Parents usually have mixed emotions when they send their child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Asperger’s Syndrome to summer camp. They wonder, “Will my child be safe?”

One of the most important questions parents can ask when choosing a special needs summer camp is who will be entrusted with their child’s care.

At Talisman Camps, children and teens with ADHD and Asperger’s are supervised by a team of highly qualified camp counselors and other professional staff. Many of the counselors are in college or recently graduated from college with majors in special education, psychology, education, recreational therapy or a similar field. Because of their passion for working with kids with special needs, most of the counselors have worked in ADHD camps and Asperger’s camps for many years, and they return to Talisman year after year.

One of the returning camp counselors at Talisman explained what draws her back each year. She said, “I have always worked at camps for kids with disabilities, but Talisman has a great reputation and a different perspective on therapeutic summer camp than others; Talisman isn’t afraid of physical and emotional challenges. Although it might be easier to keep campers indoors, Talisman is invested in giving all kids the opportunity to enjoy nature and to push themselves.”

Before hiring a new camp counselor, the staff at Talisman conducts extensive reference and background checks. A thorough training program begins weeks before the campers arrive, which includes first aid, CPR, life guarding, medication management, and specialized education about Asperger’s Syndrome, ADHD, nonverbal learning disorder and related conditions.

Laura Centers, the admissions director at Talisman, started her tenure with the program in 1998 as a camp counselor. More than a decade later, she said, “The years I had the privilege of working with our kids shaped my career and life.”

The campers become like the counselors’ temporary family over the summer. The personal relationships counselors form with “their kids” make the camp experience more meaningful. Years later, campers remember the friends they made, the good times they had and the bonds they formed with their counselors.

Amy Allen, the admissions counselor at Talisman, started her tenure with the program in 2009 as a camp counselor. “I kept coming back as a counselor and then supervisor because I enjoyed the family-like environment and learned a lot about working with kids as well as about myself. It was great to feel that I made a difference, as my campers learned to build friendships and interact positively with each other.”

The campers become like the counselors’ temporary family over the summer. The personal relationships counselors form with “their kids” make the camp experience more meaningful. Years later, campers remember the friends they made, the good times they had and the bonds they formed with their counselors.