Greetings from Camp Technology.

On this sunny June morning at United Cerebral Palsy of Southern and Central Virginia in Virginia Beach, six computer stations were neatly arranged around the room. Welcome banners adorned the walls. The coolers were filled with drinks, oldies played faintly on the radio, and volunteers excitedly reviewed their paperwork. After nearly a year of planning, everything was ready for the start of UCP of Southern and Central Virginia's first summer computer camp.

Rosemary arrived first. The only adult enrolled during the first week, she was very enthusiastic and beside herself with excitement. "I don't know anything about computers, and I really want to learn," she exclaimed. The other campers, five in all, arrived in quick succession, each as eager as Rosemary to begin their week at camp. This scenario was repeated three more times throughout the summer as a total of 21 campers enjoyed developing and honing computer skills, making new friends, and discovering different talents.

The summer computer camp was developed by UCP as a way to facilitate the use of technology by persons with disabilities, thus increasing their level of independence. Open to persons 10 and older -- both with and without disabilities -- the camp has three primary goals:

1. To promote, develop, and enhance participants' computer skills.

2. To provide opportunities for socialization and improved social skills.

3. To provide opportunities for persons with and without disabilities to learn together.

The summer computer camp is directed by a certified therapeutic recreation specialist who was hired specifically to plan, develop, and operate it along with the agency's other assistive technology programs. While assistive technology has typically been associated with occupational and speech therapists, it is of growing interest to recreational therapists, who see the leisure-related potential of computers and adapted devices, and who are also interested in advancing the independence of the consumers they serve.

Five to six participants, ranging in age from 10 to 34, attended each of the four one-week camp sessions. The majority of the campers had a disability such as cerebral palsy, autism, ADHD, muscular dystrophy, or mental retardation. Based on individual assessment interviews and families' scheduling preferences, campers were placed in compatible groups and assigned to a specific camp session.

Camp began promptly at 10 a.m. with a group get-acquainted game, which was followed by a period of lively exercise. At the conclusion of these activities on the first day, campers were given an overview of what to expect for the week, including their schedule, camp rules, and staff expectations. On subsequent days campers spent this time processing the previous day's activities, sharing what they had learned, and discussing what they would like to try again. By eleven o'clock, everyone was ready to tackle the computers.

Each camper was given a personalized schedule to follow throughout the week to encourage sampling a variety of software. Six half-hour computer activities were scheduled each day including art, creative writing, science or math, using the Internet, games, and choice of software. Campers were encouraged to interact with one another during their game and choice times. Each day also included breaks for lunch and snacks, a craft activity, and time to write in a daily journal before camp adjourned at 4 p.m.

Volunteers, who provided one-on-one or one-on-two assistance to campers, were a critical part of the program. Recruited from among UCP regular volunteers, consumers' family members, and a local community college, 19 volunteers donated 426 hours of time to help participants learn and refine computer skills as well as participate in other activities. Volunteers attended a precamp training session and arrived early each day to read campers' assessments and goals. At the end of each day, they completed a progress note for each camper they had assisted.

A highlight of each week's class was an all-day field trip to visit NASA/Langley Research Center and Jefferson National Laboratory. The purpose of the trip was to acquaint campers with real-world applications of technology (hopefully initiating career interests) and provide the opportunity to meet persons with disabilities working in technology fields. At NASA, the campers were thrilled to try on portions of a space suit, listen to a simulated sonic boom, crash a model airplane, and learn about the upcoming Mars Explorer.

Science experiments, such as freezing carnations and balloons in liquid nitrogen, were the most popular activities at Jefferson National Laboratory, where campers also learned about the operations of a nuclear accelerator. Transportation was provided on an accessible bus through a contract with Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia.

At the end of each week, campers compiled their artwork, stories, letters, journal entries, and Web printouts; computerdesigned a cover; and created a "memory book" to take home. They also celebrated their new knowledge and friends with an all-you-can-eat pizza party courtesy of local restaurant owners.

At the conclusion of camp, evaluations were sent to participants and parents. Responses were overwhelmingly positive, and every camper indicated a desire to return for next year's computer camp. Specific suggestions were also made to better address consumers' needs in subsequent sessions.

RELATED ARTICLE: Highlights of the camp included ...

* An adult camper with no previous computer experience was able to open and close programs and files, and to save her work independently by the end of the week. She also expressed learning from and being inspired by the children in the camp who used adapted devices to access the computer. This individual later received a donated computer, purchased a printer, and is now sending letters to UCP from her home computer.

* A 14-year-old camper with autism exhibited a fear response to the clouds of water vapor generated by the liquid nitrogen during the science demonstration at Jefferson Lab. His foster mother happily emphasized the significance of this response because she had been told he would never experience fear.

* The mother of a 19-year-old camper wrote a letter indicating her son's great enjoyment of the camp. She said he continued to talk about the field trip and requested some of the software he had used as a birthday present. She felt it was worthwhile to have driven him 45 minutes each way to the camp and was thrilled that he had the opportunity to socialize with others with disabilities.

* By the third day of the week, a 15-year-old couldn't believe camp was "almost over." His mother said he was enjoying himself so much that he was worried about what he was going to do for the rest of the summer. One of his greatest pleasures was sending e-mail to his basketball hero, Michael Jordan.

* A 12-year-old camper who cannot use a regular mouse quickly caught on to using an assistive technology device (the HollyMouse) to access the computer. As a result, he was able to operate programs independently for the first time.

* Five teenagers attending camp felt they had made a group of new friends and were exchanging e-mail addresses at the end of camp. This was particularly exciting for their parents, who wanted their children to make new friends and enjoy socializing with peers. One afternoon the teens spontaneously got into a conversation about their difficulties with the school system. Because of their continued desire to discuss issues, UCP subsequently established a Teen Advocacy Group.

* The parents of a 14-year-old camper expressed that she had a good time despite her initial reservations about coming. Her aunt felt that her niece had greatly benefited from interacting -with other children with disabilities, as she is the only child with a disability in her classroom and is never around other children who use wheelchairs.

* An 11-year-old camper expressed that: he hadn't been interested in science before visiting Jefferson Lab but, because of their unique presentation, felt that he might actually enjoy the subject.

* A 12-year-old camper with multiple disabilities began to use his computer at home (which he had not done previously) as a result of skills and confidence he gained at computer camp.

As illustrated by UCP's summer computer camp, computers and technology can represent a significant aspect of a therapeutic recreation program. Not only do computers offer a vast independent leisure opportunity to a person who has a severe disability, they can also serve as the basis for developing future job skills in a recreational setting as well as play an integral role in promoting socialization. Therapeutic recreation specialists, experience may make them uniquely suited to developing its leisure aspects, should unquestionably explore the technology arena further.

Patricia J. Coale, M. S., CTRS, UCP of Southern and Central Virginia's assistive technology coordinator for the past two years, the four one-week sessions did more than offer an unexplored leisure opportunity to participants. The camp also opened the door to new relationship, unleashed the discovery of unrealized potential and talents, and provided endless opportunities for those for those with and without disabilities to learn together. A firm believer that one's quality of life depends upon fullfillment in both work and leisure, it was Coale's desire to help others learn skills to achieve their own independence and satisfaction -- and her longing for a life near the ocean -- that delivered her to the field of therapeutic recreation in Virginia Beach, Va. (p. 78.)

Although professionals have noticed a marked improvement in the therapeutic recreation assessment process, the need for assessment instruments that efficiently and accurately evaluate the abilities and needs of clients, thereby guaranteeing their placement into appropriate interventions, still exists. One of the biggest factors preventing the appropriate development and selection of assessments is a general lack of awareness of procedures being used across the country. And the Internet.