Autism and Asperger's (Aut/Asp) have become growing challenges for both parents as well as service providers.  Although great strides have been made in addressing the needs of individuals with these conditions, there is still a long way to go.

Since the inception of The MLDC, the program has accepted children with a diagnoses of either Autism or Aspergers on an informal and limited basis.  Our older staffing and low ratios made working with high-functioning kids viable within our program.

Each year we would receive new campers who were referred to us from former campers, however we consistently wondered why parents were seeking us out specifically for this condition.  During the past year we began taking a closer look at the reasons and the answer quickly became clear; there are no specific summer services in the area for children with Aut/Asp.  During the school year, kids have access to resources within the educational system, but at the end of June it's a different story.  We are happy to say that is no longer the case!

The MLDC is proud to unveil its latest program, Camp Apex.  The premise behind Apex is to provide an environment where high-functioning children with Aut/Asp can improve their social skills, learn to make eye contact and engage in conversation.  What better place to do that than in camp!  Without possessing those attributes, kids with Aut/Asp realize that they are treated differently by their peers and most often in a negative fashion.  Our goal is help these kids make strides towards understanding the various facets of interpersonal interaction.