*Freddie and a new friend kayaking on Lake McDonald! Photo by* *Kyle Stansbury*

Okay, back to my time away at camp in Montana!

In last week’s post (Connections & Summer Camp: Part 1), I provided background details on MindBright’s Camp (led by SLP’s Brooke White Ober and Patty Johnson) in West Glacier. As I said, spending every day with a group of people for a set number of weeks is intense! Summer camp can lead to lifelong connections and friendships, or a series of negative episodic memories. What we do matters, if we want our kids with social learning differences to experience the former.

There is so much to talk about, that it is hard to know what exactly to share and keep this brief(ish) at the same time! So, I’ve organized my observations, memories, and impressions by starting with what I consider most important when creating a positive learning environment (anywhere), followed by specific areas of development that were fostered - and flourished - during the 2-week camp (because MindBright took the time to create a positive learning environment first!).

Skilled Support

As I mentioned last week, the skilled support at MindBright’s Camp was key. In any dynamic environment, I think about “skill” across two areas, both of which were present at camp:

Formal training (or, what you know): The MindBright team has spent a LOT of time learning about and understanding executive functioning, language and literacy, social emotional learning, and more. The breadth and depth of their knowledge is real!
Knowing how and when to support (or, how and when to use what you know): Importantly, support is best, as it was at MindBright, when it is dynamic. Sometimes our learners need 1:1 guidance in the moment, but sometimes they don’t. The hallmark of skilled support (IMO) is knowing when to step in and guide or facilitate, and when to fade back, be quiet, and let kids feel the small uncertainty that leads to them figuring something out on their own. With this mindset, the goal is to support individuals to experience competence as much as possible, while also being challenged at a place that is just right for them. This becomes easier to do as trusting relationships with kids are formed. And when you get it just right, kids stay regulated - and connected - through the ups and downs of it all! I talk about this a lot in Co-Regulation Handbook.

*There is just something about cardboard & duct tape!*

*This space was a haven for creativity, improvisation and adjusting mistakes!*
*Photo by* *Kyle Stansbury*

Which brings me to my next point:

Creating a Safe Environment

Mutual respect, positive communication, empathy, understanding, processing time as needed, and the offering of authentic, competent roles were present throughout camp. I could truly feel how important each individual camper was to the MindBright Team, and how each unique learning and communication style was respected and embraced. Over the course of the 2-week camp, the campers came to feel this way towards each other as well.

*Working together while preparing a fort. Photo by* *Kyle Stansbury*

A safe environment in which kids truly feel competent and understood, leads to authentic connections. Authentic connections and trusting relationships lead to a gradual openness to new experiences, increased willingness to be vulnerable, and subsequently opportunities to be brave!

For one camper, “being brave”, may have meant trying out a kayak for the first time, but for another, “being brave” meant admitting a mistake, assuming responsibility for their own actions and making a repair with a peer. Both situations are uniquely challenging, and this type of spontaneous skill development can only happen after kids feel competent, connected, and understood.

I saw these special milestones happen, along with many others!

Of course, the communication environment of the camp included lots of declarative language, co-regulatory frameworks to support peer connection (parallel, assembly line, complementary, reciprocal – these are explained in Ch. 6 of Co-Regulation Handbook), and mindfulness around adjusting complexity to optimize competence for each learner. (Adjusting complexity means, considering all the elements of an activity, from the materials used to the number of kids involved, in relation to each learner’s attention, processing style, and ability to self-regulate. It is a really important consideration when creating competent roles, and is often overlooked. I talk about it in depth in Ch. 7 of Co-Regulation Handbook).

*Process over product: Yes we want to kayak, but getting the kayak to water is a great co-regulatory opportunity! Photo by* *Kyle Stansbury*

With skilled professionals and a safe learning environment in place, it became SO much easier, and FUN, to get to the rest!

Here are just some of the other amazing ways MindBright engaged and guided their campers.

Executive Function/Appraisal of Time

At camp, we constantly talked about and considered time, time passing, time management, and future planning, based on our world knowledge and shared episodic memories. This process was modeled and scaffolded every day, and as kids joined in, it led to personal ownership of the flow and routine of their day.

Desmond’s Montana pal, K., is showing him how to make a go-cart, while naturally offering Des competent roles along the way - finding a dropped screw in the grass, holding a board in place while K. drilled, etc. - forming an authentic partnership! Photo by *Kyle Stansbury*

Self-Awareness

Kids had opportunities to express vulnerabilities and feel supported. A few activities that I loved were geared toward this specifically, and MindBright’s team thoughtfully framed these through different lenses at different times, for example, through a lens of humor, curiosity, and/or empathy. One of my favorites was a comfort-challenge-panic circle, where we all learned how different our comfort levels may be for different situations!

Literacy and Narratives

The camp used Greek Mythology as a main theme this year, and many activities highlighted what we can learn from these stories. As Brooke and Patty shared with families prior to camp:

We have chosen a Greek Mythology theme this year - "Heroes, Gods, and Mythical Beasts". Our campers will embark on their own hero's journey, writing their story as they go. We will have daily myths as themes to add to the adventure and shared imagination of the day. As your camper will discover through nightly myth reading and daily activities, all heroes have powerful strengths... as well as vulnerabilities.

*Together, but each at their own pace: competence! Photo by* *Kyle Stansbury*

Some examples … We learned the origin of Achilles’ heel, and could ponder together how we each have our own, and we learned about the god Khaos (or “Chaos”), which helped us consider how at times, we all must manage events that we are not expecting or don’t feel ready for.

I just loved hearing these tales and the process of finding ourselves in them.

Writing

I learned about Six-Word Memoirs created by Larry Smith (thanks Patty!), which is such an amazing way to help kids brainstorm ideas freely, formulate a thought, and then make it concise! I was even more thrilled when I realized this exercise for kids complements the message of one of my personal go-to authors when it comes to writing non-fiction! I can’t wait to use this activity now with my own kids and clients.

Whole Body Activities

These activities are the best for movement, sensory input, authentic helping roles, co-regulatory frameworks, and collaboration. The MindBright team kept us all engaged in whole body activities such as rafting on Flathead River, kayaking on Lake McDonald, Fort Building, creating battle formations (inspired by Greek Mythology), construction projects, and more. These activities were so gratifying to all and gave the campers’ bodies and minds just what they needed.

*Authentic partnership again, getting this branch ready for a fort. Montana kids are skilled with saws! Photo by* *Kyle Stansbury*

Opinion Sharing and Perspective Taking

Each day, through guided discussion, campers had opportunities share and hear each other’s ideas and opinions. Clinicians used declarative language to ensure everyone’s perspective was understood, and to help carve out space for each camper to speak as they were ready. (More on Appreciating Different Opinions & Declarative Language in Ch. 6 of Declarative Language Handbook!). And, ideas that were possible were scheduled and planned for alongside the campers (which brings us back to executive functioning and time management! See how it ALL comes together?).

Playful Competition

We battled! With kid-constructed traps, shields & weapons made from carboard and duct tape, forts and walls, water balloons and more. But thoughtfully and importantly, it was a Kids vs. Grown-Ups competition: one of my favorite strategies to support increased comfort and competence in competitive play. It was an epic battle … and yes, of course the kids won!

I could go on and on, but I’ll stop there…

I hope some of these ideas help you create safe and positive learning environments wherever you are, and from that place, other important learning areas can be fostered… and flourish!

Have a great week!

Connections & Summer Camp: Part 2

The Return to School

Connections & Summer Camp: Part 1