New Camp for Children With Disabilities Opens

A new summer camp for children who have difficulty speaking opens next month. Camp Terrific New Technology (TNT), features a variety of technologies that will allow children who have problems communicating due to cerebral palsy, autism and other physical and cognitive disabilities to enjoy the summer camp experience. The camp’s sponsor is the UAB School of Education in partnership with the school’s Regional Inservice Center and United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham.

May 30, 2008

• Program features new technologies

• Lessons become reality for UAB students

A new summer camp for children who have difficulty speaking opens next month. Camp Terrific New Technology (TNT), features a variety of technologies that will allow children who have problems communicating due to cerebral palsy, autism and other physical and cognitive disabilities to enjoy the summer camp experience. The camp's sponsor is the UAB School of Education in partnership with the school's Regional Inservice Center and United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham.

Camp TNT is unique because 40 UAB students majoring in special education will be responsible for assessing each camper's needs and disabilities and determining which technologies, such as talking books, communication boards, MP3 players, touch screens, virtual reality technology and other devices, will help the children to participate in the camp experience. Students may have to customize a technology to meet a child's individual needs. When camp ends, the UAB students will share their findings with the campers' parents and teachers. "Some parents, for example, may be unaware that an MP3 Player could be used to help their child to enjoy a storybook," says UAB Associate Professor Betty Nelson, Ph.D., the camp coordinator.

The camps will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Grades K-5, June 9-12; Grades 6-8, June 16-19; Grades 9-12, June 23-26 at the United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham, 120 Oslo Circle.

Each day the campers will go outdoors and travel down what is called "the Dragon Trail," named after UAB's mascot, Blaze, the dragon. At each station along the trail, the campers will learn something new such as how to download music, digital books and recipes, how to use a talking pedometer or how to find free gaming information on the Web. Each lesson will give the campers a clue as to the kind of fun project they will have later that day. The campers also will enjoy more traditional camp activities such as team building exercises and cooking. After camp ends, the children will be able to continue their friendships with other campers via e-mail and conference calls.