Autism camp teaching kids social skills through cake and presents

By Peter Rosen

June 21st, 2012 @ 6:34pm

SALT LAKE CITY Ava, 9, and Steven, 13, went to a birthday party this week at Sugarhouse Park. But it was nobody's birthday.

It was an "unbirthday party," Ava explained. "A birthday party for no reason."

There was, actually, a very good explanation.It was part of the University Neuropsychiatric Institute's Kidstar Summer Camp for kids with autism.

The camp pairs children with high-functioning autism, like Steven, with "neurotypical" children, like Ava. The program tries to give children a fun summer camp experience while teaching them social skills.

"Children on the autism spectrum have a hard time making friends," said Kidstar director Karina Rasmussen. "They have difficulty reading social cues, facial expressions, and understanding what to do in certain social situations."

Their day begins at the institute with a lesson from the "Superheroes: Social Skills" program developed by University of Utah researchers.

Using comic books, videos, games and "power cards," campers learn how, step by step, to follow directions, to maintain eye contact, and other skills that many other kids pick up naturally. Then they practice those skills throughout the day and watch the children without autism, like Ava, model that behavior.

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Autism camp teaching kids social skills through cake and presents