Camper Application

Applications for the 2024 camp will open at 10am on Saturday, 21 October 2023. See below for the updated application process!

​Camp Jabiru 2024 will run April 15th-19th, 2024. Please read the following information prior to submitting your application. The link for the application is at the bottom of this page and will become active at 10am on 21 October 2023. If your child has been invited to participate in Jabiru 2.0 the link for the application will be included in the email invitation.

Click Here to Learn About Camp

Application Information

 Due to the popularity of Camp Jabiru, applications are considered in the order in which they are received. 

NEW THIS YEAR: Completing the first page of the application (i.e., hitting the new "Hold My Spot!" button at the bottom of the first page) will reserve your child's place in the application queue, which will determine the order in which applications are considered. This will allow you time to complete the rest of the application in a considered way, knowing that your spot is held. You must hit "SUBMIT" at the end of the application for your child to be considered for camp. The entire application must be complete and submitted or you will lose the place you reserved by completing this first page. If you close the page and do not finish the application once you start you will lose your place in line. To save your place in the queue and continue completing the application, hit "Hold My Spot!" at the bottom of page one. You must continue to complete the entire application at that time for your child to be considered for placement at camp. The application is not completed until you hit "SUBMIT." 

Once your application has been submitted you will be notified that your application has been received. Submitting an application DOES NOT guarantee your child a place at Camp Jabiru. Due to the time involved to process camper applications, you will not be contacted until after 15 November about the status of your application. If we are unable to offer your child a spot at camp this year, they will be placed on our wait list and you will be contacted if a spot opens up. 

PLEASE NOTE: You will need the following documents to upload into your camp application. You cannot complete your application without this documentation. We recommend completing the documentation prior to starting your application and saving it to your computer to upload. You can fill them out digitally or print them to complete by hand. If you complete the documents by hand, we recommend using the CamScanner app to scan them into your computer for upload. 
​
Note: there is no separate YMCA Medical Form to upload for Jabiru 2024. 

To download the documents, click on the link provided:

• Risk Management Document ​
• Recent photo of your child 

​
New to The Sensory Gym® and Camp Jabiru?
If your child is not a current or past client of The Sensory Gym® and has never attended Camp Jabiru, we will require a “screening” prior to acceptance for camp. The screening will be a 30-45 minute meeting with you and your child at The Sensory Gym®. There is a $50 cost for the screening. We will also require the following questionnaires be uploaded with your application:

• OT Referral Questionnaire
• Sensory History Questionnaire

You will also need to have your child's school complete the following questionnaire to email to The Sensory Gym® as soon as it is completed:

• Preschool Questionnaire OR
• School Questionnaire

Please take this screening process into consideration when lodging your application, as the need to do a screening will make the acceptance process take longer. Your spot in the application “queue” will be preserved until such time as your screening takes place and a decision regarding camp placement can be made.

Camp Groups and Appropriate Campers

​Is your Child an appropriate Camper?
We understand that Camp Jabiru is a highly sought-after experience. However, it is also a program with very specific goals and intentions for campers. It is not meant to be a respite experience; it is a highly organized and considered therapeutic experience. We want campers to be as successful as possible within the program, so we thought it could be helpful to have a "checklist" of whether your child is ready for camp.

Non-negotiables for being a camper at Jabiru:

• Can your child go a week without technology? Campers may not bring any personal devices to camp unless they are used for communication (i.e., for a non-speaking child). For the intent of Jabiru, devices distract from the opportunities that abound.
• Is absconding your child's primary coping mechanism? Camp is bounded by a road on one side and a river on the other. Though we have an extremely high staff-to-camper ratio, we cannot manage campers who are likely to flee should they become distressed.

Additional non-negotiables for overnight campers:

• Can your child go a week without direct communication with you? We, of course, will notify you of anything that happens during camp that cannot wait until the last day. However, a significant goal of camp is your child's autonomy. If children want to communicate with you, we will encourage them to write a letter, and we are also happy to receive mail for your child (you can write letters ahead of time and give them to your child's leader to distribute through the week). However, your child should not expect a daily call, nor should you expect daily communication unless it is urgent. If you don't hear from us, assume all is well.
• Has your child had sleepover experience other than with a relative? Campers sleep in cabins with a number of other children and adults, so it can be difficult for a child to manage if they haven't had previous opportunities.
• Is your child relatively flexible about what they eat? Camp food is nutritious, and meals are balanced. There is minimal packaged or processed food. We attempt to plan menus that are "kid-friendly" (i.e., tacos, burgers, spaghetti). However, if your child refuses to eat, we cannot accommodate multiple meals for very restricted eaters. And a hungry child is not a happy camper.

Other Factors to Consider:
In the interest of your child's camp experience being positive, please think about your child relative to these factors:

• Ability to remain with a group: can your child remain with a group for the duration of a non-preferred activity? Can your child follow a group itinerary/schedule for the day? There is little individual choice around activities for the day at camp, and your child will be happiest and most successful if they can go along with the plan for the group.
• Endurance: camp days are long and physically intense; does your child have the stamina to cope with 5 consecutive days of camp?
• Will your child wear a harness and a helmet? Most YMCA activities require use of a harness and a helmet for safety. Even some of the "on the ground" activities require harness and helmet use. Water activities require wearing a snug-fitting life vest. Wearing necessary safety equipment for the duration of time in an activity (not just when it is your child's immediate turn) is a non-negotiable with the YMCA.
• Ability to cope with closely grouped activities (for overnight campers only): at overnight camp, meals and campfire occur in closer quarters and tend to be quite boisterous. Can your child cope with this or will it be a distressing time for them? We can sometimes make arrangements for picnics and quieter mealtimes, but campfire is a highlight for most campers, and is a rollicking, noisy event.

Which group is right for your child?
As part of your camp application, you will need to select the appropriate camp group for your child. This year we are pleased to offer the following levels of camp:

• Day Camp – for children 4-8 years of age; children will be divided into groups of 6-9 children based on age and year in school
• Transition Camp – 8 year olds still attending day camp stay 1 night overnight in order to prepare them for overnight camp the following year. Note: not all 8 year olds will be placed in this group, but you may indicate it as a preference on your application form
• Overnight Camp – for children 8-12 years of age; children will be divided into groups based on age and gender
• Jabiru 2.0 – for teens 13-15 years of age; participation by invitation only 

​Criteria for group selection:

• Campers aged 4-5 years: Appropriate campers will be able to participate in group experiences, have adequate stamina to participate in a 4 hour camp day without need for a nap, and will have at least some awareness of toileting needs and preferably at least be in a pull-up if not toilet trained.  By the time of camp, these campers WILL NOT have entered kindergarten. 
• Campers aged 5-6 years: Appropriate campers will be able to participate in group experiences, have adequate stamina to participate in a 6-hour camp day, will be toilet trained and will have at least emergent ability to interact and communicate with peers.  By the time of camp, these campers WILL have completed one term of kindergarten. 
• Campers aged 6-8 years: Appropriate campers will be able to participate in group experiences, have adequate stamina to participate in a 7.5-hour camp day and will have some independence in their ability to interact and communicate with peers.They must also be toilet trained. 
• Transition campers aged 8 years: Campers will stay 1 night overnight in order to prepare them for overnight camp the following year. If your child is not ready to sleep away for one night, do not apply for this group. Not all 8 year olds will be placed in this group, but you may indicate it as a preference on your application form. Appropriate campers will be able to: sleep away for one night, participate in group experiences, have adequate stamina to participate in a 7.5-hour camp day, and have some independence in their ability to interact and communicate with peers. They must also be toilet trained. 
• Overnight camp group for children aged 8-12 years: Appropriate campers will be able to participate in group experiences, will have had some sleep-over experience away from home prior to camp and will be able to independently interact and communicate with peers, with adult support as needed to ensure success and positivity. They must also be toilet trained. Children who are 9 or older WILL NOT be considered for day camp. 
• Jabiru 2.0 Apprenticeship Overnight camp for teens aged 13 years and older: Jabiru 2.0 is an extension of Camp Jabiru, and allows us to provide roles for adolescents who have previously attended and benefitted from camp. Candidates are accepted by invitation only. ​The application for this program will be included in your child's invitation to participate.

Camp Fees and Funding

Once accepted, camp fees will be due. The Sensory Gym is a registered provider for NDIS & Medicare. Please read through the payment options and tick the option that best suits your family. Please see the attached fee list to gain an understanding of the fees associated with your child’s potential program. Medicare rebates can apply if you are enrolled in an appropriate plan. If you have NDIS funding, please call the front office regarding the details of your plan and how it may be applied to camp. More information regarding billing will be provided once your child is accepted as a camper. Additionally, if you would like The Sensory Gym® to set you up on a payment plan for camp, please call the office to arrange this. Camp must be paid in full by the first day of camp. Please see the table below for pricing of Camp Jabiru 2024.

Camp Group	Hours Per Day	Fees for Camp Jabiru 2024 ​NDIS Self-Managed or Private Pay	Fees for Camp Jabiru 2024 ​NDIS Agency Managed or Planner Managed
Day Camp (4-5 yr olds)	4 hours	$1691	$1767
​Day Camp (5-6 yr olds)	6 hours	$1958	$2046
​Day Camp (6-7 yr olds)	7.5 hours	$2225	$2325
​Day Camp (7-8 yr olds)	7.5 hours	$2225	$2325
Transition/One Overnight Camp (8 yr olds)	7.5 hours plus 1 overnight	$2314	$2418
Overnight Camp ​(8-12 yr olds)	5 days & 4 nights	$2759	$2883
Jabiru 2.0	5 days & 4 nights	$2136	$2232

NDIS Funds for camp can only be claimed under the Improved Daily Living category. Camp is an occupational therapy service and not a respite service and therefore should be funded under the OT category. 
​
If claiming under medicare, the best plan to use for camp is the Mental Health Care Plan. You will need your plan to be approved for 5 sessions prior to the start of camp. Please contact reception at The Sensory Gym® (02 4578 9799) if you have any questions regarding setting up your plan.

Camper Goals

Because Camp Jabiru is a therapeutic camp environment, it is important to set and assess goals related to your child's performance and participation. The information gained from setting and reassessing these goals allows us to individualize your child’s camp program. Because we assess the goals both individually and collectively, the information gained provides us with knowledge about the success of the camp as a therapeutic intervention. Finally, the information we gain from the progress reflected in each child’s goals is used for program evaluation and research designs to assess the overall effectiveness of the camp model in creating therapeutic change.

Participation in goal collection and goal reassessment is part of Camp Jabiru. As such, we need to ensure that you agree to respond to queries from The Sensory Gym®. If your child is accepted to participate at Camp Jabiru, you will get a call to establish goals in late January/early February. You will then be contacted 2-3 weeks following camp and in late July/early August to check in about goal progress. Please note that if your child is enrolled in Jabiru 2.0 they will also be required to set individual goals for themselves as part of the apprenticeship program.
​
We will make every endeavour to call or meet with you at mutually convenient times. Because this process is integral to Camp Jabiru, your child will not be considered for future camps if you are not responsive around goal collection times.

Camp Documentation

Please be advised that reports are not included in your camp fees. In general, we do not provide written reports regarding your child's participation at camp. We will only provide a statement of progress to camp goals as outlined below: 

• If you are a current client of The Sensory Gym®, your child’s therapist will include your child’s camp participation in your annual NDIS report. Per usual the fee for this report of $186 for agency-managed and plan-managed clients and $178 for self-managed or private pay clients.

• If you are not a current client of The Sensory Gym® and your child receives ongoing occupational therapy services with another provider, we are happy to provide your child’s occupational therapist with a copy of your child’s camp goals and progress to goals as recorded by parents and by camp therapists. Please note that the final collection time for camp goals is late July. We can provide progress-to-goal information from mid-May (2 data collection points) or early August (3 data collection points). Your child’s regular service provider can recommend Camp Jabiru in their annual progress report for your child to be considered in your child's next NDIS plan. 

• If you are not a current client of The Sensory Gym® and your child is not receiving occupational therapy services through any other provider, we can write a brief progress-to-goals statement following camp. We need at least 2 weeks’ notice to provide this report before your NDIS meeting. We will only be addressing your child’s participation in camp. We can provide progress-to-goal information from mid-May (2 data collection points) or early August (3 data collection points). There is a fee for this report of $186 for agency-managed and plan-managed clients and $178 for self-managed or private pay clients.

Click here to complete the camper application.