My experience at summer camp

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I worked at a special needs summer camp this summer... for the most part it was great. I only had one real breakdown (well noticeable breakdown all summer.) But I met kids there that I still have to worry about now, 2 weeks after I have left.

One kid in particular, that I am most worrying about now is a 13 year old boy. At first he seems like a pretty normal 13 year old, a bit hyper, a bit immature, very goofy, but for that camp a normal 13 year old. The problems came when he got angry, he got really vicious when he was angry. In his 5 weeks there (one or two weeks were normal but he was allowed to stay there longer for reasons that will become clear later) he had broken his hand and a window (also his nose but that was because he and a counselor were being idiots... the counselor dared him to catch a water ballon out of a launcher with his mouth... messy result.) He also got involved in several fights while he was there with others.

I knew that he used to live in the residental treatment center that used to be there (he was forced to leave when it closed but that is another story entirely.) I also knew that the RTC was for harder to handle kids, harder then it seemed most RTCs handled. Well I asked one of the counselors that worked at the camp when the RTC was still there if she knew his story... big mistake. It turns out that he was born in a foreign orphanage (not a good situation), adopted by an abusive (as in all 3 ways) family, then ended up in the RTC for several years.

He has a good foster family now... but his behavior is also getting worse off it would seem. He seems to have devoleped a found taste for stealing stuff (even I, one of his favorite counselors, was nearly a victim of this). He can be such a nice kid when he is doing okay, but when he is not... I just can't stop worrying about him.

Another kid that I am still worrying about, though thankfully still in some contact with and still helping out, is a much more normal boy with a much more normal history. I talked about him before on here as I felt it was interesting that he seemed to be AS when his brother was clearly ADHD. Well anyway I still worry about him because he was very depressed as he had no friends outside of camp. Several nights there when he was fighting with his only friend he cried himself to sleep. Well anyway these 2 kids (and some others that I don't know quite as much about... maybe I will tell you about them later) has just filled my mind with all sorts of questions... if anyone can offer some help that would be cool.
Endersdragon

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Are you able to maintain contact by writing him back and forth? Would he be willing to keep up correspondence?

I offered both kids that chance (well their parents) and only the second kid seems to have taken me up on that offer. Though I also talk to a girl that still gets called by the first kid EVERY SINGLE DAY, she also gets called by another kid that I wonder if he had a history of abuse. Good kids lol.

_________________
"we never get respect ... never a fair trial
[swearing removed by lau] ... as long as we smile"
Im tired of smiling.

Vote for me in 2020