Table of ContentsSummarySummer Camp Influences Self-EfficacyCamp OrganizationDomain of interestRecommendationsConclusionSummaryThis article evaluates a facility that provides a service to adolescents – MDA Summer Camp – and its effect on the development of self-efficacy, autonomy and identity of adolescents with degenerative neuromuscular diseases. Four different research articles were cited to contribute to the evidence of these influences. Two articles analyzed the effect of summer camps on adolescents with chronic illnesses. One article focused specifically on men with DMD (Duchenne muscular atrophy). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay This article was referenced in the article to provide insight into how living with DMD hinders achieving independence. The fourth article discussed the influence of opposite-sex friendships on adolescent development into early adulthood. This helped the paper make recommendations for how MDA camp could enable more appropriate opposite-sex relationships, as these friendships guide adolescents toward healthy development. It's hard to imagine how much influence MDA Camp has on teens and volunteers without being fully integrated into the environment during that summer week, but this article attempts to give a clear view of how whose lessons learned from camp stay with the teens for the rest of their lives. lives.Summer Camp Influences Self-EfficacyOne of the best memories of summer, especially for teenagers, is summer camp. One particular summer camp has a huge impact on thousands of families across the United States. The MDA Summer Camp for the State of Virginia hosts teens for a week away from home at the Airfield 4-H Center in Wakefield, Virginia. Children aged six to seventeen are enriched in a friendly environment, away from parents, full of various activities such as fishing, swimming, horse riding, treasure hunts, sports, games, etc. . Each evening of the week, a different special event is presented to participants. There is only one requirement to become an over-age camper; all individuals are affected by a neuromuscular (degenerative) disability. This camp is hosted by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), a nonprofit organization fighting to cure muscular dystrophy and other related neuromuscular diseases by raising funds for drug research and development (Muscular Dystrophy Association ( MDA). Although the research is important, the focus is on the affected community, particularly adolescents. Youth who attend MDA Summer Camp live with muscular dystrophy, ALS, spinal muscular atrophy and other related physical illnesses. The camp requires no expense for families who send their child thanks to donations that financially support the camp (Muscular Dystrophy Association, 2016). Camp MDA leaves a deep imprint on the teens who attend camp as well as the staff, volunteers and counselors. However, the greatest influence is on the self-efficacy, self-reliance or independence, and identity that develop in campers throughout their time at camp. Each camper is carefully matched with a counselor, unless there is a shortage of counselors,in which case some receive two campers. . All counselors are people aged sixteen or older who volunteer to help and accompany their camper. While some campers only participate for a year, the majority attend every summer until they graduate from camp at seventeen; however, the memories of the camp and the people involved remain in their lives constantly. This creates a family atmosphere as some campers, counselors and staff grow up together for years and continue to stay in touch outside of camp. MDA Virginia Summer Camp is held at the Wakefield Airfield 4-H Center. During the summer, the conference center has the capacity to accommodate 208 people in its accommodation (The Natural Place to Be, 2016). People come and go part-time for different camps and events. The equestrian facility includes approximately 100 horse stalls, two arenas and scenic trails. Campers can participate in a petting zoo, go horseback riding, and ride a horse-drawn carriage. There is a swimming pool where swimming and pool parties take place. In addition to the swimming pool, there is a lake where campers have the opportunity to fish or take pedal boats. There are also various buildings used to accommodate campers and different camp activities, such as the Mess Hall, Farm Fresh Building, and cabins. The Airfield Center is known for its conferences and other recreational events. The MDA Summer Camp uses the dining hall, which can hold up to two hundred people; the Farm Fresh Building, which can accommodate up to three hundred; and the cabins, which have the capacity to hold from forty to seventy-five people. The Farm Fresh building includes a gym where the Carnival takes place, a power football demonstration and a game of Color Wars. There is a trailer attached to the building where the arts and crafts are located. The dining room (mess) is where dining, dancing, movie night, talent show and announcements take place. The Morgan Cabin, which can accommodate up to seventy-five people, is where campers can mingle, play games, and find snacks. It is also the location of the Wii tournament, the meeting place for the treasure hunt and the Pajama Jam. Organization of the campEach year of camp is distinguished by a different theme. Examples of previous themes are: "Spy Camp", "Medieval Times", "Time Travel", "Camp Olympics" and many others. The camp buildings are decorated appropriately to match the theme, and the weekly program follows the theme; Various camp activities are tailored as closely as possible to the theme. There are certain activities to choose from each day, and each night also involves a different “special” activity. Every day there is a wake-up call at seven o'clock, breakfast at eight o'clock, lunch at noon, an hour's rest after lunch, and dinner at half past five or six in the evening. The wake-up consists of the camp directors singing "Wakey wakey Eggs and Bakey" over the intercom in all the cabins, playing other obnoxious songs over the intercom, and walking through the cabins while playing instruments such as the trumpet and the drums. One of the camp directors also encouraged people to scream if they were awake. Lights out occurs at 10 p.m., at which time counselors are responsible for ensuring their campers are in bed. Here is an example of what a general schedule for camp would look like: Sunday: Check-in, meet with counselor, drop off medications, explore camp until dinner and nighttime activity. The campers and counselors are distributed in different rooms of the chalets. Approximatelythree or four camper-leader pairs are in each cabin, making six to eight people in total per room. Night activity: bonfire and sketches. S'mores will also be made or provided.Monday: Daytime activities.Nighttime activity: Pool party or movie night.Tuesday: Daytime activities.Nighttime activity: Carnival.Carnival includes photo booth, hay ride “haunted”, games with prizes. , Harley Davidson motorcycle rides, food, a dunk tank and in the past, “weddings”. Campers would ask other campers, counselors, and staff to “marry” them. If accepted, they would have a pseudo carnival wedding ceremony; the individuals concerned would wear a veil or a top hat and would each receive a pseudo wedding ring. In recent years this has been removed from the carnival. It was simply an activity that friends or others who had childhood crushes participated in, but it may have been considered controversial, which is why it may have been taken from the traditional camp activities. Wednesday: daytime activities. Treasure hunt and tie-dye. Color Wars. Completes the treasure hunt with the most items found and in the shortest time, from first to third place, is able to choose an individual at the camp to make a pie in their face with whipped cream. Nighttime activity: Dancing. Thursday: Color Wars. Wii Tournament (some years). Demo Power Soccer.Color Wars is a competitive tradition involving a series of games and activities where the blue team faces off against the red team. Competition includes tug-of-war, a pie-eating contest, watermelon retrieval from the bottom of the pool, relay races, a pine forest derby, and more. Teams are designated based on the even or odd number of the cabin. Power Soccer is the first competitive sport designed for power wheelchair athletes. Since a large majority of MDA campers are wheelchair users, this is a good opportunity for them to try a sport that they can actually participate in. Getting involved in a sport can help individuals establish their identity. “Participation in sport appears to have diminished…individuals' awareness of their disabilities, which was tentatively linked to the exploration and expression of their identity…” (Groff, 1998). Since Camp MDA strives to help campers achieve their identity, power soccer is a helpful way for eligible midshipmen to discover who they are and be part of a family-oriented team. In the evening: talent show. Pajama Jam – campers are allowed to stay up later and spend time in the main cabin, Morgan. People usually stay awake playing card or board games, listening to music, and conversing. Friday: Pack your bags and leave at noon. Daytime activities include fishing, swimming, arts and crafts, paddle boats, petting zoo or horse riding. On certain days, special activities take place during the day, such as tie-dye, scavenger hunt and color war. Area of ​​Focus According to G. Stanley Hall, adolescents are going through a period of storm and stress. However, this period of emotional, physical, and cognitive development and confusion is heightened when an adolescent also faces chronic physical disability (Allsop, 2012, p.1). A multitude of children spend endless hours in hospital for health reasons. routine checks which are more frequent for them than for their able-bodied counterparts. They undergo a number of surgical procedures in an attempt to provide them with a morecomfortable. There are unexpected overnight stays in the emergency room because of the flu, which has a high risk of developing into pneumonia or another high-risk illness. “For some young men [with Duchenne muscular dystrophy], it made sense not to go out much in the winter and not be around other people, for fear of contracting a lung infection that could kill them” (Abbott and Carpenter, 2015, p. 75). In adolescents with degenerative neuromuscular diseases, the typical flu can easily escalate into pneumonia, which could lead to death if left untreated, because their immune systems are too weak to handle this debilitating illness. Many MDA campers suffer from muscular dystrophy (MD) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). These particular conditions lead to a multitude of health problems. For more severe cases, this includes respiratory problems such as breathing and low lung function (some are on temporary or permanent ventilators). swallowing, decreased muscle function, scoliosis, weak bones, muscle pain and spasms. The majority of campers are in wheelchairs; so they need help with daily tasks. People with less severe types of disabilities may have some independence, but others may need it. assists with transferring, dressing, bathing, feeding, toileting, adjusting to their chair, and other daily activities. A key aspect of adolescence is establishing an identity, and a factor of identity is the search for autonomy. Some adolescents with disabilities have difficulty finding adequate independence, especially away from their overbearing parents who overplay caution and codependency in daily life. “It was clear that this limited young men's choices and the opportunity to develop their independence from their parents” (Abbott and Carpenter, 2015, p.71). Camp MDA helps campers develop independence. Larry Chip Young Junior, a former camper, says, “I promise that because of Camp MDA, I am a stronger, more independent prism. Thanks to camp, I understood, from a young age, that we campers could live freely. People have dedicated their lives and dedicated their lives to show us how worthy we are in the face of the obstacles we were born with.” The campers are away from their parents for a week and are helped by a younger counselor who encourages them to be as independent as possible. Although a week may seem like a short amount of time, this self-reliance that is practiced at camp will then stay with the individuals continually for years, if not forever. Once campers realize they are capable of being independent despite a disability, they gain eternal independence. According to the United States Census, approximately one-fifth of the population is disabled. Part of this population includes young people. “In the United States, more than two million adolescents suffer from some form of chronic illness and often have diminished levels of social self-efficacy and social performance” (Allsop, 2012, p. iii). Not only does their disability affect them physically, but these teens in particular are also at higher risk of lacking social skills. “Self-efficacy is the belief that one can control a situation and produce positive results” (Santrock, 2016, p. 375). Achieving self-efficacy is an effective developmental factor throughout adolescence and is necessary to emerge positively into adulthood. Attending MDA Camp gives individuals the chance to mingle with others who are “like them.” MDA camp rises.