KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A camp in Kansas City has focused its efforts on helping children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Children’s Mercy sponsors the camp and organizers said the amount of treatment the kids get in eight weeks at the camp is equal to seven years of traditional therapy.
Organizers said they hope the model program will continue to grow because more than four-million kids have been diagnosed with ADHD.
There are only a few camps scattered throughout in the nation, and parents and organizers have said it’s made a world of difference by helping children and their families control behavioral issues associated with ADHD.
The camp takes only 50 kids per session and costs $4,000.
Each child at the camp receives individualized attention that focuses on specific treatment for the child. The camp also works to balance out medication for the children to ensure they are not over-medicated, which could have severe effects.
“There’s good reason to be fearful of over medicating,” Dr. Carla Allan, Founder ADHD Program, said. “There’s not a good reason to be fearful for not medicating at all but finding the right dose and behavioral interventions to teach them new skills and their parents, that’s really where the gold standard is and what we do in our summer treatment program.”
Theo Didier went to the camp a few years ago, and his mother said his behavior has been better ever since.
“You get to learn therapy for, you get to learn how to be better at controlling your emotions and things like that,” Didier said. “Because then, if you get really really angry, then you’ll know how to stop yourself from flipping out and just going crazy.”
Before camp, Didier struggled to control his emotions. He also struggled to stay focused at school and at home.
Click here to learn more about the camp.
To learn more about local ADHD support groups click here.
