The Benefits of Summer Camp for AAC-Users

Dak Prescott, NFL quarterback and former MSU player, visiting with a CJJ camper as part of the super hero activities. My speech-language pathology colleagues and I want to give children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) the same opportunities and benefits that their typical peers enjoy. These benefits include improving interpersonal skills, forming friendships, taking safe risks, character growth, developing life skills, meeting positive role models and discovering their best self, as described in the “Sunshine Parenting” article, “Five Reasons Every Teen Should Go to Summer Camp.” Launched in 1998, Camp Jabber Jaw (CJJ) at Mississippi State University has grown from a small group of campers to a large gathering of AAC users, their family members and speech-language pathology graduate students who serve as counselors and receive clinical training. Campers ranging in age from 5 to 21 stay on the Mississippi State campus, experiencing dorm life as well as a host of camp activities including swimming, horseback riding and the ever-popular camp dance. Each summer, we select a new camp theme and plan all activities around this theme. Last year, campers went on safari, while previous themes include super heroes, pirates and our own version of “The Amazing Race.” Often, our clients who use AAC are one of a very few or the only student at school with a communication device. Parents often tell me that their child hesitates to use their device...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Augmentative Alternative Communication Autism Spectrum Disorder Language Disorders Schools Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs