-
Confident Kids Camp
A 5-day day intensive Selective Mutism summer camp that helps children take their speech skills beyond the clinic to real-world settings.
What is Confident Kids Camp?
Children with Selective Mutism can “get better” faster with CKC!
Since 2019, Rockville Therapy Center LLC has offered Confident Kids Camp (CKC-DC), a 5-day intensive summer camp for children with Selective Mutism and severe Social Anxiety in the DC Metro and Maryland area. Created by Dr. Aimee Kortba, this Selective Mutism treatment camp helps children practice speech skills in real-world settings.
At CKC-DC, our evidence-based PCIT-SM and exposure approach helps children take what they learn in therapy to school, peer interactions, and community activities—where confidence and communication truly matter.
Ages 4–8 participate in structured, age-based classrooms with built-in peer speaking opportunities. Returning campers ages 9+ may return as campers or serve as Junior Counselors, providing leadership and modeling brave communication.
While traditional therapy builds skills, CKC-DC gives children a fun, safe, and brave environment to practice speaking and use their skills in everyday life – just in time for the new school year and other daily social situations.
Where
Temple Beth Ami
Rockville, MD 20850
Don't Wait
When
August 3-7, 2026
9:15am-2:30pm
"This camp has been a very important step in our child’s SM journey. We saw immediate improvements. Dr. Scharfstein and her team are incredible"
The Camp Package
Faster Improvement
Better generalization of skills to real-world school and community settings compared to traditional therapy.
Cost Effective
More than half the cost at $3,200, versus traditional therapy, which can exceed $7,000+.
Class & Play Activities
Engaging camp activities jump-start bravery for the new school year and extracurriculars!
Special Guests
Community-based activities with special guests include a mobile petting zoo, a balloon artist, and therapy dogs.
Daily Counselor Feedback
Parents and counselors meet daily to review the child’s day, highlights, progress, and growth areas.
One-on-One & Group Therapy
Child-focused behavioral therapy in simulated classrooms, group games, cafeteria, prize store, and playgrounds.
Parent Skills Training
Daily (90-min) in-person skills training with Dr. Scharfstein and school psychologist, live coaching on Thursday.
Junior Counselors
Jr. Counselors are peer speech partners and leaders who have nearly overcome SM or have no SM history.
Post-Camp Features
Transition progress to real-world settings with a written report, school and teacher training, and parent session.
Camp Dates to Know
Mark your calendar and don’t miss out!
Registration Opens
February 2nd 2026
Camp Dates
August 3-7, 2026
Lead-In Sessions
Several Weeks Before Camp
Who benefits from CKC?
90% of campers improved in school, home, & community settings!
Children ages 4-8 with Selective Mutism (SM) and severe Social Anxiety.
New to SM camp or therapy? Start to build your brave voice.
Been to SM camp or therapy? Boost conversation skills & self-advocacy.
Parents engage in daily Skills Training to learn core PCIT-SM strategies.
Advanced camp graduates may be Jr. Counselors with leadership roles.
Camp Schedule
What is a Typical Camp Day?
Arrival and Warm-Up
Circle Time/Morning Meeting
Snack, Introduce New Skill
Group Games or Art Activity
Lunch/Recess
Special Community Guest
End of Day and Prize Store
Each activity helps to build brave talking, decrease anxiety, and increase speech with numerous peers and adults.
Parent Skills Training sessions are held in-person daily from 10:00-11:30am (90-min) with Dr. Scharfstein after camp drop-off. Not required, but a real benefit for campers’ parents. Live parent coaching on Thursday.
Parent/Counselor Feedback: counselors meet daily with parents from 2:00-2:15pm to review their child’s strengths and growth areas.
Confident Kids Camp Costs
CKC is cost-effective at half the cost of typical clinical treatments.
The 5-day intensive treatment camp provides 30+ hours of evidence-based care in just 5 days compared to traditional therapy of 45-minutes/week for 25+ weeks. Camp is an excellent supplement to one-on-one therapy – research shows that intensive therapy camps promote faster progress and stronger carryover to school settings.
Camp Cost: $3,200* (half the cost of standard therapy, $7,000+) and includes:
- 25 child-focused therapy hours (5 hours per day)
- 7+ parent/caregivers skills training (1.5 hours daily), live coaching Thursday
- Special guests, field trip activities, and other therapeutic camp activities
- 3 hours of Post-Camp Support: Post-camp written report with individualized recommendations, School Team Training, and Caregiver Booster Session
*Discounts: Returning clients/campers of Dr. Scharfstein receive $300 off. Returning campers eligible for Junior Counselor roles also receive a discount.
*Note: Intake Evaluation and Lead-ins are billed separately at our standard rates.
Insurance Coverage
Rockville Therapy Center LLC [Confident Kids Camp] is an out-of-network provider and does not accept insurance. A Registration Fee is required at the time of registration and the full cost of camp is due before camp begins.
Some families report that insurance may reimburse 30-40%, but reimbursement varies by plan and is not guaranteed. Families are encouraged to check with their insurance company for out-of-network-benefits, pre-authorization requirements, and reimbursement procedures prior to registering for camp.
We will provide Superbills for all services, which can be used to file claims with your insurance.
- Camp Superbill: provided within 2 weeks after camp completion
- Pre-Camp Services Superbill (Intake Evaluation, Lead-ins, etc.): available on the 1st of every month through our Client Portal.
Diagnostic Codes on Superbills
- F94.0 Selective Mutism and/or F40.10 Social Anxiety Disorder
Pre-Camp Therapeutic Services
90791 (95)– Intake Evaluation (telehealth): A 55-minute virtual session with a Camp Leader and the child’s parents to gather necessary background information, confirm a diagnosis, provide education, and create an individualized camp treatment plan.
90837 – Individual Psychotherapy Sessions (Camp Lead-Ins): 55 min exposure sessions with the child, a Camp Leader, and the child’s 1st counselor are required before attending camp. Most children complete this in 4-6 hours (typically 2-3 sessions) and are then considered ready to participate in CKC-DC.
90785 – Interactive Complexity. This is an add-on code typically used for therapy services involving children.
Camp -Week Therapeutic Services
Each day of camp, your child will receive the following therapy session codes:
- 90837: One 55 Minute Individual Psychotherapy session
- 90785: One add-on for Interactive Complexity
- 90853: Three Group Therapy sessions
These codes are typically billable to insurance, though coverage may vary.
"Confident Kids Camp was fantastic! We learned tangible and effective ways to better help our daughter. She was challenged to use her brave voice in ways that increased her confidence and were exciting."
Confident Kids Camp Results
What happens during and after camp matters!
Parents reported high satisfaction in all areas of Confident Kids Camp (CKC) DC Metro:
- 92% saw significant child improvement during camp.
- 100% were satisfied with parent/caregiver training, counselor services, and reward systems.
- 100% would recommend CKC-DC to others
- 100% felt their child was treated with dignity, respect, and in an equitable, inclusive, and culturally sensitive way.
Parents completed a questionnaire before camp and 4 months after camp to track speech across settings.
- 90% of campers improved at school
- 50% improved at home/with family
- 70% improved in the community
- 90% improved in all settings
.
What Parents Are Saying
Hear directly from our amazing camp families!
Confident Kids Camp FAQs
If you have additional questions, we're here for you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Camp will be held August 3-7, 2026!
Steps to Register
To help you get the information you need quickly and ensure a smooth registration process, please follow these steps carefully:
- Review all information provided below thoroughly.
- Complete all required steps for registration.
- Slots are very limited and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Keep in mind that registration is finalized only when ALL steps are complete and you have received an email confirming official registration.
STEP 1: Access Registration Packet
Fill out our SM Camp Interest Form to be among the first to access the Registration Packet when it becomes available.
STEP 2: Complete Registration Packet and Documents
Complete all Registration Documents. All parents/legal guardians must complete the secure Registration Documents accessible via an email link from SimplePractice. All parents/legal guardians must use the email sent to them directly to activate their own account and separately complete all forms. The Link expires in 7 days. Completing the Registration Documents does NOT confirm registration.
STEP 3: New Families Phone Consultation
New families only may need to complete a free 15-minute Phone Consultation with our Camp Coordinator to confirm camp fit. You will be contacted if this step is required.
STEP 4: Camp Team Reviews Paperwork
After steps 1-3, we will review your paperwork and contact you with next steps, which may include scheduling a phone consultation, or other steps. This usually takes 2-3 business days.
STEP 5: Pay Registration Fee (Final Step to Official Registration)
Once approved, your card on file will be charged the Registration Fee of $1,550 ($1,400 for returning campers/clients). Payment confirms official registration, and you will receive a confirmation email.
Now you are officially registered! We will send you a confirmation email and to Schedule the Required Pre-Camp Services.
STEP 6: Schedule Pre-Camp Intake Evaluation (Parent Only, Virtual)
Schedule a 55-minute Pre-Camp Virtual Intake Evaluation with a camp leader to discuss your child's history, your camp goals, and camp preparation.
You are coming to camp! What’s next?
STEP 7: Schedule In-Person Lead-ins Sessions
Children will meet their assigned 1st camp counselor (student or professional trained by CKC in SM treatment) for required in-person lead-ins in the several weeks prior to camp. Scheduling can be limited, so please respond promptly to emails to schedule.
Registration opens February 2, 2026. The best way to check availability is to complete the SM Camp Interest Form or email our Camp Coordinator at camp@therapyrockville.com. If camp is full, you will receive an email response with waitlist options or alternative treatment options.
Camp will be held August 3-7, 2026
Camp Location: Camp is held at Temple Beth Ami at 14330 Travilah Rd. Rockville, Maryland with classrooms, a cafeteria-style lunch room, and playgrounds. Free and ample parking.
Lead-In Sessions: ALL lead-ins take place at Dr. Scharfstein office, 6000 Executive Blvd., Suite 530, Rockville Maryland, 20852. Paid parking ($2/hour).
Classrooms are grouped by age and typically have 6-8 campers in each classroom to facilitate peer interaction.
For new campers, we ask for 2 brief videos to help us understand your child's social interactions:
- One showing them speaking comfortably
- One showing a situation where they struggle to speak.
Videos can be under 1 minute and from the past year. Please email them or provide a link (YouTube or Dropbox) to camp@therapyrockville.com at the time of registration, as they help us assess your child's initial fit for camp.
Your child does NOT need a prior diagnosis of selective mutism to attend camp. After registration, you will participate in a 55-minute Pre-Camp Intake Evaluation with a Camp Leader to review your child's speaking abilities, treatment goals, and to confirm whether a diagnosis of selective mutism and/or social anxiety disorder applies.
We keep a limited waitlist of 2 people per classroom. Due to high demand, we recommend registering early to secure a camp spot or join the waitlist.
How do I join the waitlist? Complete the Registration Documents just like regular regular registration. You will be notified that your child is on the waitlist. Payment is only processed once a spot is confirmed.
How will I be notified if I get off the waitlist? If a slot opens up in your child’s age group, we email the first person on the waitlist. We suggest responding quickly, as we move through the waitlist until the spot is filled.
Will another class be added if there is enough interest for a specific age group? Once camp is full, no additional classrooms can be added.
No slot can be held without a Registration Fee. The application is NOT complete until the Registration Fee is paid.
Yes, we encourage Rockville Therapy Center (RTC) clients to include CKC-DC as part of their treatment!
We often collaborate with your child's treating clinicians (outside RTC) during the intake process to gather important information. Please include their contact details on the Release of Information form in the Registration Documents. You can also invite your child's clinician and school providers to get involved as a camp volunteer by completing a Volunteer Interest Form.
We welcome children whether or not they are treated with medication. If your child is on medication, please continue it during camp.
Yes! We welcome families from across the country and around the world. Camp is conducted entirely in English, so children and parents should have a working knowledge of English to fully benefit. If there is an SM camp in your area, we may recommend that option.
CKC 2026 costs $3200 for new campers and $2,900 for returning campers/clients, paid out in 4 installments prior to camp. This cost includes 25 child-focused therapy hours, daily parent training during camp, and post-camp services of a personalized Written Report with recommendations, School/Teacher training, and a Parent Group.
New camper payments are $1,550 at registration, $550 on May 1, $500 on June 1, and $500 on July 1.
Returning camper/client payments are $1,400 at registration, $500 on May 1, $450 on June 1, and $450 on July 1.
*Pre-Camp services (Intake, Lead-ins) are billed separately at $260/55- minutes.
Yes, we will charge the card on file automatically for the Registration Fee at the time of the registration and on the dates of each installment payment - May 1, June 1, July 1.
Yes, we accept HSA and FSA cards.
After the initial Registration Fee, we will charge the card on file automatically at the date of the next installment payment.
We provide a short grace period. We will immediately contact you and send you a new Credit Card Authorization Form; please complete this form with updated credit card information to hold your camp slot.
No, Rockville Therapy Center LLC [Confident Kids Camp] is an out-of-network provider and does not accept any insurance plans. Thus, a registration fee is required at the time of registration and the full cost of camp is due prior to the start of camp.
While some insurance plans may reimburse a portion of the camp costs (around 30-40% based on feedback from families), coverage and reimbursement amounts vary. Families should check with their insurance company to determine if they have out-of-network coverage for mental health services and understand any pre-authorization requirements.
Pre-camp services codes are 90791 (95) Intake Evaluation Telehealth, 3 codes of 90837 individual therapy, 60 minutes, and 3 codes of 90785 Interactive Complexity Code.
During-camp service codes are 5 codes of 90837 (Individual Therapy, 60 minutes), 5 codes of 90785 (Interactive Complexity code) and 5 90853 (Group Therapy).
Note: Rockville Therapy Center cannot accept any payment directly from insurance companies. Families must pay RTC directly.
Yes, we will provide a Camp Superbill within 2 weeks after camp. Monthly Superbills for pre-camp services will be automatically provided through our Client Portal system on the 1st of each month. Superbills are a detailed receipt of all services, procedure codes, diagnoses, dates, and costs.
If a cancelation occurs by July 1st, 50% of the overall CKC-DC costs will be returned except for an administrative fee. After July 1st, NO REFUNDS will be given. No refunds will be provided for services already rendered, such as the Intake Evaluation and Lead-in sessions.
Our camp is rooted in the “gold standard” behavioral therapy called Parent Child Interaction Therapy- Selective Mutism (PCIT-SM). Specific evidence based techniques include exposures, shaping, stimulus fading, reinforcement, and Child Directed Intervention (CDI) and Verbal Directed Intervention (VDI).
Lead-in sessions are conducted in the weeks prior to CKC-DC to provide an opportunity to establish speech between your child and a Camp Leader and their 1st counselor (a prerequisite for camp attendance). By having these sessions prior to camp, your child will enter the camp more comfortable with their 1st counselor and more prepared to make significant gains in verbal communication each day. The 2-3 lead-in sessions are approximately 2 hours each (4-6 hours total), though some will need more/less lead-ins depending on the child’s needs.
During this time, a Camp Leader will work with you/your child to establish speech to the greatest extent possible using behavioral intervention methods (stimulus fading and shaping). Then, a Camp Leader will work with your child and their 1st counselor to increase comfort and transfer that established speech to the counselor. Other CKC-DC team members may observe for training purposes and/or participate if your child is ready to establish speech with another CKC-DC member.
Communication during the lead-in sessions are important, and a prerequisite for camp attendance, as we have structured activities that we want all campers to be able to participate in during CKC-DC. If we are continuing to work to establish speech during the camp itself, your child would lose out on important therapeutic activities. For that reason, we will do all we can (within reason!) to facilitate your child’s speech during the lead-in sessions.
If, despite everyone’s best efforts, your child is unable to communicate verbally (a relatively rare circumstance), one of two options will result based on the lead-ins. We will either: (a) recommend additional lead-in sessions for your child, or (b) provide you with recommendations for your child, as your child may be better suited for other treatment options at this time. A portion of your camp fee will be refunded if we determine your child is not able to attend camp.
Keep your discussions about the lead-in sessions simple but honest. Let your child know that they will be meeting a few nice people and that everyone will be playing games and getting to know each other. Your child may also feel more comfortable to know that a parent/caregiver will be involved in the session until they feel comfortable with the CKC-DC staff (unless otherwise indicated). When talking about the communication goal, you can let your child know that the adults will help them feel more brave, but avoid giving them the specifics that communicating in the session is a necessity. We don’t want to put even more pressure on your child who is likely already going to be experiencing some nerves.
You can also increase their motivation to practice being brave in the lead-ins by letting your child know that a reward will be earned (e.g., small candies, pick out the song on the radio, etc.) Feel free to have ready any items from home that your child will be especially interested to play with during the lead-in session and that may help them feel more comfortable during the appointment.
Your PCIT-SM skills (CDI/VDI) can strengthen your child’s success in the lead-in sessions. Master these skills and practice, practice, practice aloud with your child! We strongly recommend you: (a) Complete the free, 4-hour e-learning Selective Mutism University by Dr. Kurtz on CDI/VDI, (b) View Mock (In Person) Fade/Lead in Video (c) View Mock (Virtual) Fade/Lead in Video by FIU (d) Have your child’s favorite toys, games, art projects handy that can help facilitate speech AND have a reward picked out for bravery during the sessions. Stickers/points/bucks can go a long way!
While siblings cannot attend CKC-DC Metro camp activities throughout the day, siblings can be in the Parent Skills Training sessions with you. If siblings are in attendance, parents are encouraged to bring in items to keep siblings occupied (e.g., a device with headphones, coloring materials).
Parent Skills Training with Dr. Scharfstein is held daily from 12:30-2pm and is included in the cost of camp. It is a valuable supplement to your child's individualized treatment, aiming to help your family acquire and refine the skills necessary for your child to generalize progress at camp to real-world settings. Strategies will be taught to effectively reduce your child's anxiety and enhance their verbal communication. Attendance is strongly recommended and highly beneficial caregivers, but not required. Note: one parent must attend a portion of camp on Thursday for Parent Skills Training and Live Coaching.
Additionally, Parents meet with your child’s counselor for daily feedback from 2-2:15pm.
Camp families share a unique experience supporting children with SM. At camp, there will be dedicated Parent Casual Networking and many families enjoy connecting after drop-off to grab coffee or lunch, etc. Parents are also welcome to hang out in the Parent Training room to connect with other families or to use the Wifi. Families sometimes connect before camp through the Parents of Children with Selective Mutism Facebook page.
There is also plenty to do nearby in the DC Metro Area. There are many restaurants, coffee shops, and stores within walking or driving distance from camp.