. Activities at camp include a campfire sing-along, boating, swimming, arts and crafts, and ghost stories, providing a fully-accessible camp for those with physical disabilities. They also have a program, Operation Purple, in which they help veterans and their families adapt to newfound disabilities, and they host an event called Operation Adventure at Lake Martin, providing a therapeutic sports program for veterans.

CAMP Camp
P.O. Box 27086
San Antonio, Texas 78227
210/671-5411
Celebrating 30 years, CAMP (Children’s Association for Maximum Potential) offers programs for adults and children, with camps for children with disabilities and their siblings without disabilities to share in experiences together. Right along the Guadalupe River in Center Point, Texas, CAMP offers weeklong camping sessions every year from May through August. They offer specialized camps for varying degrees of disability, such as medical, general, autism, adult, and blended sessions. Programs at CAMP incorporate educational, recreational, and respite services to give parents some relief, creating a well-balanced, full schedule for all campers.

The Learning Camp
P.O. Box 1146
Vail, Colorado 81658
970/524-2706
Founded by a mother and father seeking for a camp to send their son, who suffered from ADD and dyslexia, the Learning Camp in Colorado is a true labor of love. The camp provides daily academic programs so kids don't lose track of their academic progress and they incorporate fun camp activities that improve self-confidence and build self-esteem. The academic programs take place in the morning, and the afternoons and evenings are consumed by traditional, fun camp activities. The academic program organizes children by age, and focuses on the fundamentals of learning for a few hours each day, removing the emphasis on tests and homework, and then the kids go off to enjoy the adventurous offerings the camp has. The camp provides river rafting, martial arts, swimming, fishing, rock climbing, and more. The Learning Camp is strictly for children with learning disabilities, but the administration is willing and able to offer advice on what camps are best to send your kids to who have behavioral and/or other disabilities.

Camp Grace Bentley
Burtchville, Michigan
313/962-8242
This camp is for children with physical and mental disabilities between the ages of 7-18. The camp features 11 cabins along the shores of Lake Huron, which include air-conditioning and heating units in each cabin. The site also boasts a dining hall and a recreation hall, where kids can participate in plays, skits, and other indoor games. They also have a lounge for movie nights and activities on rainy days to keep the campers entertained inside. Theme nights, karaoke, dances, and team sports are just some of the fun activities offered at camp, and sitting upon Lake Huron they also offer all of the traditional activities you would expect from a summer camp including swimming and other beach adventures. They have a fully trained staff and a full-time medical professional available at all times, and in addition the camp is just a short drive to the Port Huron Hospital.