Inclusive Outdoor Programs Benefit Youth - accomodating disabled

Camping Magazine, July, 2000 by Steve Brannan, Joel Arick, Ann Fullerton, Joyce Harris

Recent research on practices and effects

Inclusion for persons with disabilities is rapidly occurring in all areas of living -- school, work, and recreation. However, until recently, not much was known about inclusionary practices and their effects on participant outcomes in organized camp and outdoor school programs.

To address this need, the National Inclusive Camp Practices (NICP) project spearheaded a nationwide study of resident camps and outdoor schools that operate inclusionary programs. The study focused on identifying inclusionary practices and outcomes for youth with and without disabilities. The American Camping Association, Institute for Career and Leisure Development, and Portland State University collaborated on this study, which was funded by a research grant under innovation and development from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

Inclusion generally refers to accommodating persons with disabilities in programs serving the general population. For the NICP study, inclusionary sites refer to mainstream (i.e., traditional) camps and outdoor schools where campers with and without disabilities attend the same session(s) and jointly participate in the majority of program activities. In addition to being inclusionary, sites selected to participate in the study exhibited:

* director/administrative commitment to inclusionary practices and program development

* a desire to communicate the benefits of inclusion to the camping and education professions

* an interest in participating in research on camper/student outcomes

The NICP study used validated measures to collect quantitative and qualitative data and employed varied methods such as objective assessments, video samples, and individual case studies in a nationwide effort to determine the effects of inclusionary outdoor programs on youth. (See the sidebar at right for more information on the instruments and procedures.)

Inclusionary Programs Benefit Campers with Varying Abilities

The study found that across the country youth with and without disabilities make significant growth in their outdoor skills and personal development (e.g., self-reliance, social interactions, communication, and self-esteem) in resident one-week camp and outdoor school programs. The combined results of most measures revealed that self-reliance, or independence, was a predominant outcome for youth.

The study also found that inclusionary program models benefit all participating youth. In this study, youth with disabilities significantly increased their social interactions with peers and their active participation in the program. This is an indication of successful integration. Youth without disabilities also improved their social interactions and, in many instances, developed a greater understanding and respect for persons different than themselves. Such growth may be a particularly important outcome of participation in an inclusive program for youth without disabilities.

In addition, the study answered a number of important questions facing parents and teachers regarding the importance of their child or student attending inclusionary camp or outdoor school programs. Particularly for parents, the findings help positively answer questions such as:

* Is a one-week camp and/or outdoor school experience significant?

* What are the specific benefits of an inclusive resident camp or outdoor school experience for my child?

* In what ways do organized outdoor programs contribute to my child's "total life education"?

The NICP findings lend strength to long-standing beliefs and more recent legal mandates affecting diverse groups of citizens: namely, inclusion provides personal and social benefits for all citizens (e.g., disabled and non-disabled) who are afforded opportunities to participate together in major areas of life.

Inclusionary practices used

At the camps and outdoor schools studied, counselors and staff provided frequent support to help youth with disabilities successfully participate in program activities. The kinds of support recognized as important in assisting youth with disabilities to succeed in mainstream or inclusive programs included:

* giving encouragement/motivational support

* modeling the activity

* giving the camper more time

* arranging for a peer to provide assistance

* breaking the task into smaller steps

* providing alternative strategies

* providing extra practice

* allowing alternate ways of communication

* providing campers with special equipment

Across all fourteen camps and outdoor schools, the five highest ranked types of support provided to youth with disabilities were:

* gave encouragement/motivational support (70.7%)

* modeled the activity (49.2%)

* gave subject more time (40.8%)

* arranged for peer to provide assistance (36.5%)

* provided subject with physical assistance (34.2%)

Similarly, the most common form of support given to campers without disabilities was gave encouragement/motivational support (49.3%) and modeled the activity (31.1%). However, the degree of support provided was different; youth with disabilities received this kind of support more often. Other common means of providing assistance to youth without disabilities included: arranging for peer to provide assistance (14.9%), providing alternative strategies (11.3%), and breaking the task into small steps (11.2%).