Via West Campus

We have been sending our special needs son here on and off for several years. The campus is well suited for the needs of all levels of children and adults — my son is very verbal and we discuss his experiences in great detail after the fact — he’s never had anything less than a wonderful experience.
The staff is extremely dedicated and caring — from the full time nurses to the counselors to the management who devote their time and lives to making sure those who are less fortunate are cared for and loved and safe.
Is it perfect? No but I’ve yet to find anything that is – I trust them with my son and I’m not one that trusts easily.

My son has attended Via West since he was 12 years old. He is now 20 and camp just gets better and better. My son has an intellectual disability but no physical limitations or special health concerns and is completely independent.
In the last year or two, Via West has enhanced their programming and life skills are emphasized. There is still plenty of fun and typical camp experiences but I really like the focus on life skills especially for teenagers and young adults. Many of their programs mimic what he is learning in his post-​secondary program, which I think is just terrific.
The camp directors, Leslie and Sandy, are inventive, empathetic and listen to your concerns and respond in a timely manner. The camp administrator, Molly, is top-​notch, knows everything there is to know, and responds to emails within minutes!
All in all, a great camp that just keeps getting better and better.

I sent my son to this camp. It was one of the few that would welcome him since he has both type 1 diabetes and autism.
During his visit, the «nurse» dropped his medication on the floor, spilling all of it. At 10 PM, I drove up the windy road to their camp to bring some more.
Silly me, I signed my son up again the following year. It wasn’t like I had a lot of choices. And a friend who used the camp swore my experience must have been a fluke.
I waited in line at 6AM to register like all the other families, and I secured a spot for my son to go to camp with a friend from school.
A few days before he was supposed to go, they called me and said they couldn’t handle his diabetes and they were returning my money. No apology, no real expression of regret. Too bad.
In spite of this, they continue to say on their website and in all of their marketing material that they welcome kids with diabetes. They refused to answer my calls or respond when I questioned this practice.
This is not just about diabetes. This is how they treat families of special needs kids and the clumsiness of their care. I later spoke with other families who had care problems, one mom whose child required antibiotics for an infection developed due to their failure at hygiene. I learned from talking to a variety of others that my experience was absolutely not a «fluke.»
Bad attitudes, bad care. I was sorry I dealt with them at all: You don’t have to be.
Susan Walton
Founder, Peninsula Parents of Special Needs Kids
Northern California

My son has been going to Via since he was 5 years old. Via West is safe, friendly, and filled with people who care about my child. He is always so proud of himself when he comes home, and learns a new skill whenever he’s at camp. We have done both weekend respite and full-​week summer camp, and we’ll be going back this summer.
The ratio is 1:1 or 1:3 depending on the needs of your kid. Years ago it was very hard to get a 1:1 spot because there are fewer of them, but there is a better system now, no waiting in line for hours. I think registration took less than 30 minutes for this summer’s sign up.
from Via Services:
Via West Campus (formerly Camp Costanoan) offers year-​round day and residential programs for children and adults, ages five and older, with physical and/​or developmental disabilities and special needs. The programs incorporate developmentally appropriate content reflecting our Living Healthy themes: adaptive and functional skills, nutrition, physical activity, health awareness and self-​management.