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by Steve Brannan, Joel Arick, Ann Fullerton, and
Joyce Harris
Inclusion for persons with disabilities is rapidly occurring in all areas
of living - school, work, and recreation. However, until recently, not
much was known about inclusionary practices and their effects on participant
outcomes in organized camp and outdoor school programs.
To address this need, the National Inclusive Camp Practices (NICP) project
spearheaded a nationwide study of resident camps and outdoor schools that
operate inclusionary programs. The study focused on identifying inclusionary
practices and outcomes for youth with and without disabilities.
The American Camping Association, Institute for Career and Leisure Development,
and Portland State University collaborated on this study, which was funded
by a research grant under innovation and development from the U.S. Department
of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
Inclusion generally refers to accommodating persons with disabilities
in programs serving the general population. For the NICP study,
inclusionary sites refer to mainstream (i.e., traditional) camps and outdoor
schools where campers with and without disabilities attend the same session(s)
and jointly participate in the majority of program activities. In addition
to being inclusionary, sites selected to participate in the study exhibited:
- director/administrative commitment to inclusionary practices and program
development
- a desire to communicate the benefits of inclusion to the camping and
education
professions
- an interest in participating in research on camper/student outcomes
The NICP study used validated measures to collect quantitative and qualitative
data and employed varied methods such as objective assessments, video
samples, and individual case studies in a nationwide effort to determine
the effects of inclusionary outdoor programs on youth. (See below for
more information on the instruments and procedures.)
Inclusionary Programs Benefit Campers with Varying Abilities
The study found that across the country youth with and without disabilities
make significant growth in their outdoor skills and personal development
(e.g., self-reliance, social interactions, communication, and self-esteem)
in resident one-week camp and outdoor school programs. The combined results
of most measures revealed that self-reliance, or independence, was a predominant
outcome for youth.
The study also found that inclusionary program models benefit all participating
youth. In this study, youth with disabilities significantly increased
their social interactions with peers and their active participation in
the program. This is an indication of successful integration. Youth without
disabilities also improved their social interactions and, in many instances,
developed a greater understanding and respect for persons different than
themselves. Such growth may be a particularly important outcome of participation
in a inclusive program for youth without disabilities.
In addition, the study answered a number of important questions facing
parents and teachers regarding the importance of their child or student
attending inclusionary camp or outdoor school programs. Particularly for
parents, the findings help positively answer questions such as:
- Is a one-week camp and/or outdoor school experience significant?
- What are the specific benefits of an inclusive resident camp or outdoor
school experience for my child?
- In what ways do organized outdoor programs contribute to my child's
"total life education?"
The NICP findings lend strength to long-standing beliefs and more recent
legal mandates affecting diverse groups of citizens: namely, inclusion
provides personal and social benefits for all citizens (e.g., disabled
and non-disabled) who are afforded opportunities to participate together
in major areas of life.
Inclusionary practices used
At the camps and outdoor schools studied, counselors and staff provided
frequent support to help youth with disabilities successfully participate
in program activities. The kinds of support recognized as important in
assisting youth with disabilities to succeed in mainstream or inclusive
programs included:
- giving encouragement/motivational support
- modeling the activity
- giving the camper more time
- arranging for a peer to provide assistance
- breaking the task into smaller steps
- providing alternative strategies
- providing extra practice
- allowing alternate ways of communication
- providing campers with special equipment
Across all fourteen camps and outdoor schools, the five highest ranked
types of support provided to youth with disabilities were:
- gave encouragement/motivational support (70.7%)
- modeled the activity (49.2%)
- gave subject more time (40.8%)
- arranged for peer to provide assistance (36.5%)
- provided subject with physical assistance (34.2%)
Similarly, the most common form of support given to campers without disabilities
was gave encouragement/motivational support (49.3%) and modeled the activity
(31.1%). However, the degree of support provided was different; youth
with disabilities received this kind of support more often. Other common
means of providing assistance to youth without disabilities included:
arranging for peer to provide assistance (14.9%), providing alternative
strategies (11.3%) and breaking the task into small steps (11.2%).
Camper Growth
The study revealed camper growth in many areas, including outdoor recreation,
education, and social interaction, for both campers with and without disabilities.
Outdoor recreation/education
In assessing campers' outdoor skills, counselors reported that campers
with disabilities were at least partially independent on the post assessment,
while campers without disabilities were fully independent. In general,
this was true across most areas of self-help, personal/social skills,
and outdoor skills. However, on the outdoor school's science section of
the outdoor skills inventory (OSI), campers with disabilities were somewhat
lower than their non-disabled peers in knowledge and skills.
Social interaction
Results of video observations showed an increase in the amount of time
campers/students spent actively participating in an activity in all ten
of the camps/outdoor school programs with complete pre-post observation
data. Campers with disabilities significantly increased the amount of
time they spent actively participating appropriately in an activity from
pre- to post-observation. They also significantly increased the amount
of time they spent engaged in appropriate social interaction with peers
and with groups of peers/adults between pre- and post-assessment. Non-disabled
peers also significantly increased their active participation and appropriate
social interaction with groups of peers/adults.
In interviews, counselors indicated on the final section of the OSI that
their campers made improvements in the area of appropriate social interactions.
Social interactions with peers increased on average of 62 percent of the
campers with disabilities and for 68 percent of the campers without disabilities.
Campers' parents completed an individual characteristics survey following
camp to assess their child's socio-emotional characteristics. Parents
of campers with disabilities scored their child significantly higher at
post-camp in the areas of communication, independence, and self-esteem.
Similarly, parents of camper with disabilities scored their child significantly
higher in the areas of communication and independence.
Outcomes for case study participants
Interviews with both the counselor and parent of each case study subject
were conducted and analyzed. The majority of counselors and parents reported
positive growth for their camper/student or child in one or more developmental
areas: social interactions, communication with others, responsibilities,
self-reliance, self-esteem, participation in recreation, skill achievement,
self-help, and respect for others.
Although similarities and differences exist in counselor and parent descriptions
of growth for both groups of youth, growth in the area of self-reliance
(or independence) was described by counselors and parents of both youth
with and without disabilities. To further illustrate the qualitative data
results received from the case studies, specific examples of comments
provided by counselors and parents are listed below. These descriptions
of perceived growth complement the preliminary case study results reported
earlier by researchers Brannan and Fullerton in the January/February 1999
issue of Camping Magazine.
In looking ahead to future research needs, this study particularly focused
on describing specific camper and student outcomes and the types of inclusionary
practices that facilitate these outcomes. Continued study and analysis
is needed to determine the effects of specific inclusionary practices
within and across outdoor program activities on the pre-post growth of
youth with and without disabilities.
The Study: Instruments and Procedures
The NICP study used validated measures to collect quantitative and qualitative
data to determine the effects of inclusionary outdoor programs on youth.
Participants
A total of 743 youth (373 subjects were disabled and 370 subjects were
non-disabled) from 12 resident camps and 2 resident outdoor schools participated
in the study, including 72 youth studied as case study subjects across
the 14 sites. A similar number of boys and girls were included in the
study, the majority of which were of elementary and middle/junior high
school age and had at least one year of prior camp experience.
Youth with disabilities represented a wide range of disabling conditions
and levels of functioning, with the majority being mildly impaired: 59
percent with either mild mental retardation, speech impairment, learning
disability, or attention deficit disorder; 13.2 percent with autism or
emotional disturbance; 11.2 percent with either a physical/orthopedic,
health, or brain injury impairment; 9.6 percent with a vision or hearing
impairment; and 6.7 percent with moderate to severe mental retardation.
Research instruments
Researchers used four validated instruments to collect quantitative data.
Both reliability and validity were addressed in the development of the
quantitative instruments.
- Inclusive Practices Inventory (IPI): Completed by counselors (post)
to
measure the kind and frequency of support they provided to campers/students
in three activity areas - self-help, social and recreation.
- Outdoor Skills Inventory (OSI): Completed by counselors/instructors
(pre-post) to measure the campers/students skill achievement (level
of independence) in personal, social and outdoor recreation skills.
The OSI for outdoor schools also included a science section.
- Social Interaction Observation (SIO): Completed by trained graduate
students (pre-post) to code the social interactions of campers/students
from videotaped observations during program activities.
- Individual Characteristics Survey (ICS): Completed by parents (pre-post)
to measure changes in the positive affect (socio-emotional characteristics)
of their child.
Case study interviews (CSI) were used to collect qualitative data. Onsite
research assistants interviewed later to determine what changes occurred
in personal development for their camper/child.
Procedures
The study used a descriptive design which summarizes the findings for
each assessment for both youth with and without disabilities based on
a pre-post or post only analysis. A unique aspect of the project's data
collection methods was the use of videotaping to record onsite observations
of campers' social interactions. All data was collected for youth with
and without disabilities of similar age, sex and cabin assignment. Although
youth weren't paired for activities, for each youth with a disability,
a non-disabled cabin peer was identified and all data were collected on
the pair.
At each camp and outdoor school site, the camp or outdoor school director
supervised the NICP Research Assistant (RA) who was assigned as the primary
person onsite in charge of the collection, monitoring, and organization
of all project data.
The following data collection procedures were utilized:
- Before session: Pre-survey parents with the ICS instrument about
their children's personal and social development.
- First day of session: Pre-videotape camper/students during meals and
program activities for use with SIO Observation Instrument. Pre-survey
counselors/staff with the OSI instrument about camper/students' skills.
- Last day of session: Post-videotape camper/students during meals and
program activities for use with the SIO Observation Instrument. Post-
survey counselors/staff with the OSI instrument about camper/students'
skills. Post-survey counselors/staff with the IPI instrument about inclusive
practices used with campers/students.
- End/after session: Post-survey parents with ICS instrument about their
children's personal and social development. Interview counselors and
parents
of case study subjects with the CSI about growth such youth demonstrated
by the end of or following the session.
Examples of Perceived Growth
Area of Growth: Self-Help and Responsibility
Camper: Girl, age 12, with moderate mental retardation (Downs Syndrome)
Counselor: Relied less on counselor as the week progressed. [By the end
of the week] she brushed her teeth and showered on her own and without
direction. Then she went back to cabin, undressed, and got ready for bed
on her own. Less manipulation to get out of tasks. Learned to make her
bed. Remembered coat, name tag, and independently picked out clothing
appropriate for weather.
Parent: She gets up quicker in the morning and wants to get dressed by
herself. Really working hard in getting hair done in the morning. Wanting
to look good and doing it herself. Accomplishing tasks she sets out to
do.
Area of Growth: Respect for Others (Differences)
Camper: Boy, age 12
Counselor: He included two specific campers more in the activities of
the cabin group after the group discussion following the Challenge Course.
These two campers were considered "different" by the group (in
regards to maturity level).
Parent: During a Fun Run at school, he introduced a friend with leukemia
to others and shared information about this friend. He seemed to understand
about being a newcomer and being "different".
Originally published in the 2000 July/August
issue of Camping Magazine. |
