Going to camp for all kids is exciting but if your child has hearing loss, it can also require planning. Ensure success at camp by making sure your child and their camp team are well prepared. It may be your child’s first camp or tenth camp. It is still important to think through all of the things that your child will need. Do they need extra batteries, waterproof cases, an interpreter, or a dry store kit? Before selecting, talk with different camps to see what accommodations they may provide for your child. Â
When it is time to go, make a plan with the camp counselors and director.
Talk about how to best communicate with your child and make sure to explain to them what supports / accommodations your child might need
- Discuss where extra batteries will be stored
- Discuss where they will have a safe spot for their devices
- Make sure your child has have retention cords in case the devices fall off.Â
- Do you have a remote microphone for home that your child uses?
Consider sending this to camp. You will need to teach the counselors how to turn the remote microphone system on and off, pairing it if necessary and how to mute the remote microphone system. - If there is swimming or water sports, talk to the camp about what accommodations need to be made for their hearing devices.Â
Teaching your child self-advocacy skills is so important!
They should be able to identify when their devices aren’t working, know how to change their batteries and how to troubleshoot their devices.Â
It is also really important that they know it is ok to ask for help, and to ask for repetition
If your child is at a sleep away camp, make sure the counselors know how to wake up your child if they are sleeping without their devices. Make sure they are prepared for emergency situations such as fire alarms.
Another tip is to make a cheat sheet for the camp counselors so they will know tips to help your child.
If you would like an editable copy of this sheet, or if your child’s camp needs an inservice on hearing loss, please contact Anna Tess at atess@fhsr.org.
