Special needs kids learn independence and connection at a special day camp run by a local nonprofit

A group of kids and teens from across Spokane County spent the last four weeks exploring the city — going to dinner, playing at Riverfront Park and riding the city bus.

But these aren’t young people just hanging out. They’re taking part in a day camp-style summer program designed to help people with neurological differences learn and apply skills like executive function, social reciprocity and emotion regulation.

The program is run by local nonprofit Isaac Foundation and is called TREK, which stands for Teachable moments, Reverse integration, Education and Kinship.

It started last summer and has been so successful that it has been expanded so that TREK now runs part-time, outside of school hours from September to June.

What makes TREK unique, says Isaac Foundation Executive Director Holly Goodman, is that it connects neuroatypical youth with peer mentors — often local high school and college students.

“The idea is that we’re trying to teach executive function skills while also connecting with the community, but in doing so also building relationships with other people,” Goodman said.

One Wednesday, the children in the program — known as adventurers — and their mentors gathered to prepare for a day spent in the community.

In between gossiping, gushing over Princess Snickers (the foundation’s pet ferret), and checking attendance records, the group leaders presented the day’s schedule.

First, the group took a bus to the Browne’s Addition Farmers Market. They had lunch at Riverfront Park, and then some campers took a bus to the Chaos Arcade to practice their route for the next trip. The rest spent the afternoon at the Mobius Discovery Center.

Other notable adventures include trips to the Comic Book Shop at NorthTown Mall and the Lego Store. Other times, officials from the Spokane Police and Fire Departments visit the group to talk about situational awareness and teach fire safety.

Each program runs Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The final summer session was this week, and Goodman says it capped a successful season. Enrollment has doubled.

Angela Horvath, the foundation’s club coordinator, estimates that more than half of TREK adventure participants return and will attend classes throughout the school year.

In addition to her role as an animator, Horvath, her son Josh, and their family have been involved with the Isaac Foundation for five years.

“It’s amazing how much (the foundation) has done for these kids,” she said.

Many of the program’s participants have autism, and some have rare disorders and complex medical conditions.

“For these parents, they come in and they get a little emotional because, you know, they see (their children) with friends and they do things that are very typical that you would see any other child do in the summer,” Goodman said. “We don’t see that often as parents of children with special needs.”

For peer mentors without neurological differences, the program proved equally valuable.

Some parents offer their children week-long mentoring opportunities, Goodman says, and the kids keep coming back “because they have fun.”

Many mentors have spent little time with people who need extra support, Goodman said. Some go to private schools that don’t have to provide Individualized Education Programs and don’t have many students with disabilities.

“By spending a week together, they understand that some of the things, the amenities, the scaffolding, if you will, really aren’t a big deal,” Goodman said. “It can actually be that simple, the things we do differently to help our friends enjoy activities that the rest of us take for granted.”

The energy was palpable this week as adventurers, in grades 6 through 12, and mentors chatted excitedly about plans for the day. TREK wants experiences like this to last for years to come.

“We all want to have friends,” Goodman said. “We all want to have contact—sometimes it just looks different.”