Camp Jump Start Autism Adventure Offers Families a Place to Belong

For families raising a child with autism, the need is often bigger than a program.

It is the need for understanding.

It is the need for practical help.

It is the need for other parents who know what the hard days feel like without needing every detail explained.

At Living Well Village in Imperial, Camp Jump Start Autism Adventure is being built around that need.

The summer day camp is designed for children with an autism diagnosis and their legal guardians, offering a place where families can learn, play, build skills, and connect with others walking a similar road. Located at 3602 Lions Den Road in Imperial, the camp gives families access to a large natural setting just south of St. Louis, with outdoor space, activity rooms, sensory areas, water play, arts and crafts, and room for children to grow at their own pace.

But for Jean Huelsing, the work is not just about giving children something fun to do in the summer.

It is about helping families find what she calls a village.

Huelsing said one of the challenges for many families is that traditional systems can sometimes miss what parents and children need most in daily life. Services may focus on the child for a set period of time, but parents are often left without enough practical guidance, connection, or understanding of how to continue that progress at home.

Camp Jump Start Autism Adventure was created to help close that gap by keeping parents involved, giving families shared tools, and creating a place where children, siblings, and caregivers can learn together.

For that reason parents do not simply drop their children off. They attend with them.

That model allows parents to see what is happening, learn alongside their child, and connect with other families who understand the same challenges. Siblings may also be able to attend, creating an environment that recognizes autism affects the whole family, not just one child.

“Here we can get a support system for the couple,” Huelsing said. “And suddenly not only do you have the expert guiding you, but then it becomes a mom thing.”

A Camp Built Around the Whole Family

For many families, that community piece may be just as important as the camp activities themselves.

Huelsing described parents who have felt isolated from relatives, schools, medical systems, and even ordinary social settings. A simple errand, a haircut, a meal, or a day at the park can become overwhelming when a child has sensory needs, communication struggles, food aversions, or safety concerns.

At camp, those issues are not treated as inconveniences.

They are part of the reason the program exists.

The Living Well Village campus includes spaces designed for hands-on learning and practical life experiences. During a tour, Huelsing pointed to areas used for sensory play, arts and crafts, exercise, yoga, quiet space, and outdoor activity. She described plans for parent education spaces, family events, and future membership opportunities that would allow families to continue using the grounds beyond a single week of camp.

The goal is not simply to entertain children for a few hours.

The goal is to help them practice real-life skills in a safe, patient, and understanding environment.

One example Huelsing shared involved haircuts, a challenge many families of children with autism know well. The sounds, touch, loose hair, and unfamiliar setting can quickly become overwhelming. At Living Well Village, she said, the idea is to help children become familiar with those experiences in a calmer way before eventually bringing in someone who can provide haircuts on site.

She also described plans for spaces where children can become more comfortable with medical or dental-type settings, not by forcing them through an appointment, but by helping them become familiar with the environment.

Learning to Communicate, Try, and Grow

The same thinking applies to food.

Many children on the spectrum struggle with food aversions, texture issues, or a very limited list of foods they will eat. Huelsing said the camp can help children gradually experience food in a low-pressure setting, sometimes beginning with simply touching, smelling, or holding a food before ever taking a bite.

The camp’s natural setting also plays a major role.

Huelsing said children often do better outdoors than they do in more rigid settings. Living Well Village has open space, a lake, fields, and buildings that can be adapted for different activities. That gives families room to move, explore, and take part in structured activities without the same pressure they may feel elsewhere.

The Next Chapter for Camp Jump Start

The property itself carries a long history of serving children.

Camp Jump Start was founded in 2003 by Jean and Tom Huelsing and their family as a residential health camp for children. The original program focused on helping children build healthier lifestyles, improve confidence, and address serious health challenges.

This new version of the camp grew partly from her daughter’s experience as a special education teacher. Huelsing said her daughter saw how often families were left without the kind of practical, connected support they needed. Children might receive services in one setting, but parents were left trying to understand how to carry those skills into daily life at home.

That disconnect is exactly what the camp is trying to address.

Camp Jump Start Autism Adventure is designed to give parents and children shared tools. It also gives siblings a place to be included rather than pushed to the side. Huelsing said siblings often feel the weight of a family’s daily struggles too, and the camp tries to make the experience positive for them as well.

Safety is also central to the program.

Because the property includes an open lake and serves children with a wide range of needs, Living Well Village is clear that it cannot currently support every situation. Parents remain responsible for the care and safety of their child while attending.

Huelsing said that level of care matters for the children, the families, the staff, and the long-term success of the program.

The camp is also built around fit. Families begin by connecting with the organization, learning about the space, and determining whether the program is appropriate for their child and family.

The cost is intended to be accessible. Living Well Village describes program fees as being based on a sliding scale, with sponsorships and scholarships available each year. Families are also expected to be active in the community by contributing time, talent, treasure, and support through their own networks.

For Huelsing, that community investment is part of the point.

The camp is not meant to be a transaction.

It is meant to be a village.

A Place to Learn, Play, and Belong

That village may look like a parent learning from another parent where to find affordable pull-ups. It may look like a child trying a new food because another child is eating it nearby. It may look like a sibling finally being included in something joyful. It may look like a mother watching her child play safely with other children and realizing, maybe for the first time in a long time, that she is not alone.

Huelsing recalled one child who had been deeply attached to her mother and struggled to separate even briefly. After time at camp, the child was able to walk calmly through Walgreens, holding onto the cart while her mother shopped.

To some families, that may sound small.

To families who understand, it is enormous.

Camp Jump Start Autism Adventure is now inviting families to learn more, tour the property, and begin the process of seeing whether the program is the right fit.

For families who have spent years feeling isolated, misunderstood, or overwhelmed, Living Well Village is offering something simple but powerful.

A place to learn.

A place to play.

A place to belong.

Learn More About Camp Jump Start® Autism Adventure

Families interested in Camp Jump Start® Autism Adventure can contact Living Well Village to learn more, ask questions, or schedule a tour.

Living Well Village
3602 Lions Den Road
Imperial, MO 63052
636-674-5014

Email [email protected] to book a tour.

Visit Camp Jump Start® Autism Adventure Online

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