Choosing a summer camp for a neurodivergent teen can feel complicated. Parents want their teens to gain independence, make friends, and build confidence, but they also need to know that camp staff understand neurodiversity and can create an environment where everyone feels safe and included. While every program is different, certain elements tend to make…
I’m not an expert on confidence building or on how to increase resilience in teenagers, but I’ve been surrounded by teenagers enough over the last two decades to gain some insights of my own. I can tell you from personal experience I’ve seen teens have transformational experiences while living in a community with their peers. …
Learning from disappointment and frustration When a camper wants to call home after only being there for a few days, they usually ask their parents to come and get them. They are tired from walking; they don’t love the rustic camping lifestyle; they miss their cell phones or all of the above. Usually, parents reluctantly…
Too often, young people are punished for being different. As a neurodivergent person, my teenage years were punctuated by pressures to conform. Teachers and authority figures weren’t interested in how my mysterious brain worked or how fully I felt my feelings. They were interested in how well I would do well on standardized tests and…
A mom recently wrote about her son Fen’s experience at camp. He’s been coming to OTC for the past five years. Fen is one of the most original, interesting, and hilarious campers who has come to camp. He’s not always the easiest, and when he first came to camp, he seemed to want to go…
I’ve been learning about twice exceptionality (2e) from some moms whose 2e teens come to camp. They are great advocates for their children and all 2e kids. I’m particularly grateful to Kim Pine, who wrote an informative post about her 2e son’s camp experience, and Maratea Cantarella from Twice Exceptional Children’s Advocacy (TECA), who have…
Every month I receive calls from concerned parents whose teenagers have been spending too much time alone, having trouble making friends, seeming irritable, etc. It’s easy to understand why parents get worried. They see their wonderful, kind, sensitive, vulnerable, and generally very shy teenagers withdrawing. Tending the fire I’m pretty sure teenagers have always been…
Adam Simon continues his video series, discussion with teen therapist, Amy Frisch. In this segment they discuss the link between technology and social anxiety in teenagers. Amy offers some great insights and an interesting perspective on the subject. Watch the short video.
Getting to the other side of anxiety In this short video Lauren Muriello, LPC of Well Being Therapy Center, talks about how we all experience anxiety and that it is a natural, healthy part of the human condition. This reminds me of I a quote I saw recently that read … Using fear as…
The trauma of taking away kids’ “magic phones” at camp I know that’s a little dramatic, but that’s how it feels watching kids hand their cell phones over to their parents when they are dropped off at camp. I think I got that “magic phone” term from the comedian Norm McDonald (one of my favorites).…
Find Out About Odyssey Teen Camp
A Non-Profit Overnight Summer Camp For Teens Ages 13-18
Located in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts.
