“Finally a place where you never have to say ‘I’m sorry’.”
That’s the slogan of a chain of gyms in the US, which are specially designed to cater for children with autism.
The first We Rock the Spectrum gym was opened nearly five years ago by Dina Kimmel, whose son has the condition.
The centres offer swings, trampolines, indoor play equipment, special sensory-based toys and arts and craft facilities to foster learning in children with sensory processing disorders.
“It’s all occupational therapy-based equipment. It’s called a sensory gym so it works on the different parts of the body. For an autistic child, they need that to thrive,” Kimmel explained in a recent article.
There are now 31 gyms across ten states in America where as many as one in five children fall on the autism spectrum.
And the company’s Facebook page is overflowing with positive feedbacks from parents.
“This place truly rocks,” one mother writes. “A place where my son and all kids can be themselves having a ton of fun!”
“WRTS rocks the spectrum called life,” another says. “We love it and you will too.”
There are a few similar centres offering occupational therapy-based treatments to Australia children, but they don’t operate on such a grand scale.
What do you think, great idea?
Top Comments
Wow, 1 out of 5 US kids somewhere on the spectrum. It must be similar here too. These OT style sensory gyms look fantastic. I wish they were here in Australia.