Teens with autism, Asperger’s, developmental delays and other special needs will have a new day camp option this summer where they can create their own curriculum and get one-on-one help from counsellors.

Trails of Summer was founded seven years ago by former social worker Lynne Pronman, who offered a camp for kids aged 3 to 12 with special needs. Campers are assessed individually before the summer session begins to ensure every child has the necessary support.

Campers engage in a variety of physical activities like basketball, swimming, soccer and tennis, and take part in different creative endeavours, such as painting, cooking, drama, scrap-booking and pottery. Every week, kids are taken on field trips to different places like laser tag centres and bowling alleys in order to work on their fine and gross motor skills. Because the camper-to-counsellor ratio is virtually one-to-one, Pronman says counsellors work closely with each child to meet specific needs.

The camp also offers different types of therapy including pet therapy where kids are responsible for taking care of fish, feeding dogs and taking them on walks. The Teens on the Trail program will tailor activities to the interests and passions of the campers. Teens will work with staff to create a curriculum filled with activities they would like to participate in. The goal, says Pronman, is to offer them more freedom and a schedule filled with social and recreational activities that teens typically engage in like going out to restaurants or playing computer games.

The camp will be held at École Dollard-des-Ormeaux from June 27 to Aug. 18. It costs $325 per week for the teen program, and campers must register for at least two weeks. The cost for the regular camp is $300 per week. Campers must register for a minimum of four weeks. The deadline for registration is March 1.

École Dollard-des-Ormeaux is located at 35 Anselme-Lavigne St. in D.D.O.

For more information, visit trailsofsummer.com.