Residential summer camp for youth with special needs: A longitudinal approach to investigating differences in social skills

Differences in social skills for youth with special needs were examined following participation in a residential summer camp. The data were collected between 2007 and 2013 from participants ages 3 to 22 (N = 1,392) at a summer camp in the Northeastern region of the United States. Mixed effect linear regression models were used to evaluate differences in social skills during a camper's first year as well as across multiple years of camp, and investigated age as a moderator as the camp served a wide age range. After one year of camp, participants of all ages showed significant increases in relationship building, self-control, self-help, communication, and positive attitude. Further, sustained improvement from year-to-year for those who attended multiple years was demonstrated. Finally, children who attended multiple summers had greater overall improvements than those who attended one year. The findings provide positive evidence that summer camps focused on improving social skills can be effective service programs for special needs populations and that these improvements can continue with multiple years of camp.