Sunday, April 27, 2025

It’s a special camp for teens with special needs. Some participants have physical disabilities. Others have developmental delays. At Moving On, campers don’t build fires or go on canoe trips. Instead, they learn life skills to prepare for adulthood. The joint program between McMaster Children’s Hospital’s Children’s Developmental Rehabilitation Program and Able Living teaches teens how to transition into more independent living.

For 17-year old Ben Dykstra, that means vacuuming for the first time in his life. It’s one of the many chores he hopes to master before eventually moving away from home.

Able Living manager, Tanya Pirie, says it’s not uncommon for teens to try what most people consider basic chores for the first time here, “Coming to this camp might be the first opportunity that they’re able to do things like participate in cooking or participate in some of the cleaning activities or laundry activities that they’re just not able to do due to the nature of their own homes.”

Campers spend two weeks at Mohawk College. During the second week, they stay overnight in dorms. They shop for groceries, plan their meals and prepare them. They also learn to budget and use public transit. Dykstra says that was a highlight of his stay, albeit a bumpy one, “it was kind of like a roller coaster. Because the first time you go on it, you’re facing the back of the bus. You’re like, ride, ride, ride, ride…jerk. Stop.”

The goal of Moving On is partly to help the teens become more independent. But McMaster Children’s Hospital occupational therapist, Andrea Morrison, says it’s also about teaching them when to ask for help, “I think they really gain confidence just in expressing what their needs are and standing up for themselves too. Just saying, it’s okay for me to need some help and to ask for that help.”