Autism and Disability Camps and Summer Programs

Below is a compiled list of camps and summer programs all over Indiana that cater to children with autism, as well as children and adults with other disabilities. Click on the links below to visit the website of a camp in your area.

Camp Red Cedar

Close to Leo, Camp Red Cedar is  place that features everything camp has to offer – games, horseback riding, swimming, canoeing, arts and crafts, nature hikes and singing around the campfire. In addition to summer camps, enjoy year-around therapeutic and conventional horseback riding or rent our facilities.  Of course, the entire camp is completely accessible and autism friendly. Discover a whole new world of possibilities within Camp Red Cedar’s 57 acres of meadows, woods, lake and trails.

Camp Millhouse

Inspiring self-discovery in individuals with special needs through a safe, traditional camp experience. Camp Millhouse envisions a world where individuals with special needs are encouraged to realize their full potential and value to make a difference in their communities. 

Noble of Indiana

At our Summer Day Camps, we can tap into the specific interests of each camper by targeting their individual skills and interests. Because we welcome youth with and without disabilities, our inclusive environment encourages everyone to learn, grow and have fun.

Life Compass Camp

Life Compass Camp is 5 day, day camp that offers youth with special needs the chance to experience a more traditional summer camp setting that caters to their individual needs and uses games and activities to teach important life skills.

Jameson Camp

Jameson Camp began in 1928 when the leaders at Marion County Tuberculosis Association came together with the community to meet the need for a summer program that bridged a gap in health and nutrition for children. Since then, Jameson Camp has offered numerous camps especially for children impacted by physical and mental health diagnoses. Today, Jameson Camp is proud to offer a space where any child can feel welcome, safe, and accepted while they discover their strengths, build friendships, and experience nature on over 130 acres of forest, meadow, and streams.

Anderson Woods Camp

Nestled along its namesake, the Anderson River in rural Southern Indiana, Anderson Woods was founded in 1978, and is a private, not-for-profit corporation chartered to provide summer camp experiences, as well as other services, for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Bradford Woods

Bradford Woods is Indiana University’s Outdoor Center. We provide experiential and therapeutic outdoor programs to people of all backgrounds and abilities on our 2,500-acre campus, located between Bloomington and Indianapolis.

Our vision is to be global leaders in delivering inclusive and experiential outdoor programming.

Embracing Abilities Summer Camp

Our annual Summer Camp will consist of fun daily field trips in and around our communities for exploration, vocational skills, physical activities, life skills, creative experiences and more. A monthly calendar will be provided with daily field trips for information, planning and any cost associated.

Autism Community Connection

My Summer Journey is a summer program for teens on the autism spectrum, ages 13-19. Our fun-filled days help keep kids in a routine that can make the transition back to school much easier. The focus of the program is to make new friends along with working on life and social skills.

Camp Crosley YMCA

For over 100 years Camp Crosley YMCA, located in North Webster, Indiana, has been making people feel like they belong through programs like Summer Camp (boys and girls ages 6-15), Group Retreats, School Groups, and Family Events. Located on the shores of Lake Tippecanoe in Northern Indiana, we serve the communities of Muncie, Chicago, Carmel, Fishers, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Valparaiso, and more. Our caring staff want to invite you to experience all that we have to offer.

Grant’s House

In line with optimizing the quality of life for individuals with disabilities or special needs, Youth Services fosters a safe space to promote learning, growth, and acceptance among peers while encouraging compassion and friendship.

Early intervention is vital to assisting a child with autism, but this doesn’t only include professional help. Parents play a key role in helping their children in a variety of ways. Join us as we take a look at how.

The Importance of Parental Involvement

At Lighthouse Autism Center we believe in a team approach to helping your child reach their fullest potential. While every member of the team (parents, caregivers, therapists, educators, doctors, advocates) play a part in your child’s success, parental support is arguably the most important.

How Increased Parental Involvement Helps Children with Autism

As a parent, it’s important to understand the key benefits your involvement will have for your child. Research has shown that increased parental involvement will often help a child with autism manage their symptoms or improve any skills they are struggling with. 

A study titled “Parent-mediated social communication therapy for young children with autism (PACT): long-term follow-up of a randomized controlled trial,” which was completed by the University of Manchester in 2016, has more good news for parents. 

This study has also shown that early intervention from parents offers general improvements in a child with autism’s symptoms and that this reduction is long-lasting, highlighting how beneficial parental intervention is for the child.

How Parents Can Assist Their Children

Here are some ways parents can help their autistic children.

Support Starts from the Beginning

While the causes of autism are still unknown, it is important to start looking for the signs of autism early. Studies have shown that catching the signs of autism early in a child’s life can lead to better outcomes. Some of these early signs include missing various developmental milestones, no babbling, no eye contact, no response to name, and lack of expression (happiness, smiling). If you suspect that your child may be exhibiting these signs, it is important you contact your healthcare provider to determine if your child has autism.

Support Through Therapy

Once a child receives an autism diagnosis, the next question a parent will ask is how to support a child with autism. It is crucial that parents and caregivers seek appropriate therapy services for their child, which may include ABA therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, or a combination of these and other therapies.

Specifically, ABA therapy is the only therapy recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General for the treatment of autism. With individualized treatment plans designed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts and the work of a trained Registered Behavior Technician, we see children achieve great outcomes through this type of therapy. 

Therapy At Home

It is equally important that parents work to provide a child with the autism support they need outside of therapy sessions. This can be achieved by implementing the same skills their child is working on in therapy at home. For example, if a child works on using utensils as part of a therapy program, but parents do not work with the child to use utensils at home, that child may learn they only have to use utensils when they go to therapy but not at home. Consistency and follow-through are key to a child’s success, and that requires the commitment and work of parents and caregivers to follow through at home.

Lighthouse Autism Center

For parents and children at Lighthouse Autism Center, our Board Certified Behavior Analysts provide parent training and often go into a child’s home to assist parents. We want to make sure that parents have the tools and knowledge to follow through at home and help their child achieve their highest potential. We also have various tools for parents to help their children with autism.

To learn more about Lighthouse Autism Center, call 574-387-4313.