What to Expect

This camp was created to give your child the opportunity to break away from day-to-day living and spend a week in a supportive, exciting, safe adventure program growing in awareness and self-efficacy. Skilled staff provide your child with incredible opportunities for enjoyment, challenge, and growth through adventure and outdoor activities. At the same time, skilled, caring, and compassionate support personnel are also on-site and available to assist whenever needed with sensory, communication, and/or behavioral support as needed. This is an extraordinary opportunity for your child to relax, enjoy the great outdoors, and more importantly, develop awareness, self-efficacy, outdoor knowledge, and social skills.

Camp runs Monday morning through Friday afternoon. This camp experience includes a myriad of activities such as climbing, swimming, canoeing, horseback riding, survival skills, water adventure activities, challenge courses, arts and craft time, swinging, fishing, bonfires, games, and other activities. Camp staff work with your child to determine what activities he/she participates in. Activities are designed to bring your child out of his/her comfort zone and foster the development of awareness, self-efficacy, outdoor knowledge, and social skills. Daily themes, challenges, and special events led by the camp staff are conducted in the evenings to add to your child’s enjoyment of the experience. On Wednesday, the siblings who are attending camp have the opportunity to participate in an evening designed for them while the children on the Autism Spectrum participate in a treasure hunt.

Campers stay in the Learning Center Facility. While they may spend most of their day outside, they also have many opportunities to refresh inside, staying cool and comfortable. Campers also have the opportunity to cook over a campfire with expert guides helping and providing close supervision.

The goal of the program is that your child leaves Camp with a greater awareness of themselves and others, stronger connectedness to siblings attending with them, improved confidence, social skills, and hope. Our desire is that parents are given a chance to relax, reenergize, and rejuvenate, knowing that your child is safe and that his/her needs are being met.

What if my child has never been to Summer Camp?

Take comfort that our professionally trained staff members are accustomed to making campers feel welcome and at home. Expert camp staff, who are with your child throughout the week, are highly knowledgeable in working with children on the Autism Spectrum and thoroughly trained in all activities at the Ranch.

Accreditation

The ranch prides itself on its safety, competency, and professionalism. Boys & Girls Town of Missouri has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™. The Meramec Adventure Learning Ranch is also an accredited member of and follows all standards of operation of the American Camp Association. The director is a certified Single Pitch Instructor through the American Mountain Guides Association and a Single Pitch Guide with the Professional Climbing Guides Institute. All challenge courses are built, inspected and certified by Association of Challenge Course Technology professional vendors. All activity staff are trained extensively and regularly to the highest standards using state of the art equipment, training, and techniques in all activities. Programming staff also have advanced backcountry/wilderness first aid training and certifications.