Abigail, Henry and Johanna: Abby Goes to Camp Shout Out

Last Summer we heard about Camp Shout Out, a camp for youth who stutter. It didn't work to send Abby there last Summer but we were excited to really look into it this year. Camp Shout Out is located in Northern Muskegon County on Blue Lake. It's held one time a year and youth from all over the US and other countries (Guatemala and Mexico) come to Camp Shout Out. It's a unique camp because there are SLP students and therapists, also from all over the US, who are at camp a week before the campers, learning and preparing for the kids. The campers receive full speech-language therapy the week they are there as well as participating in regular camp activities like swimming, horseback riding and a rope's course. One of Abby's SLP from Chicago, Kristin Chmela, heads up the camp so it was only natural that Abby would go this year. She was really nervous about being at an overnight camp so far away from home for a week but was also excited to meet new people, see Miss Kristin again and get to do all the fun camp things!

On Tuesday, August 21 my mom and I brought Abby to camp. We spent an hour or so there meeting people, learning about her therapy and goals for the week, seeing the camp and saying good-bye to Abby. She was a champ. No tears. :)

Throughout the week we received updates through the Camp Shout Out site and it looked like the campers were having a great time and learning lots. Here are some of the pictures that were posted on their site. They put my mind at ease since it looked like Abby was having a great time!

Here she is with Seth, a SLP from Pittsburgh who also stutters.

They did orienteering one day.

This water raft was a HUGE hit!

Abby reading...probably about history! :)

Climbing wall - apparently Abigail was quite the encourager!

Love this picture!

The campers did one exercise that included "sinking thoughts" and "floating thoughts." They wrote things that are tough about stuttering, words that come to mind when they think about stuttering, and just tough things in their lives on rocks. Then they threw them in the water and did away with them. Then they wrote positive thoughts about stuttering, Camp Shout Out and life on bags that floated away. They will always be there. It was a memorable and awesome exercise for the campers.

Ropes Course

Abby wanted to fish so bad. Karl, the camp director, obliged. She loved it!

On Saturday it was finally time to go get Abby! Colin and I spent about five hours at the camp. We met with Angie, her SLP for the week, talked with Kristin, learned how we can further help Abby in her stuttering journey, watched performances from the kids, heard testimonies and met all of the wonderful people who helped our daughter grow all week. What an amazing group of people! God truly blessed Abby through Camp Shout Out!