West Essex YMCA Enhances Camp Experience for Child with ADHD through Family Collaboration

By: Mollie Shauger | Thursday, September 18, 2025 | Summer Camp

Campers participate in West Essex YMCA's Camp for a Cause events.

During the summer of 2025, the West Essex YMCA successfully supported a camper with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Below, the family shares their thoughts on this experience. While the family prefers to remain anonymous, their story highlights the impact of inclusive support at YMCA camps.

"C" has ADHD. Lots of kids do, but for him it has meant some behavioral challenges that led to him needing an out-of-district school. He spends half the summer in extended school year, but for the other half, we wanted him to have experiences outside of school–time to practice socializing with neurotypical kids and to be in a setting that isn’t so carefully structured.

Summer camp has been tough for him in the past. At a previous camp, he mostly sat on the sidelines instead of joining in. Another year, he was asked to leave camp because of his behavior. Still, we really wanted him to have another chance, so this summer we tried the YMCA. We liked that it focuses on community, trying new things, and being your best self.

His first week at another camp, he had a behavior that led to him being suspended on the last day. We had told the camp about his ADHD, but we hadn’t asked for any specific accommodations—we honestly didn’t realize that was something we could do.

Later in the summer, we signed up for four weeks at the West Essex YMCA. This time, we prepared differently. We had meetings with Helene Cierzo, the camp’s mental health specialist, to come up with tools and supports for him. We also met with the camp director, and together they made sure his counselors knew how to help him succeed. These accommodations gave him the security he needed to join activities at his own pace.

Week by week, his comfort grew. By the end of the summer, he had successfully completed the program without any issues. That was such a huge win for him—it gave him a real sense of accomplishment, boosted his confidence, and showed him that he can be part of a camp community. The staff at West Essex were always available to us by phone and email, and I truly feel they helped make this summer a success.