Stories and Essays: Autism Camp Portraits

It’s estimated that one in every 150 children born in the United States will have autism. This series focuses on people with autism and was made over the course of one week in 2008 and three weeks in July 2011 at Camp Lakey Gap in North Carolina, a summer camp designed for people with autism.

Alongside the portrait of the subject is his or her camp schedule for the day. The schedules, written at the start of each day by the camper’s sole counselor, reflect the subject’s level of communication. For high-functioning campers, the schedules are detailed and written. For low-functioning campers, who often take visual cues to navigate the day, the schedules are image icons.

This pairing gives a more intimate glimpse into the person’s life and how they see the world and are able to communicate. They also reflect how wide-ranging and varied the symptoms are for diagnosing autism.