Targeting IEP Social Goals for Children with Autism in an Inclusive Summer Camp

Koegel et al. (2019) tested a two-week inclusive summer camp. Four children with autism attended alongside typical peers.

Supervised paraprofessionals ran the camp. Each child had one social goal pulled from their IEP. Staff used Pivotal Response Treatment during games, lunch, and free play.

The team tracked the goals every day with simple counts. They kept the study going until each child hit their year-long target.

Every child met their IEP social goal before camp ended. One boy went from zero back-and-forth chats to ten per day.

Parents and teachers still saw the skills on the bus, at recess, and at home months later.

Thompson-Hodgetts et al. (2024) extends this idea. They gave typical campers a five-minute script about their autistic bunkmate. Joint play jumped on day five. Both studies show short camp tweaks can spark big social gains.

Lopata et al. (2025) followed kids for up to four years. School and summer social programs kept their gains. The 2019 camp results look fast, but the 2025 paper says the change can last.

Spanoudis et al. (2011) ran an eight-month toddler program years earlier. Their long dose got similar strong gains. Koegel et al. (2019) proves a two-week burst can work for older kids when goals are tight and staff are trained.

You can pack a year of social growth into two weeks if the goal is clear, the setting is natural, and paraprofessionals get quick coaching. Next IEP season, ask for a short camp or recess block with one measurable social target and daily data. You will see faster progress and happier kids.