Eastern Michigan University will be introducing kids on the autism spectrum to pirates, dinosaurs and rocket ships this summer.
EMU's groundbreaking Autism Collaborative Center is hosting seven week-long "Summer Splash" camps that provide a structured environment for children ages 3-12 with autism.
The camps are designed to help increase confidence, develop independence and provide peer interaction.
Each week has a theme, including "Walking with Dinosaurs," "Medieval Times" and "Pirate Adventure."
The first session begins today and runs through Thursday. Its theme is "American Pride."
The ACC at Eastern is a national leader in educating college-age students along the spectrum. Now, Eastern is lending its faculty and other program officials to work with much younger students at the camps, which will have a staff-to-child ratio of 1-to-3.