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About Us
Special Needs Camps

HISTORY
More than 25 ago, Catherine Jennings saw a need for programs to help children who needed additional structure and extra support to achieve their academic, social, and emotional goals. The result of this effort was Talisman.

"Cat" continued to develop the program, and in 1988 we became fully accredited by the American Camping Association. Throughout the ensuing decades, we have worked continuously to enhance the quality of our programs, and have developed unique and highly effective opportunities to fit the needs of both campers and parents.

We have also developed options to serve our families throughout the year. The addition of our SIGHT programs in 2000 helped us better serve our families of children with autism. More recently, the addition of our Discovery, Academics, and Academic Semesters programs have added other branches to the Talisman family tree. While remaining true in the traditions that have enabled use to achieve more than two decades of successful service to young people and their families, we at Talisman also embrace an innovative spirit that allows us to continue to add new dynamic opportunities to better meet the needs and interests of our campers and their families.

PHILOSOPHY
We are an experiential learning camp that helps children to develop physical and social competence in an atmosphere that encourages and supports self-regulation and self-direction. We believe that every child wants to do well, and that every child has unique strengths, struggles, and outlooks on life. In order to help all of our campers reach their potential, we must meet them as individuals, and not attempt to fit them into one mold. Therefore, we use a variety of tools to guide our students as strive to meet their objectives in socially appropriate and fulfilling ways. We believe that structure and accountability are critical in this process - as are positive relationships and the recognition of accomplishments - and that as a child's self-concept improves, he or she will make better decisions, relate better to others, and experience a more satisfying life

PROFILES
Linda Tatsapaugh, Director
MS in Child and Youth Care Administration, Nova SE University; BA in Religion, Davidson College
Linda has been the director of Talisman Programs since 2001. Prior to that she worked at Stone Mountain School (from its inception in 1991 to 2000), serving as a counselor, program director, human resources manager, and admissions director. She is an instructor in First Aid, CPR, life guarding, and crisis management. She thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1990, serves as the chair of the National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camps, and is the mother of a young son, Gable.

Aaron McGinley, Clinical Services Manager
MS (In Progress) Mental Health Counseling, BS Psychology and Human Services, University of Scranton
Aaron has been working with children with special needs for more than a decade, providing essential services in residential treatment facilities, group homes, and hospitals. Aaron joined Talisman in 1998, originally working as a base camp counselor and staff supervisor. In addition to being a certified lifeguard, Aaron is also an instructor in first aid, CPR, suicide prevention, and crisis management.

Laura Centers, Admissions Director
MA, Special Education, Phoenix University; BS, Psychology, W. Washington U.
Laura began working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in high school. She joined Talisman in 1998, working with youth with ADHD and learning disabilities. She served as an autism advocate for Stone Mountain School, while working with the TEACCH center and NC Autism Society. She developed and launched Sight, a summer camp program specifically for kids with autism spectrum disorder or Asperger's Syndrome. Once she earned her Masters, Laura taught for 2 years in an autism classroom in the public school system and at New Leaf Academy for girls. Laura enjoys spending time outside with her husband and son, and their dogs!

Susanna Miller, Summer Camp Program Manager
BA, Religious Studies, minor in Sociology, Centenary College of Louisiana
Susanna has been working with individuals with special needs for 8 years, including adults in a work and life skills program, children in camp settings, and the Special Olympics of Georgia. She served as the assistant director of Camp Sparrowwood in Georgia and coordinated the weekend trips and volunteers for Camp Caglewood throughout the year. Susanna enjoys camping, college football, and good Cajun food, and promises much singing at camp!

Talisman operates under a Special Use permit issued by the U.S. Forest Service in the pristine wilderness of the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests.