AuSM offers two overnight camps for autistic youth and adults. Both overnight camps are on beautiful forest land with a lakefront. Campers sleep in comfortable cabins with electricity, heating, air conditioning, privacy stalls for toilets and showers, and community space outside the sleeping area.

Camp Hand in Hand, a partnership with Camp Knutson, offers camps to autistic youth and adults of all abilities. Every camper has their own counselor. Cabin leaders, lifeguards, activity leaders, nurses, site directors, and a certified music therapist provide programs and additional supervision. This staffing model enables camp to happen according to each camper’s needs at any given time. Campers can choose to participate in a scheduled activity – and they are encouraged to do so – but they may also opt to climb on the playground, use exercise balls, jump on a mini trampoline, draw or color, play lawn games, or use the swings. They can choose to go on a short hike with their counselor, lie in a hammock, or hang out in the Lego room. Camp Hand in Hand is held at Camp Knutson in Crosslake, Minnesota.

Camp Discovery, a partnership with True Friends Camp Courage, is a summer camp for campers with lower support needs: those who are consistently able to follow simple multistep instructions, choose from among several activity options, and stay with a small group for at least 45 minutes. Most Discovery campers attend mainstream classes for part of their school day or work part-time in their communities. The staff-to-camper ratio is 1:4. Camp Discovery is held at True Friends Camp Courage in Maple Lake, Minnesota.

We recommend the structure and additional supervision of Camp Hand in Hand for campers who deal with these common challenges:

• Require step-by-step verbal instructions to complete daily self-care tasks
• Become physically aggressive or self-injurious when dysregulated
• Require lots of time and personal space to stay regulated
• Demand individual attention to stay engaged or on-task
• Struggling with puberty – ineffective or changing medications, discomfort with physical or hormonal development, mood swings
• Uncontrolled grand mal seizures
• Frequent meltdowns
• Elopement
• Require toileting or bathing assistance

Please choose the camp that is best suited to your camper. AuSM makes every effort not to turn campers away or send campers home. Consider the sort of settings in which your camper thrives. If you are unsure, please contact the Camp Program Coordinator at camp@ausm.org.