Welcome to the Big Top September 1, 2011

This past weekend, 17 families from four states braved the weather to come to Pine Tree Camp and attend Camp Communicate.  This year’s theme was the Big Top, featuring a weekend full of circus-related workshops and activities.

Now in its seventh year, Camp Communicate is an innovative weekend designed specifically for non-verbal children who use computerized devices, known as augmentative communication, to communicate. Camp Communicate offers these children a unique opportunity to spend a weekend with other augmentative communicators in an accessible summer camp environment.

“We rely very heavily on our volunteers to engage campers in the activities,” says Shannon McFarland, Speech-Language Pathologist.

The 45 volunteers have varying tasks, but the main goal is promoting the use of the augmentative communication devices during the activities planned throughout the weekend.  Volunteers first seek to understand each individual camper’s comfort using their device to communicate and then work closely to support increased use of the powerful tool.

 “Volunteers must be very patient,” said McFarland. “They’re just amazing to watch.”

The energy and enthusiasm the volunteers provide is palpable, and greatly encourages campers to use their communication device.

The weekend isn’t just about the camper – workshops and networking times are scheduled for the parents, as well as Sibshops for camper siblings.

“It’s important that the parents have the ability to connect with others within the augmentative device community,” McFarland says. “Sometimes these kids have a rare disability on top of being nonverbal, so giving families a chance to find comfort and camaraderie with others is very important.”

This camaraderie is what keeps parents Liz and Mark Patterson coming back each year with their daughter, Kaitlyn.

“The friendships made here are incredible for Kaitlyn, and Mark and I,” Liz said. “They don’t just end when the weekend ends – we talk to other parents and volunteers all year. Camp Communicate has allowed our family to grow.”

Liz admits the first year she was very skeptical of coming to Camp Communicate.

“I came up with every excuse not to come. I was so nervous about how Kaitlyn would do, who we’d meet,” Liz said. “But at the end of that first weekend, Kaitlyn was so visibly happy.” 

Liz says it was incredible for the entire family to learn how to program the augmentative devices. “We learned they could do things we didn’t know they could do,” Liz smiles. “It’s so great to meet these people and be in a situation where everyone’s in the same boat as you, learning just like you are.”

Liz says the best part of the first year was when they got home. “Mark and I asked Kaitlyn if she liked camp and she told us that it was the most wonderful experience. She said, ‘at camp, I’m not different.’ Mark and I knew right then and there we’d be going back each year.”

Camp Communicate falls on Mark and Liz’s wedding anniversary and they couldn’t think of a better way to spend it – together as a family at camp. “We start counting down the days the moment we get home. It’s a fun thing for us to do all year as a family and a wonderful way to spend our anniversary,” Liz says.

First time campers Wayne and Kathy Parker were encouraged to attend Camp Communicate this year with their daughter Kaylie by hearing stories like Kaitlyn’s from Kaylie’s speech pathologist Linda Bonnar-Ivery, Director of Communication Pathways.

“In the Spring, Linda sent home an application with Kaylie for Camp Communicate because she’d turned 8 and was now eligible to attend. Kathy and I chatted with Linda about it, and she relayed some wonderful success stories,” Wayne Parker says. “We didn’t need a lot of convincing though.  Linda is amazing with Kaylie, so we trusted her suggestion.”

Wayne says he and Kathy weren’t anxious going to camp at all – the entire family was very excited to learn a lot about the speech devices and seeing Kaylie interact with other kids using the speech devices.

“This is new to us – we’re still learning. We’re looking forward to seeing how other families use the devices and meeting other families in similar situations,” Mark smiles. “Kathy and I see this as a way to expand our network and Kaylie’s. She’s just started using the speech device, so this can only be positive.”

Pine Tree Society’s Communication Pathways works with children, their families and educators to discover the method, or methods, that will create a pathway to clear and effective communication and strategies for full inclusion in all environments. In addition, the Communication Pathways staff can work with educational teams to adapt curriculum to meet the individual needs of children with various disabilities. When the right tools and strategies are in place, a whole new world of communication and learning is opened to a child with disabilities.