The essential requirements are:

Your child should be aged between 7-14 years of age*
*Please note we may make exceptions to this rule on a case by case basis, generally if the child is within 6 months either side of the age range.

Your child must have a formal diagnosis

Your child must have the appropriate NDIS funding available (or have the option to privately fund)

Important details: We work on a 1:1 carer ratio for Autistic young people taking part in our day activities. Autistic young people must be able to participate in group sessions with their peers. Behaviour challenges and communication needs will be discussed in your intake interview.

We welcome undiagnosed young people in our Autistic program, however, at least one young person in your family must be formally diagnosed. Autistic young people (diagnosed or undiagnosed) cannot take part in the Siblings’ Program.

As part of our Camp Family Enrolment process you will be asked to provide proof of diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) for the Autistic young people, and during our camp intake process you will be asked for other medical details for all of the young people attending as part of your family.

Costs associated with the camp will be broken down into two invoices for…

Your Enrolment Fee ($550.00 + $10.00 administration fee).

You will be asked for an Enrolment Fee of $550 to begin our comprehensive Enrolment process. This is a contribution towards costs incurred by the charity during that process, and as it cannot be billed to the NDIS, it is an out-of-pocket cost. This Enrolment Fee is fully refundable until you sign your Camp Service Agreement at which point it becomes non-refundable. We offer a payment plan if a one-off payment is not possible.

Camp Fee

NDIS Individual Plans (Plan Managed and Self-Managed only - not NDIA managed)

Support Item Name: Short Term Accommodation and Assistance - Weekday

Support Category Name: Assistance with Daily Life

Support Category Number: 01_058_0115_1_1

Cost per day: $1863.66

Number of days: 4.5

Support Item Name: Short Term Accommodation and Assistance - Sun

Support Category Name: Assistance with Daily Life

Support Category Number: 01_060_0115_1_1

Cost per day: $3121.06

Number of days: 0.5

TOTAL: $9947

Additional Autistic Young Persons’ Program Participants: $4873

*Please note ACA Camps can be billed across multiple NDIS Categories including core funding and/or capacity building (09_011_0125_6_3). We are happy to discuss your NDIS plan and work with you to explore the possibilities of utilising other categories you may have available.

Information current as at 01/06/2024. Pricing is subject to an annual review.

This cost includes:

- Five nights accommodation including bed linen, doonas, pillows and one towel per person
- A get-to-know first arvo/eve followed by four full days of activities
- A fully-catered camp in Victoria, NSW, or a mostly self-catered camp in QLD, with just first night catered bbq, and a final night catered feast.
- Airport transfers if required (from local airport only - Coolangatta airport for Tweed/Byron Hinterland camp, Sunshine Coast airport for Sunshine Coast camp, Avalon airport for Victoria camp)
- One participant in the Autistic Young Persons’ Program with a 1:1 carer ratio of care (you can pay the additional carer costs for additional Autistic young people in your family to attend – see above)
- Up to three participants in the Siblings Program
- Up to two participants in the Parents/Carers Program

Accommodation is in cabins/lodge rooms.

Up to six people are able to stay in the accommodation in QLD, VIC (max 2 adults, 4 young people) in bunks.
Up to six people are able to stay in the accommodation in NSW (max 2 adults, 4 young people) in double bed and singles/bunks in a family room.

If you are a single parent you are welcome to bring another adult with you, eg a grandparent or friend. Another option for single parents, is to come with another single parent and child and then split the costs.

Due to the high demand for our camps, a family cannot be allocated until an Enrolment Fee is paid and your service agreement has been signed. We don’t want to waste your time, or ours, so please confirm all funding before starting an enrolment process.

Packages, programs and access to facilities are developed to ensure equity across all sites. Some are catered, some are not. Styles of accommodation differ. This ensures choice and flexibility to the greatest number of families. Each site has its own unique characteristics but all follow the same structure of programming.

If you have decided you would like to join us at camp, you are required to pay your enrolment fee before progressing to the next stage of the enrolments process. The enrolment fee is $550 (including GST) + an administration fee of $10.00. If a one-off payment for the Enrolment Fee is not possible, we can arrange a payment plan and have at times been able to assist in finding funding sources for some families. If you would like to explore either of these options further, please reply to this email, or text/call on 0485 833 152

Important note: This enrolment fee is refundable (minus the administration fee) up until the stage during the enrolment process that our service agreement is signed.

The enrolment fee doesn't guarantee your spot at camp, your spot at camp is confirmed once your signed service agreement is received.

Pay your enrolment fee
To pay your enrolment fee use the link below: https://www.autismcampaustralia.org/aca-payments/enrolment-fee

As a carer you may be eligible for a Tailored Support Package offered though Carer Gateway, which may offset some of the costs associated with attendance. If your child has limited funds in their NDIS plan this can be a good option to consider. Carer Gateway Tailored Support Packages can be used for a range of supports to help you in your caring role including planned respite to take a break at Autism Camp Australia. To speak to your local Carer Gateway service provider about services and supports available, call 1800 422 737 and select Option 1. The Carer Gateway website (www.carergateway.gov.au) has useful information and resources and a ‘call back’ form to submit to your local Carer Gateway service provider who will then contact you at a date and time convenient for you. Wellways is the Carer Gateway service provider across Queensland and the New South Wales regions of South West Sydney, the Nepean and Blue Mountains. If you live in regional Queensland you could also try BUSHKids. If these organisations are unable to fund a larger amount they may be able to help with the deposit.

Attendance at Autism Camp Australia (ACA) camps will be subsidised with funding support from the NDIS, through your individual plan (Plan Managed and Self-Managed only - not NDIA/agency managed).

Why will the NDIS fund attendance at an Autism Camp Australia camp?

•    We are experts in the Autism field
•    We are evidence-based
•    We are Autistic-led - we pride ourselves on having significant neurodivergent representation at every level of the organisation, are informed by lived experience and engage in positive lived-experience role modelling
•    We listen, engage and uplift Autistic voices, constantly evaluating and improving to be the best we can be for all Autistic and neurodivergent people.
•    We are passionate about driving life changing outcomes for Autistic people around mental health and wellbeing, employability, economic participation, education, and ultimately life expectancy.
•    Our results speak for themselves.

Goals

With this in mind, if your child receives NDIS support you may wish to consider including the following goals in your plan:

Goal 1

I would like to learn to recognise and manage anxiety (meltdown) triggers, so that I am able to better emotionally regulate at home and in the community.

Goal 2

I would like to develop my communication skills so that I can increase my participation in social and community activities, and create and maintain new and existing relationships.

Goal 3

I would like to challenge myself with new activities and develop positive self-esteem and confidence in my strengths, and acceptance of my difficulties and differences, to enable me to be more independent.

Goal 4

I would like to improve my social skills to increase my social and community participation and reduce my social isolation and vulnerability.

It is advisable to discuss the outcomes and benefits of attending a camp with members of your key support team (Paediatrician, Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, Speech Pathologist etc) and, if they are happy to do so, have them endorse the benefits in terms of capacity building from your attendance at a camp in their report for your NDIS planning meeting.

Short Term Outcomes

• Participants experience a ‘safe’ environment alongside other Autistic families and supported by specialised team members. They share stories and experiences with people who have lived experience of Autism or are living within an Autistic family.
• Participants feel a sense of relief from social isolation and form new valuable and reliable social connections with people from their Autistic community.
• Participants are able to ‘just be’ while at camp. The neuro-normative expectations of day-to-day mainstream life are put to one side, and they are encouraged to celebrate their Autistic identity and Autistic culture. Participants engage with positive role models and experience inclusion, acceptance and autonomy.
• Participants are engaged in therapies, education, skills development and peer-to-peer support as part of the program. They benefit from increased knowledge, understanding and training.
• Participants in the programs build capacity in confidence, self-reliance, independence and self-advocacy skills.

Medium Term Outcomes

• Participants form long and lasting friendships. They meet with, and talk with new friends, and reach out to other members in their Autistic community. They have increased social supports. They foster a strong sense of belonging and increase their social cohesion, connection and functioning within their ‘safe’ Autistic community.
• This new sense of inclusion, acceptance and autonomy is empowering for participants. Their new approach is transformative, reducing anxiety and building self-worth. Participants experience an improvement in their mental health. 
• Autistic young people are able to participate more at school. Their new found confidence helps them navigate the often confusing idiosyncrasies of neurotypical behaviour and social situations become easier. 
• Siblings have a greater ability to maintain informal support of the Autistic young person, to advocate for, and support them to participate and contribute to community and enjoy an enduring and mutually sustaining relationship.
• Parents experience an increase in confidence and this enables them to explore new opportunities like volunteering, work placements, training and apprenticeships, as well as practical assistance and supports.

Long Term Outcomes

• With their new Autistic family friends, participants feel supported to try new things. They have much higher engagement and participation rates in mainstream social and community activities. This results in a much stronger sense of connectedness in their broader community, and in turn, gives them the confidence and connections to access support networks, community services and other new opportunities of social, civic and economic participation. 
• Participants experience a sustained increase in self-worth and wellbeing and improvements in mental and physical wellbeing. They regularly engage in self-care and are better able to care for and support themselves and their family members. 
• Participants experience a cumulative increase in confidence, community connection, skills, knowledge, training and independence improving readiness for economic participation, employment and education. Reduced levels of welfare dependency in the long-term.

Ultimately, all of these factors will impact on life expectancy, which best-case scenario, based on three international studies, is currently 53 years of age.

The Autistic Young People Program combines group therapy sessions with adventure and art/craft filled activities. All activities are capacity building, encourage communication, teamwork, self-confidence, self-care, peer-to-peer relationship building, emotional regulation and most importantly, access to their Autistic community.

Individual activities and their direct benefits:

• Proprioceptive/Sensory Play – supporting cognitive development, improvement in fine and gross motor skills and processing, boosting creativity and self-discovery, social competence, improved social interaction skills;
• Movement/Rhythm Therapy – integrative dance – improvement in gross motor skills and processing, connection, social and community participation, communication (especially for non-verbal young people), improved social interaction skills;
• Social Skills Support & Learning – new friends - social and community participation, improved family relations, confidence, social competence, improved social interaction skills;
• Equine Assisted Learning – improvement in gross motor skills and processing, assertiveness, emotional awareness, empathy, stress tolerance, flexibility, impulse control, problem-solving skills. self-actualisation;
• Art Therapy –– improvement in fine motor skills and processing, behavioural management, process feelings, emotional release, stress and anxiety relief, increased self-esteem, self-discovery;
• Rock Climbing Wall – improvement in fine and gross motor skills and processing, increased flexibility and muscle extension, encourages internal regulation, develops the vestibular system, problem solving, decision-making, ability to think sequentially, improved focus on cognitive tasks, cardiovascular exercise and general health and fitness;
• Kayaking – improvement in gross motor skills and processing, balance and mobility, problem-solving skills, independence, confidence gaining, cardiovascular exercise and general health and fitness;
• Colour Play/Nature Craft – improved cognition and fine motor skills and processing, social and community participation, confidence, develop interactive skills, stress and anxiety relief, increased self-esteem, self-discovery;
• Coastal Birds and Kite Making/Flying – reduced anxiety, improved cognition, fine and gross motor skills, social and community participation, confidence, develop interactive skills, increased self-esteem, self-discovery; and
• Group Interaction Out of Hours - social and community participation, improved family relations, daily living skills, choice and control, confidence, improved social communication and social interaction skills.

Activities at ACA programs are aligned with an individual’s capacity building outcomes and their personal NDIS goals and aspirations. At ACA we will develop an Individual Capacity Building - Camp Plan for each participant and goals will be documented, actions monitored and success measured at the initial phone meeting and at the end of the camp. A comprehensive report is provided after attendance at camp.

We offer both self-catered and fully catered camp depending on the location. See each location’s Package page for the full details of each.

Yes you can, but all families are required to attend from night one, so as to create stability for the whole group. No refund or discount is offered if you decide to leave camp early, and we encourage families to stay for the whole time.

Yes, we are actively seeking Autistic adults to join our team. We hope to introduce a volunteer program for Autistic young adults, and that some of the young people attending our camps will eventually come and work for us. Autistic candidates considering applying for work at Autism Camp Australia (ACA) will need a minimum qualification of a Cert 3 Disability Support Worker, WWCC, National Police Check and First Aid certificate.

Up to six people are able to stay in the cabin (2 adults, 4 young people). You are welcome to bring another adult with you, eg a grandparent or friend. Another option for single parents, is to come with another single parent and child and then split the costs. If you did a split with another single parent, it may be possible for you to both invoice the NDIS only, and not have to seek Carer funding too.

Yes, you are very welcome to bring a grandparent or friend as long as there are no more than two adults in your family group.

The age range for our programs is generally 7-14 years. We may make the occasional exception 6 months either side of this age range upon enquiry and with approval only. We understand that it can be challenging to find the right fit if the young person is intellectually disabled, but we have to take care with safety for the young people in the lower end of our age range. Teenagers/young adults any older than 14 are much bigger physically which could be overwhelming for 7 year olds. We hope to design a teenager/young adults program in the future which may be more suitable for your teenager/young adult to attend.

No, our Carers are employed to look after participants in the Autistic Young Persons’ Program and the Siblings’ Program. If the young person does not wish to take part in an activity it will be the parent’s/carer’s responsibility to look after them during this period of time.

We have so many ideas! We hope to provide a range of services as the charity grows. One baby step at a time. But yes, a program for teenagers/young adults is on our radar. We appreciate your patience.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to recreational drug use at our camps.

Most of the venues we utilise have a strict no drinking or smoking policy, therefore we encourage you to take this opportunity to leave alcohol and cigarettes at home.

We encourage families to treat this as a nature-based holiday, and leave devices at home. However, we understand that some young people rely on screen time to calm them down in times of anxiety. We respectfully request that, if devices are being used, this is done in the privacy of your own cabin, rather than in communal spaces.

You are welcome to bring Autistic, and other, siblings outside of the 7-14 age range for your family holiday, however, neither the Autistic Young Persons’ Program or the Siblings’ Program is suitable (or safe) for young people outside of the 7-14 age range. Parents/carers are responsible for the care of young people of <7 years of age, and >14 age. All babysitting and disability worker hire arrangements made outside of the Autism Camp Australia camp program are done privately, and at your own risk.

No pets are allowed at any of our sites. The only exceptions to this rule are Assistance Animals. An Assistance Animal Permit must be sighted by ACA at least 14 days before attending the camp for the animal to be permitted to attend.