Camp Baker helps children explore new worlds…and themselves
By Shirley O'Brien, Ph.D.,  with Tracy Tierney

When Conor Evans, 11, went to Camp Baker last summer, his parents, Damien and Jennifer, were understandably nervous. Conor has a severe form of autism, and this was his first stint away from home. They stayed in touch by phone, but when his parents picked him up, they were able to see Conor’s contentment with his camping experience firsthand.
“We can gauge how Conor is doing by his demeanor,” said Damien, “and he was just very happy.” A variety of activities at Camp Baker, ranging from swimming to nature walks, had kept him busy. “He slept well for the next few days,” said Damien.
Located on 22 acres in Chesterfield County, Camp Baker does a world of good for an individual with an intellectual or physical disability. Whether it is a child’s first time at camp, or possibly even their first time away from home, Camp Baker enhances a camper’s self-help skills, social skills, and overall self-esteem.
When I say that Camp Baker is barrier free, I don’t just mean in terms of being handicap accessible. I mean it metaphorically, as well: I believe all of our campers should experience our program to the fullest. It is important for children with special needs to really experience camp, learning about nature, singing songs around the campfire while marshmallows are roasted, watching a canoe glide across a lake, and making friends.
We also try to focus on what our campers enjoy most. For instance, one of our campers, Cody Bruington, is 8 years old and has Down Syndrome. He really enjoyed the horseback riding, because, as his mom tells it, he loves anything with animals.
Our goal at Camp Baker is to provide our campers with special needs what they require to assure a safe, fun and caring teaching and learning environment. This is accomplished in large part by our people, including 24-hour a day nursing support, experienced counselors with a background in developmental disabilities, autism and other disorders, and a highly educated and knowledgeable management staff.
“Cody is really good at being in new settings and catching on quickly, but it also helps when you have a staff like at Camp Baker’s to make the transitions easier,” explained Cody’s mom, Kendall Bruington.
And for parents like Damien and Jennifer Evans, it gives them an opportunity to spend quality time with their daughter, while their son does some of the activities he loves most. Conor is “a big water person”, said Damien, so Camp Baker’s pool was a natural place to be. Conor also loves to eat, said his dad, and the Evans’ found Camp Baker’s state-of-art dining hall had items on the menu that Conor didn’t ordinarily have at home.
At Camp Baker, we don’t define our campers by what they can’t do, but what they’d like to. We encourage them to try new things. For instance, Conor especially liked the amphitheater where we can stage plays created and acted by the campers. And because we have a low camper to counselor ratio, we can work closely with our camper’s special needs to ensure a successful experience.
This year we are looking forward to campers like Conor and Cody returning. We’re introducing some new activities as well—like archery from a certified and trained instructor. And we are keeping in mind what Cody’s mom Kendall wrote in an email about Camp Baker: “Children with disabilities are a blessing in life and places like Camp Baker only prove that more everyday.”

About Camp Baker
Founded more than 50 years ago, Camp Baker offers summer camp sessions for adults and children with developmental disabilities June 20 through Aug. 20.
One and two-week camp sessions for adults 18 and older will be held June 20 through July 23. A teen and young-adult camp (ages 15-35) will be held July 25-30, and camp sessions for children, teens and young adults will be hold August 1-13. The cost of a one-week session is $700 (or waiver hours). Two-week sessions are available, as well as day camp. There are a number of wheelchair slots available each session. For details, call 748-4789.

Shirley O'Brien is senior director of the Greater Richmond ARC's (formerly the Association for Retarded Citizens) Camp Baker in Chesterfield County. She has 20 years of experience in the field of developmental disabilities including a Ph.D. earned at the University of Kansas. She is the mother of four.