Camp Campus: College Preparation for Adolescents and Young Adults With High-Functioning Autism, Asperger Syndrome, and Other Social Communication Disorders

Camp Campus is a 1-week campus experience for juniors or seniors in high school or high school graduates who are diagnosed with high-functioning autism, Asperger syndrome, or a related social communication disorder and who plan to attend college. Participants experience campus life by partaking of campus services, living and dining on campus, managing finances while on campus, and participating in campus recreation. In addition, instructional sessions designed to improve executive functions, theory of mind, understanding of hidden curriculum, self-reflection, self-advocacy, social relationships, and social communication are held to empower the students to address their own challenges. Examples of successes are described on the basis of post-camp surveys completed by 34 parents and students over 6 of the 7 years the camp has been offered.