Causes: Developmentally Disabled Centers, Disabilities, Human Services

Mission: Camp Yakety Yak (CYY) is a 501c3 organization that was created in 2013 by Angela Arterberry, Speech Pathologist, to help children with special needs (e. g. , Autism, ADHD, Intellectual Disability) grow socially and emotionally by improving their communication skills. The camp's educational mission is twofold: 1) provide instruction in social & emotional skills to children with special needs & their siblings to support friendship development in a day camp setting and2) provide an opportunity for future professionals in educational and therapeutic fields to gain knowledge and hands-on experience in working with children with special needs. Eighty percent of our staff members are students from local universities and high schools who receive 10-30 hours of training and ongoing supervision by our professional faculty.

Target demographics: Supporting social skill growth in children with special needs, ages 5-22.Siblings and peer models welcome!

Direct beneficiaries per year: 239 campers over 4 camp weeks

Geographic areas served: Camp Yakety Yak is a therapeutic day camp located in the Portland metro area.

Programs: Our Professional Faculty consists of Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Behavior Support Staff, and Special Education and Regular Education Teachers to offer a well-rounded learning experience. Our specialists have designed a camp for children with special needs based on years of experience, advanced training, and research. The philosophy, curriculum and individualized support of Camp Yakety Yak is best suited for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Communication Disorder, ADHD, Mild Intellectual Disabilities, Learning Disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injuries and more.