Bringing “camp war buddies” to the homefront

A mixed method assessment was conducted on nineteen camps (from nine states) dedicated to children (ages 8–18) with disabilities to learn more about the psychosocial impact during and after these residential experiences. The quantitative analysis included the administration of two psychosocial instruments one week (n=135) and then 12 weeks (n=96) following the camp experience. A phenomenological analysis was then conducted seven months post camp for the qualitative assessment (n=40).

Results from the quantitative portion found that certain social skills such as making friendships increased between the post and 12 week assessment. However, social acceptance decreased during the same time period. The qualitative assessment found a strong positive affect toward the camps and the activities the campers experienced.  A strong community presence was communicated through the ability to relate to others while being surrounded by an empathetic environment. The depth of social support was captured by one participant’s reference to his peers as “camp war buddies”.

Although the positive social support is consistent across the camps, this study adds one important finding. Despite the strong community that seemed to develop during the camps, participants were not happy with the lack of similar shared leisure experiences in their home communities. The authors urge camps to find ways to extend the important social support influences of their programs back to the home front. The resulting impact could potentially help these camp “war buddies” fight their daily battles related to the social pressures of living with a childhood disability or illness.