Autism Camp Australia (ACA) is a registered Australian charity whose mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of Autistic young people and their families through the provision of accessible and supported life skills development. We do this through an experiential learning and capacity building camp program held over 4 days/5 nights, 10 times a year at each of our locations. The camps are for the whole family, with programs for the Autistic young person, siblings and parents/carers.

Our first location was launched in Byron Bay, NSW in November 2019. Our second location opened in the Sunshine Coast, QLD in December 2020 and a third location opened in the Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria in December, 2021. We plan to open new camp locations in every State in Australia in the next 5 years and have had significant interest in our model internationally. Our programs are incredibly popular. Our camp program takes an authentic strengths-based approach to the health and wellbeing of Autistic young people and their families. At camp, we celebrate neurodiversity, embrace difference and nurture individuality. We want our young people to develop confidence and independence, increase their social connection, develop new and lasting friendships and celebrate their Autistic identity. We want our parents/carers and siblings to build increased resilience, enhance their social networks and have a greater ability to maintain informal supports for their young people.

ACA’s experiential learning camp program helps form an initial engagement for many isolated Autistic young people and works as a stepping-stone to mainstream inclusive social and community participation. We recognise neurodiversity as a way of thinking that supports our young people to grow into confident and happy adults. We use a one-to-one carer/Autistic young person care-based model, building confidence and self-belief in the participant within a ‘safe’ ACA camp environment. We build on existing strengths and special interests in a supportive environment, enabling Autistic young people to more effectively prepare for mainstream inclusion.

Our vision is self-reliance, independence, social connection and community inclusion for Autistic young people and their families. We are leaders in the evolution of a balanced and respectful relationship between Autistic young people, their families and all Australians.