Camp O at The Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School

Camp O is a specialized inclusive day camp designed for children ages 7-14 who benefit from additional social and emotional support to access traditional summer camp experiences. The program runs August 3-14, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM daily, providing two full weeks of structured activities that thoughtfully embed social and emotional learning into every aspect of the camp experience. The program is operated by The Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School, a therapeutic day school with over a century of experience serving students with mental health challenges and those on the autism spectrum.

Camp O maintains an exceptional 1:4 staff-to-camper ratio, ensuring personalized attention and support from highly qualified and trained professionals. The Camp O Leadership Team brings combined experience of 25+ years at the O-School and training in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention. Activities include Water Day, team sports, dance and music sessions, STEM projects, talent shows, Camp Olympics, BBQs, and arts and crafts projects. All activities are designed to help campers experience joy and silliness, discover new interests, make friends, build confidence, and contribute to a dynamic supportive community.

Ideal campers are bright, kind, funny, and interesting young people with passions and desire to engage socially, but who may struggle with flexibility, trying new things, responding to change, solving social problems, or forming healthy friendships. Camp O serves children who may have diagnoses including autism spectrum disorder, social communication disorder, anxiety disorders, learning disabilities, OCD, ADD/ADHD, or those without formal diagnoses who exhibit similar characteristics. Campers must be able to maintain safe behavior and remain in their groups without continuous one-on-one supervision. The program is located at 6245 S Ingleside Ave in Chicago.