Take 2: Teaching Children w/ Autism Washington, DC

This July, we completed our 13th summer of Take2 Camp!  Here's a glimpse of what we did:

Our elementary campers learned how to "Fix it, Flex it, and Go with the Flow". They practiced problem solving personal roadblocks using strategies like goal-setting and plan-making. During week three, they employed tools for teamwork to build elaborate structures out of recycled materials. One team created an entire town with landmarks that paid homage to each member. During our last week, campers and counselors showed off their camp song skills on the bus ride to the Adventure Park ropes course. New campers tried new challenges, like the True Blue zipline and the log bridge; returning campers cheered them on as they tackled their own goals! Our campers made it look easy—an outward sign of the hard work, solidarity, and bravery that went into this culminating trip.

The middle school crew of 11 campers cultivated an impressive resume of successful excursions, including: The National Archives, the International Spy Museum, Good Stuff Eatery, the National Zoo, Pinstripes, Pizza Paradiso, the Natural History Museum. We also celebrated our fourth year with Rachel Garmon as our improv instructor! She taught our group how to go out into the community with a flexible mindset (in improv: “yes and…” mindset) and think creatively with games like Taxi Cab, where the cab driver must take on the same character traits as each new "passenger" who enters (video on Instagram: Take2Camp). This game had us laughing until our stomachs hurt, and we discovered some pretty incredible performance talent among campers and counselors. At the end of camp, we took to Union Station for our annual scavenger hunt. A picture of our campers posing with "someone wearing orange" is below. Walking around in a moose hat, I had the honor of delivering the "lightning round," where we discovered that all three of our teams could name at least 22 (out of 27) Red Line metro stations in less than a minute. Incredible!

Perhaps the most important takeaway is that many friendships developed this summer. Many of these connections would not have been possible without your contribution, which enabled us to provide tuition assistance to all of our qualifying applicants. Thank you for supporting Take2. We hope your summer was as fantastic as ours was.

A couple of weeks ago, I unexpectedly received a message from two former counselors at Take2.  It read: “Tyler and I are presenting right next to each other at IMFAR in San Francisco!” They weren’t exaggerating. Sure enough, Tyler and Meredith had been placed at neighboring conference booths to present their research topics.  It was a really cool moment.  It left me giddy with excitement for their accomplishments and proud of the community of families and talented professionals that Take2 brings together.     

As counselors at Take2, Tyler and Meredith applied existing research by using goal-setting graphic organizers, playing emotion bingo, and teaching how to make a plan B. At IMFAR, they got to showcase their own work. Tyler presented on variables impacted in typically developing kids whose siblings have autism. Meredith presented factors affecting access to services for children in low SES populations.

On day one of our training week in June, I have the honor of addressing our small-numbered but mighty group of counselors. These individuals are relative strangers to one another. They’re bright. They play the steel drums and love to go camping. Some are high schoolers looking for a path. Others are defending a dissertation in the fall. But I find myself coming back to the same message, because it proves itself to be true each year: The great thing about Take2 is how quickly it cultivates a supportive, nurturing community. On the surface, we’re personally and professionally diverse, but we share the same goal.  And just like that, we’re family.  

Many congratulations to our former counselors Tyler and Meredith. See the links below to view their research topics from IMFAR 2017.

Family Daily Hassles and School Variables in Typically-Developing Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Factors That Drive Access to Services for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Low Income Populations