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| From Dianne and George, Kyle's parents |
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When our son Kyle was age 7 he had already experienced more challenges than any child that age should have to endure. He had transferred schools 3 times, largely due to boundary changes, had spent most of his grade 1 year in the principal's office and had been a victim of a serious bullying incident.
Kyle appeared to us to be very smart and we consistently supported his learning, reading to him daily since he was a baby. He struggled through grade 1 and had not succeeded in achieving the academic levels of most boys his age at the end of that grade year. Based on these learning challenges and his behavioral challenges at school, we elected to have him assessed. If you are a parent of a special needs child the information we have just shared sounds very familiar. We put many supports in place for Kyle. He was diagnosed with ADD and a learning disability. He also demonstrated gifted abilities. We had him identified in the IPRC process at school, he was placed in a special education program, we provided him with private tutoring support and we turned to the learning disability association for any other information or service that could help our son. In the course of learning about his disabilities we came to learn about Camp Kirk. When we talked to Kyle about attending camp, he said he didn't think there would be a camp that he could go to that would understand his different challenges. Without knowing whether such a camp existed we set about trying to find one that would meet his needs. LDA happened to have a Camp Kirk brochure and we spent time on the internet exploring what Camp Kirk had to offer. Kyle will be enjoying his 4th summer at Camp Kirk this year. He has one cabin mate that he is particularly close to that he has known since his first year at camp. They will be enjoying each other's company yet again this summer. If you want to know the benefits Kyle has gained from his camping experience know this. Kyle was not able to read comfortably until the end of Grade 3. At that time he could read at a Grade 2 level. He is now in Grade 6 and reads at a Grade 9 level. Kyle was in a special education program in Grade 3, transitioned to regular class in Grade 4 as his reading levels had improved, maintained resource support until Grade 5 and since second term of Grade 5 he has enjoyed learning at or above his grade level without additional supports. But that's not all. Kyle believes in himself. He believes that he can do what he tries to do if he simply puts his mind to it. When he is really committed to something we are amazed at his level of perseverance. He has developed and maintained many close friendships and his friends look to him for support on an ongoing basis. They feel a real connection to Kyle. Our front door may as well be a revolving door. On any given night you will find extra pairs of shoes at the front door belonging to one of his many friends. Kyle has had many supports since his diagnosis. However, the most significant support for him has been his relationship with Camp Kirk. Inclusion and acceptance are the most important values that we can provide to a child faced with disabilities. These values are intrinsic in the Camp Kirk environment. The children are accepted for who they are and given the opportunity to learn without criticism. Every small step is encouraged and valued. Teamwork, fairness and effort are rewarded. The children are provided with structure, they understand the boundaries and they learn how to accept and help one another. Kyle has matured significantly since attending Camp Kirk. He has two younger siblings, Liam age 7 and Lauren age 5. Kyle takes responsibility for walking his brother to and from school daily while we are at work. Liam's teacher commented that Kyle is very well mannered and considerate whenever he arrives at her class to meet Liam and she wishes that all boys his age could be the same way. He's not perfect mind you. But the road he has travelled to be where he is now was not without many challenges. Camp Kirk has taught Kyle how to face these challenges with courage and confidence. We can't ask for more than that. Our son Liam is 7 and was recently diagnosed ADHD/LD as well. Liam is a real home body but knows that he will soon enjoy a camp experience too. When we asked him what camp he would like to attend, he told us, Camp Kirk, of course! Dianne and George
May 14, 2007 |