The AAC Session at Camp Courage

Barbara Wollak, MS, CCC-SLP
speech and language pathologist
Camp Courage
bawollak@ties2.net

The summer of 2005 will mark the 6th year of the AAC Session and the 50th anniversary of Camp Courage. Camp Courage is located in Maple Lake, Minnesota which is approximately 50 miles west of Minneapolis. We accept 16 campers. Besides cabin staff, there are 3 speech and language pathologists who have AAC expertise and 2 speech and language graduate students who have a special interest in AAC. DynaVox has also sent us 2 technical support people. This is a residential camp. Cabin staff are well trained to deal with campers' personal cares as well as how to encourage device use. A doctor and 2 nurses are in residence at camp.

The AAC Session is for teens, ages 12-19, who use synthesized speech devices. This session is not designed for beginning AAC users, but for those users who need to learn more about the capabilities of their device and the importance of communication. During the day, campers participate in all the fun camp activities such as horseback riding, swimming in an indoor pool, and tubing behind a boat. Device use is encouraged before, during, and after each activity. Special night programs are designed to further encourage device use. Last summer some of the evening activities included a casino night, an overnight campout where songs were sung around a campfire, Camp American Idol, and Camp Woodstock. During Camp American Idol the staff were the contestants and the campers with the judges. Judges were "tough" on the contestants and comments such as, "You are not fit to sing to the horses in the horse barn at Camp Courage" were heard. Campers also performed the play, "The Wizard of Oz: Or How the Scarecrow Found His Voice for parents and participants of Up to the MN*AT Summer Institute. After the play the Camp Courage Choir sung under the direction of our proficient AAC adult mentor Kris Haas. Our theme song was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." This year we will be performing the play "Pinocchio :Or the Boy Who Wanted a Voice." Our theme song will be "When You Wish Upon a Star."

During intake, camp pages and vocabulary, which includes vocabulary for all camp and evening activities, are loaded into each camper's device. We also download about 20 camp songs and a number of wav files.

During the session, the campers create a talking digital scrapbook about camp as well as write in a daily journal. Campers are able to meet other teens who use AAC devices as well as interact with a proficient AAC mentor. Our goal is to have campers learn the "power of communication" while having fun. This year's AAC Session will be July 21-28, 2005. For specific information about this session contact Barb Wollak at bawollak@ties2.net. Camp Courage also offers numerous other sessions such as speech and language sessions and a college preview session. All sessions incorporate assistive technology. For more information, check out http://www.couragecamps.org

Note: This article first appeared in the Staying Up to the MN*AT e-newsletter which can be found on the Minnesota St. Dept. of Education AT website:
http://education.state.mn.us/html/intro_speced_at_news.htm

© 2004 ConnSENSE Bulletin