Talisman Camps
The Talisman Camp family offers an experiential learning program to fit the needs of every type of child and parent. Based on the belief that every child wants to do well, and that every child has unique strengths, struggles, and outlooks on life, the Talisman family of programs treats each camper as an individual and offers 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 Discovery, Foundations, and Explorers programs are geared towards children with ADHD.
- The SIGHT and Insight programs serves children with Asperger's or High Functioning Autism.
- Teen Adventure programs include Trek, TOBA Boating, Leadership, and Tri-Adventures in North Carolina and Tailsail in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
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 whrere 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.
Ouch! What a Report Card!
Your child’s report card is downright scary: What can you do? First, calm down. Then consider some important questions.
- Are these bad grades something new and sudden? If your child usually brings home good to average grades, and yet this time around she is suddenly failing several subjects, something is seriously wrong in her life. Could there be a new source of stress?
Often children cannot concentrate in school due to emotional problems that occur when parents divorce, when someone dies, or if they develop a new fear. The problem can be as serious as molestation or as everyday as the death of a beloved pet. With teenagers, failing grades can mean drug and alcohol experimentation.
Could your child have an undiagnosed physical problem such as hearing loss or headaches? If you suspect this, schedule an appointment with your doctor.
If your child just entered middle school or high school, the problem may be that she does not have the organizational skills to handle four or five teachers instead of just one. Consult with her homeroom teacher for advice.
Do not ignore a big drop in school performance: something is wrong and you need to find out what it is and deal with it. - Is your child failing nearly every subject? If your child is failing across the board, it often means he has not mastered basic reading and math skills. If he is in middle school but reading at a third grade level, he will have a hard time not only in history and in English, but also when he has to read math and science materials. Try to access his scores on standardized tests.
Read three more questions to ask when your child brings home a poor report card>>
Working Ranches: A Positive Environment for Troubled Teens
Because there are so many different therapeutic programs available today, parents may find it hard to choose the best placement for their troubled teen. Some of the options are therapeutic boarding schools, residential treatment programs, wilderness programs, and working ranch programs. The purpose of this article is to explain the value of that last option. Luke Hatch, CSW at Turn-About Ranch explains how the positive environment on a working ranch can be so effective in helping troubled teens turn their lives around.
When adolescents are failing in their home environment, it is sometimes essential for them to go to an isolated therapeutic environment to get their lives back together. One of the reasons an isolated working ranch environment is beneficial is because a ranch has no technology. While new technology comes out every day to make things easier for us, the flip side is that it also makes us lazier.
Read more about the benefits of a working ranch and the positive changes it has on troubled teens >>