JDK Social Skills Summer Camps

Week-long sessions with different themes in August that support positive interactions with peers.

Overview: At our social skills summer program we focus on supporting positive social interactions among our students. Each and every fun-filled week is packed with exciting activities where all peers work TOGETHER!  We have a highly trained staff of ABA instructors, special education teachers, behaviorists and counselors with vast experience teaching social skills.

We focus on peers initiating and maintaining play and conversations with their peers. Our program is modified to help meet the needs of each child that attends. Each week offers a new theme including sensory scientists, dynamite dinosaurs and much more. Each day looks like this: each age group starts the day with with themed yoga, a circle/group ( with focus on social skills) , gross motor activities, social skills groups, themed weekly curriculum activities.

Each afternoon at camp we have a different " special” that include sensory taekwondo, art therapy, music and singing classes, fitness classes and much more! Each class size is about ten to twelve children in our inclusion program with 3-4 instructors in each class. We are focused to ensure each child is successful in reaching their highest potential!

Week 1: August 4th -8th Camping: The Great Outdoors with learning about trees, birds, butterflies and more.  Get ready for some outdoor fun and scientific exploring.  We might even go on a bear hunt.  We can sit around the campfire and sing some songs and have a little social s’mores cookout. 

(Social Skills: Interactive social stories: Asking others to play, joining in, Understanding rules of a game, dealing with winning and losing)

Week 2:  August 11th-15th Dino-mite Dinosaurs: Prepare yourself to travel back in time to 230 million years ago.  We will be digging for dinosaurs, digging for rocks and minerals using magnifying glasses, and becoming cooperative paleontologists as we work together and learn how to share and take turns. (Social Skills: Interpersonal/friendship:  getting attention in a positive way, sharing your friends and with your friends)

Week 3: August 18th- 22nd JDK Sensory Scientists: We will be scientists this week and explore sensory science fun! Creating slime, foam, playdough, science experiments, making volcanoes, tornadoes and much more! Imaginations are free to run wild as children discover how science, math, and reading all play a part! (Social Skills: Manners, setting tables, respecting one another, personal space, waiting, orienting to others)

Week 4: August 25th- 29th Celebration Week- We love finding reasons to celebrate at JDK! We will celebrate a different holiday/special event each day. ( Birthday Day, Halloween, Winter Holiday Day and more!) We will end our camp with a talent show where everyone will get a chance to perform. (Social Skills: dressing up, what to do a party, trick or treating practice, birthday activities, performing for an audience, and much more)

Activities utilized may include:  Discuss-Demonstrate-Do with Structured lessons and problem solving techniques using video models, cooperative activities, peer modeling, role play, game play.