Summer Camps for Kids With Behavior Problems in Florida

Parents who have children with behavioral problems often will turn to summer camp programs that cater to their children's needs. Florida is home to several of these programs, and many use the natural resources that the area has to offer as a springboard to effective treatment. These programs seek to come alongside parents and help get their kids on the right track.

Parent Help Center

The Parent Help Center (ihelpparents.com), situated in Jacksonville, is a step-by-step program for teenagers with behavioral problems. Emphasis is placed on parent empowerment -- parents are involved in much of the program. The first step is for the parents to attend a Empowered Parent Conference focusing on equipping the parents to "intervene and stop current destructive behaviors while identifying and preventing future problems," according to the group's website. This conference is a prerequisite for all other programs. The next step is called Camp Consequence, which is designed to strengthen the entire family, not just fix the problem child. Other program options include a 30-day summer program, boarding school, parent support groups and family crisis management.

Total Life Counseling

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Based in Orlando, Total Life Counseling (totallifecounseling.com) offers summer camp programs for kids diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder, attention deficit disorder, Asperger's syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder and high-functioning autism, which all tend to display behavioral symptoms and social delays. A social skills dance camp uses dance movements help open up fluid body movements. Children with Asperger's and autism often exhibit stiff movements. Also offered are social skills day camps for 6- to 17-year-olds focusing on social development through anger management skills, responding to bullying, leadership and character building. There is also an overnight summer camp for 6- to 14-year-olds.

SOAR

SOAR, or Success Oriented Achievement Realized (soarnc.org), is a camping program for children and teenagers with learning disabilities and ADHD. Although it is based in North Carolina, it has programs in Florida. The Florida Keys Summer Camp is a snorkeling, swimming, fishing and tubing adventure placing emphasis on problem-solving, natural consequences and building strengths in campers. Scuba adventure camps are for 14- to 18-year-olds.

Camp Victory

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Camp Victory Military Adventures (uscampvictory.com) is a military-style camp in central Florida for boys in who have adverse behavioral habits and poor decision-making skills. The camps accept boys 7 to 17 years of age who display behavioral problems at home or at school. The program is a wilderness style survival camp encouraging teamwork and higher-level thinking to solve problems.