"He only understands that his friends have a summer and he does not"

Palma"He only understands that his friends have a summer and he doesn't".The phrase carries more weight than any statistic. It is spoken by Joana, the mother of a nine-year-old boy with mild cerebral palsy, after another summer unsuccessfully searching for a mainstream summer school that will accept him. While his classmates post photos from the pool, on excursions, or doing crafts, he asks her why he can't go. She doesn't know how to explain to him that the problem isn't that they registered late or that there are no more spots. The problem is that, one more year, none of the summer camps they have called have been prepared to welcome him.

For many families in the Balearic Islands, summer doesn't begin with choosing the ideal leisure activity, but with a very different race: finding one that accepts their child, provides the necessary support, and is willing to adapt activities so they can participate on equal terms. According to the "Disability and Family Report by the Adecco Foundation, there are 4,483 minors with disabilities in the Balearic Islands, and 83,200 households live with at least one person with a disability. For many, holidays continue to be the time when inclusion is most put to the test.

"We would call, explain their situation, and trust that someone would tell us: 'No problem, we'll find a way.' But the answers always ended up being the same: 'We don't have enough staff,' 'we can't guarantee their safety,' and 'the activities are not adapted,'" recalls Joana. No one openly told them their child was not welcome. But, behind every explanation, the result was the same: a closed door.

The biggest disappointment came after a meeting that had made them regain hope. They had left convinced that, finally, that summer would be different. A few days later, however, the phone call came. The center had decided it could not assume responsibility. "I remember hanging up the phone and crying. Not because it was the first time, but because it no longer surprised me,” she says.

The hardest part, she explains, is not to accept rejection, but to explain it to her son. "He sees photos of his classmates at the pool or on an excursion and asks me why he can't go. What do you answer? That there are no monitors? That there is no budget? He only understands that his friends have a summer and he does not.” This summer they have stopped calling. The child will spend his holidays with his grandmother while the parents try to balance their workdays. "We are not asking for privileges. We just want him to be able to experience a summer like any other child".

A repeated story

For Nelia Sánchez, a member of the Inclusion Commission of FAPA Mallorca and mother of a child with cerebral palsy, this situation continues to happen too often. She acknowledges that in recent years there have been significant advances, especially with the funding of support monitors, but warns that this does not guarantee real inclusion. "Adapted leisure is not the same as inclusive leisure. The goal is not for the child to be with a monitor doing activities apart from the group, but to be able to participate with the rest," she explains. Her reflection provides context for stories that repeat every summer. Because, even when children are admitted, this does not necessarily mean they are included.

This is what Katina, mother of a girl with Asperger's syndrome, experienced. Before the camp started, she met with the people in charge, explained what situations caused her anxiety and what strategies worked when she got blocked. "They told us not to worry, that they had experience and would make the necessary adaptations."

The reality was very different and ended up taking a toll on the girl. "She started saying she was bad. She asked us why they always scolded her. One day she confessed to us that she tried not to cry because, if she cried, they got even angrier." The family decided to take her out of the camp before the holidays ended. "We had explained everything they needed to know before starting. The problem was not our daughter's diagnosis, but that no one knew how to turn that information into adequate care," laments Katina.

There is also light

Not all experiences, however, end the same way. Macarena Llull, mother of a girl with autism and ADHD, recalls that she faced the first summer camp with fear. "You wonder if they will know how to act when she gets blocked or if they will understand her needs." Finally, she found a summer school that adapted the activities so her daughter could participate without feeling overwhelmed. If there is a pool, she goes in when there are fewer children; during excursions, the monitors maintain constant contact with the family. "This is the fourth year she has been going and we are very happy. She has created a beautiful bond with the monitors," she explains. For her, a summer school should be "a space for education, inclusion, and coexistence with diversity".

Another mother, Lluna, shares a similar experience. Her daughter has been attending an ordinary summer camp for five years where children with disabilities, neurodivergences, and no specific needs coexist. She has a support monitor throughout the day and participates in all activities with the rest of the group. "We have never felt that she was different. This is what we would want to happen everywhere," she summarizes.

But these experiences are still the exception. Catalina, mother of a young man with cerebral palsy, explains that her son attends a specific summer school because she believes ordinary summer camps do not have the necessary support. However, she is not satisfied either. "The feeling is that they are kept as if it were a nursery. They don't adapt the activities, even though they can do many things. It's easier to always do the same thing," she laments. According to her, many outings end up being canceled and the children spend a good part of the mornings inside the facilities watching movies.

Inclusion, a trend?

Joan Jordi Muntaner is a doctor in Pedagogy from the UIB and assures that these differences show that inclusion still depends too much on each center. "Inclusion is in vogue and everyone says they are inclusive, but it is not yet always understood what it means," he states. According to the professor, it is not enough for a child to be present in an activity: it is necessary to guarantee that they can participate on equal terms and provide them with the necessary support.

When schools reopen their doors in September, Joana's son will return to share a classroom with his classmates. But they will arrive laden with memories of swimming pools, excursions, and new friends. He will have spent the summer with his grandmother because no summer camp found a way to welcome him. His mother does not ask for special treatment. She only hopes that one day looking for a summer school will be as easy for her son as it is for any other child. Because inclusion should not start in September or end in June: it should be there all year round.