I am a teen camp counselor. This year we have a child with a disability joining our program. Does anyone know…is it a requirement to have a one on one aid? Or is there a counselor that must be involved with the program with certain criteria?? Any comments would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
I’m afraid you’re probably going to get some “that depends” answers–because it does. It depends on the nature and severity of the disability. It depends on the laws in your state or province. It depends on the insurance carrier for your camp.
Your best bet would be to get hold of the county department of human services (presuming you’re in the States) and ask what they can tell you about your obligations. Certainly, having someone on staff who understands that particular disability and who can deal with any medical issues is, at minimum, prudent.
Deb worked at a home for kids with severe disabilities, and I know that they did not always have one-on-one management during field trips for some of the less severely disabled kids. For other kids, one-on-one was the only way they could leave the institution (as a pragmatic, not a legal, issue).
I have no experience with camps in that regard.
Please be more specific. “a child with a disability” is about as precise as saying “a child with hair”. Unless the nature of the disability(s) is known you can’t really answer the question.