Talisman Camps
By treating each camper as an individual and offering a variety of opportunities for kids to develop physical and social competence in an atmosphere that encourages and supports self-regulation and self-direction, the Talisman Camp family offers an experiential learning program to fit the needs of every type of child and parent.
New programs for Summer 2007!
Oregon Trails
Campers ages 14-17 with ADHD or Asperger’s will take part in an inspiring expedition that invites self reflection, campers will learn accountability, teamwork, confidence, and goal setting through a wide variety of experiential activities.
Adirondack Adventure
Adirondacks Adventures is a multi-skill adventure for campers ages 13-17 with ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, or similar learning disorders where participants realize personal growth as they achieve together each of the challenges before them.
Trek Northwest
Campers with ADHD, Asperger’s, NLD, and other social skills needs, work in small groups with highly trained staff, where campers hone their social skills, develop self-confidence and learn the value of accountability.
SeaK
SeaK is an expeditionary sea kayaking program for campers with ADHD and learning differences in the beautiful San Juan Islands of Washington.
Camp Huntington
Camp Huntington was established in 1961 as a residential summer camp for boys and girls (6-21 years of age) with hidden abilities, such as Developmental Disabilities, Learning Disabilities and ADD/HD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Asperger's, PDD, as well as other special needs. Camp Huntington’s program is specifically designed to focus on Adaptive and Therapeutic Recreation.
The comprehensive Camp Huntington program emphasizes development of social skills, independent living, vocational orientation and speech and language ability.
Camp Huntington's programs:
Learn more about Camp Huntington today >>Narcissistic and Entitled to Everything!
Does Gen Y Have Too Much Self-Esteem?
No one looks the way I do.
I have noticed that it's true.
No one walks the way I walk.
No one talks the way I talk.
No one plays the way I play.
No one says the things I say.
I am special.
I am me.
Gen Y - people born between 1978 and 1997 - grew up singing that nursery song. Today many parents and psychologists wonder if songs like that were not big mistakes.
In the 1980s world of child rearing, the catchword was "self-esteem." Unconditional love and being valued "just because you're you!" was the prevailing philosophy. In practice, it involved constantly praising children, not criticizing them under any circumstances, emphasizing feelings, and not recognizing one child's achievements as superior to another's. At the end of a season, every player "won" a trophy. Instead of just one "student of the month," schools named dozens. Teachers inflated grades from kindergarten through college: "C" became the new "F." No one ever had to repeat a grade because staying behind caused poor self-esteem.
The result of these child-rearing practices has been a measurable increase in narcissism and a generation that has a deeply embedded sense of entitlement, according to authorities like Dr. Jean Twenge, author of Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled and More Miserable Than Ever. Dr. Twenge of San Diego State University studied more than 16,400 students who took the Narcissistic Personality Inventory between 1982 and 2006. In 1982, only a third of the students scored above average on the test. Today that number is over 65%.
Learn more about the lifelong repercussions of narcissism and get advice from experts for parents on how to "toughen up" >>Outdoor Wilderness Programs for the Summer
SUWS wilderness programs have been specializing in providing a safe and therapeutic environment for troubled and defiant teens to identify and work through emotional obstacles for 25 successful years. The obstacles that have kept inherently good children from responding to parental efforts, schools, and treatment in the past are removed in SUWS' wilderness environment. Experiential learning helps students learn to value themselves, access their own abilities and build upon their strengths.
The success of SUWS has been measured in many ways, including an independent study that found the participation in outdoor behavioral healthcare resulted in clinically significant reductions in the severity of behavioral and emotional symptoms.
Read more about the ways SUWS can help your struggling teen and your family now >>
Aspen Achievement Academy is a flexible length of stay wilderness therapy program for adolescents 13-17 who are experiencing turmoil and crisis. The goal of Aspen Achievement Academy is to provide struggling or troubled teens with experiences that promote the development of self-discipline, confidence, problem solving skills and a healthy lifestyle. For over a decade, Aspen’s program has helped teenagers and their families by emphasizing therapy, experiential learning and behavioral change. As a clinically based program, Aspen Achievement Academy is contracted with a number of insurance companies and EAP's to provide treatment for mental health and substance abuse.
Read more about Aspen Achievement Academy and the ways they can help your child this summer >>
Equine Therapy for Autistic and Asperger's Syndrome Kids
Autism is a developmental disorder that affects the development of the brain, particularly in the areas of communication and social interaction. Symptoms can develop from 18–24 months for "classic autism." When a child's development is normal for the first 2–4 years of their life, and then develops symptoms, it's referred to as Childhood Developmental Disorder. Asperger's Syndrome is a milder form of autism involving significantly less developmental challenges. People with Asperger's generally have good communication skills and repetitious behaviors may be much subtler.
Learn more about equine therapy and the ways it helps children with Autism and Asperger’s >>