Stephanie Holcomb's eyes welled with tears of joy as she stifled the sound of a sniffle so as not to interrupt the lesson about food groups she was observing.
However, the lesson teaches children much more than healthy eating habits; it teaches them how to interact in social environments. The exercise is part of an eight-week academic and behavioral camp for autistic children ages 6 to 12 at the Isanogel Center in Muncie.
David McIntosh, Meeks distinguished professor of special education at Ball State University, is the project director and creator of the camp that is funded with a grant received through the Teacher's College.
Holcomb's son, Alex, attends the camp, and she said she could not be happier with the changes she has observed in her son.
"My son is nonverbal, and I have noticed as of yesterday he actually spoke to my stepdad, and that has never happened in almost 10 years," Holcomb said. "And [he] was actually telling a story about things that had happened at camp, and there was probably a 15-minute conversation back and forth between the two of them."
Other parents said they were equally pleased with the progress their children have made.
Ryan Hourigan, assistant professor of music education at Ball State, said his two sons attended the camp, and the structured social environment has benefited them at home and at school.
The camp's length and focus on academic and social development makes it rare in both the state and the nation, he said.
Hourigan said he had sent his sons to similar camps that only lasted a week, and he did not notice the same progress.
"Because kids on the spectrum take time to adjust themselves to new environments, I think that now that they're acclimated to the staff and other kids, they're able to grow socially and academically," Hourigan said. "When they're only a week long - My kids usually take that long to adjust to the environment, anyway, so I'm not sure how much they were able to take away from [week-long camps]."
Hourigan said he anticipated the transition between the summer and the academic year being easier because of the camp because the children had maintained a similar routine to the school year.
McIntosh said one of the camp's goals was to ensure knowledge did not regress during the summer. Rewarding positive behavior and teaching social interaction are also important elements, he said.
However, the emphasis seemed strongly based on academics as children moved from each lesson throughout the morning.
McIntosh said the counselors, most of whom are affiliated with teaching programs at Ball State University, had two weeks of intensive training. Each counselor was given a specific group of children who they would interact with in close, small groups.
Group leaders memorize the children's behavioral plans and work to emphasize and reward behavioral areas that children struggle with, he said.
Kelly Fischer's son's behavior has become more assertive since he's been at the camp, which is something she said she welcomes in her home, she said. Her son, Noah, is visually impaired and typically very timid about pursuing things he wants or needs, she said.
"It's great to hear him tell me no," she said.
However, she said the best part of camp was that Noah comes home tired.
"It's a happy tired," she said with a smile. "He's not tired from being frustrated all day long, he's tired because of being engaged."
This story was written in conjunction with NewsLink Indiana.
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