This summer, Music City Peds is offering 4 unique camps all based on social interests. Caitlin is a developmental-behavioral clinician who is passionate about helping kids and teens with autism or other similar social skills differences to feel comfortable as part of a group, celebrating their specific strengths and interests. The purpose of participating in Music City Peds’ camps is to have fun connecting with peers with common interests while receiving natural, real-time coaching and modeling from typically-developing mentors and a trained clinician.

 

Goals for camp:

-building social connections with peers with common interests

-enjoying a social atmosphere with structured activities that facilitate self-expression and communication

-creating and contributing as part of a team, using flexible-thinking and being open to others’ ideas

-accepting feedback and modifying behavior to the social context

-learning social rules and expectations while also advocating for their preferences and needs

-supporting each other through the shared experience of having social differences

 

Specific Camp Options:

Songwriting

-This camp will meet 2-4pm on the four Fridays in June. Open to ages 13-19yo. Participants will be invited to share examples of their favorite music genres, artists, and songs. We will have local songwriting experts and artists guide us through steps of the writing process and demonstrate samples of their work. We will have individual and team writing activities with various prompts and challenges and the opportunity to share spoken, instrumental, or sung pieces to the group! This group will emphasize expressing ideas and emotions through song, crafting an interest into a skill, and communicating and socializing through this popular art form.

 

Art

-This camp will meet 10am-noon Monday-Thursday, July 13-16.  Open to ages 8-15yo. Participants will be invited to share their favorite art forms and pieces (including original works) with the group at the start of each day. We will use a different art medium each day for our structured activity, and then we will have a “free art” time to create and share with media of choice. We will work on conversational skills, social reciprocity, sportsmanship, and emotional expression. The camp will conclude with an art exhibition open house 11am-noon on Thursday (parents/friends are invited).

 

Animal Lovers

-This camp will meet 10am-noon, Monday-Thursday, June 1-4. Open to ages 13-19yo. This camp is different in that we will meet at various locations OFF-SITE. These locations will include the Nashville Zoo, animal shelters, nature centers, but specific locations and times are to be determined. Parents or caregivers will be required to provide transportation. Participants will explore various ways to channel their love of animals into a social or vocational experience. We will hear from individuals in the community about their journey finding jobs or volunteer positions that enables them to work with or care for animals. This group will emphasize practicing public social exchanges, asking questions to obtain information, communicating personal passions and skill-sets, finding ways to use passions to help others, and navigating social environments that are animal-focused.

 

Star Wars & Legos

-This camp will meet 10am-noon Monday-Thursday, June 29-July 2. Open to ages 8-14yo. We will watch Star Wars movies while building individual and collective works with LEGOS, go on an indoor team-building Star Wars scavenger hunt, play an ongoing Star Wars trivia game for prizes, take a Star Wars “Which Character Are You?” quiz, and complete a LEGO competition show (each participant will win a different category!). Participants will work on attending to individual and group tasks, practicing positive social exchanges, focusing on good sportsmanship, and trading information to find common interests.

 

Note:

Snacks and drinks and materials provided at all camps! Additional optional materials may be requested of participants. Let us know about any allergies!