Summer Program 2013

Extreme Sports Camp offers a fun, rewarding, and challenging overnight sports camp that provides the opportunities and supports for children and adults on the autism spectrum to progress in active sports. Our staff is experienced in working with individuals across the spectrum and at any level of athletic ability. We know that people with autism can succeed at recreational sports – they just need the chance and the appropriate instructional approach.

Whether your camper's goal is improving athletic ability or building friendships and deepening social skills, Extreme Sports Camp has what you need! Participants experience sports activities each day that include wake boarding, water skiing, tubing, biking, rock climbing, white water kayaking, ropes challenge course, hiking, and swimming. Activities are repeated through the week to build skills, trial opportunities and confidence. At our base camp at the Colorado Mountain College – Spring Valley campus, ESC offers supplemental activities in a social environment such as yoga, games, movies, therapeutic drumming and dancing, and music in the park, as well as low-key athletics such as disk golf and field sports. Click HERE to see what parents are saying about ESC.

We also now offer an adult-specific program lead by a dedicated Adult Team Supervisor. This program includes our regular sports plus employment-skills enhancement. Depending on the individual's skill level, participants can assist our counseling, logistics and sports instruction staff or they can focus on fully-supported development of discrete job tasks. Training is in the outdoor sports and recreation field, in an ASD-friendly environment and fully individualized. Our location on a community college campus facilitates age-appropriate living and working away from family. 

Summer 2013 Information – Register Now!

ESC will offer 8 weeks of summer camp for Youth and Adults in 2013:

Session 1: June 23 – 28

Session 2: July 1 – 5

Session 3: July 8 – 12

Session 4: July 15 – 19

Session 5: July 22 – 26

Session 6: July 29 – August 2

Session 7: August 5 – 9

Session 8: August 12 – 16

Our Adult Work Program was very popular last year – this year we will have two 4-week sessions:

Adult Session 1: June 23 – July 19

Adult Session 2: July 22 – August 16

New in 2013 FAMILY WEEKS:

Family Session 1: June 23 – 28

Family Session 2: August 12 – 16

Interested in employment or volunteering with ESC?

Please complete the Pre-Application

More Information

◊ Session Dates

• June 23 – August 16
• 8 one-week sessions; attend one or multiple sessions.
• Many of our campers stay for multiple weeks throughout the summer. Our program is designed to continually challenge campers as they build their skills and confidence week after week. We offer a weekend program to encourage families to take advantage of the benefits of a multi-week camp experience.

◊ Activities

• Sports Include: lake sports (water skiing, wake boarding, wake surfing, knee boarding, tubing), river sports (kayaking, rafting, paddle boards), climbing (indoor, outdoor), biking, horseback riding, swimming, hiking, caving, and ropes challenge course to build independence, trust and teamwork.
• Additional Activities: yoga, therapeutic drumming and dancing, disc golf, frisbee, soccer skills, volleyball.
• Week-ends: On week-ends, campers go on safe, overnight camping/hiking or camping/rafting trips. These provide an unparalleled opportunity for campers to socialize, gain confidence and grow.

◊ Location

• We will travel throughout the world-renowned Roaring Fork Valley/Colorado River Corridor to take advantage of the many adventure sports that the Rocky Mountains of Colorado are famous for.
• Our overnight facilities are on the campus of the Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs (Spring Valley Campus). We will be staying in dormitory rooms on the campus, and will be eating breakfast and dinner at the college cafeteria. The campus is small, quiet and spacious, and it has a number of amenities such as lounges, Wi-Fi, playing fields, a world-class disk golf course, a ropes challenge course, indoor gym with climbing wall, and bike/walking paths.

◊ Program Options

• Residential camp for youth age 8-17
• Day camp for youth age 8-17: sign up for as little as 5 days or as much as 9 weeks
• Adult program (ages 18 & up) for sports and employment skills
• Overnight supported residential camp: for those wanting the Sleep-Away Camp experience but needing special family care at night
• Add a sibling: enroll multiple children whether typically developing or living with an ASD

◊ Safety First!

Extreme Sports Camp holds safety as a top priority. In order to ensure there is an expert available, ESC partners with best-in-class community outfitters and guides to provide their expertise during our core activities. Additionally, many of our ESC staff members hold certifications such as Wilderness First Responder, White Water Rescue, Life Guard, Ropes Course certifications, and basic CPR/1st Aid.

White Water River Rafting, LLC – Since 1974, White Water Rafting has been THE river outfitter in Glenwood Springs. Voted “Best Rafting Company” for eight years by locals, White Water provides ESC with professional guides who are fully certified by the state and US State Forest Regulations. White Water Rafting holds an impeccable safety record. This professional company provides ESC with the guides and equipment we use on the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers.

Aspen Alpine Guides – Aspen Alpine Guides has been guiding year round climbing and back country adventures since 1987. AAG is fully licensed and insured. They operate under a USFS Priority Permit and are in good standing. AAG provides ESC with professional guides and equipment for our rock climbing activities.

ESC Boat Specialists – each summer season, ESC hires boating specialists who are responsible for the maintenance and driving of the boats used for our lake water sports. These boating specialists have been selected for the ESC team due to their experience and knowledge of boating safety, equipment and instruction.

◊ One on One Support Guided by Expertise

Our campers are set up for success. Each is paired with an ESC counselor who has received specialized training in the unique requirements ofindividuals with autism as well as the fundamentals of each sport as it pertains to someone on the spectrum. ESC utilizes innovative processes and technologies for each of the sports undertaken.  Our counselors along with our guides and sports instructors work with the camper at his or her level and then support them in reaching the next one. Our goal is for campers to experience success and increased proficiency across a set of identified target skills each time they are experiencing the sport. The one to one ratio during daytime activities, our strengths-based approach, and our sports analytic approach are three of our many methods used to ensure that each camper’s individual needs are met.

With guidance from Diane Osaki, OT and ESC Autism Behavior Consultant, ESC has created and continues to develop our programs based around positive coaching methods. Diane serves as a behavior and educational consultant for families, agencies and school districts in Colorado and worldwide. She is the Early Start Denver Model Director of Firefly Autism (formerly the Alta Vista Center for Autism), a pediatric occupational therapist, and has been working with people with autism spectrum disorders for nearly 20 years. She specializes in in-home and educational intervention for children with autism and their families. Prior to opening the Alta Vista Center, Diane worked with JFK Partners at the University of Colorado Health Services, where she was one of the early developers of the Denver Model, a renowned early intervention program for children with autism.

Scholarships are available!

Financial Aid Application for Extreme Sports Camp 2013

Adult Program

Pre-Paid Account Summer Conference

CDHS Policies

CDHS Policies Addendum Summer 2012