New gym caters to kids with autism

http://www.wgrz.com/story/life/2015/08/29/new-gym-caters-to-kids-with-autism/71395844/

New gym caters to kids with autism.
At Channel 2, we’ve heard from parents of kids on the autism spectrum that it’s hard to find places and activities equipped to accept them.

Either that, or parents have told us they’re tired of having to say “I’m sorry” when their child acts out in public.

Luckily for those families, a new gym in the community provides exactly that kind of safe haven.

Michael Nowak was just one year old when he was diagnosed with autism. “Rewinding, you know, Michael’s now 14, and I really wish we would have had a place like this in the past,” said mom Trish Nowak.

It’s taken that long for a place like We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym to come to the Southtowns where Michael and his family can go to play and feel comfortable. “It’s a fun loving place, and we’re just very excited. I’m at a loss for words from a family’s standpoint of view,” said Trish.

At We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym, the fun and safe equipment is catered toward kids at any end of the spectrum. It can also help children with ADHD and other developmental obstacles.

“It helps to regulate their systems,” said co-owner Jessica Sills. “So a child might be over or under stimulated, and this equipment helps to bring them back down, calm their bodies, and regulate their systems so that they can function to the best of their abilities.”

Maybe the best part is that any child can enjoy the gym, so if a family has one child on the spectrum, and a sibling who’s not, here is a place they can both come to play the same as one another and feel the same as one another.

Founder and CEO Dina Kimmell remembers getting kicked out of places because of her autistic son’s behavior and worrying that her daughter would feel like she’s getting less attention. “I said to my husband there has to be other families, other people who need this,” she said.

Now the Kids Gym has franchised to 10 states; this is the first in New York.

“We’ve just really come to realize that there is such a need for something like this. A resource the community can utilize,” said Sills.

The gym is located at 6950 Erie Road in Derby.