SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO) — A new indoor kids gym aimed at creating a safe sensory environment for children on the spectrum is coming to Sioux Falls.
We Rock the Spectrum kid’s gym is an international gym franchise which seeks to provide an environment to foster learning, exploration, and sensory-safe activities for neuro-typical children and children on the spectrum.
The Sioux Falls location is excepted to open some time in March.
Tanya Davis, co-owner of Sioux Falls We Rock the Spectrum said the gym has unique equipment that’s found in private occupational therapy and physical therapy to help aid children on the spectrum.
“Typically a sensory based gym offers equipment such as suspended swings, rolling scooters, climbing areas, faith jumping places for falling,” Davis said. “This will help those kids with their strength, movement, sensory processing, communication, social interactions, and self care skills.”
The gym’s website states that it will also offer things like a zip line, crash pit, trampoline, hammock swing, tunnel, bolster swing, and a rope bridge.
Davis added that the gym will offer a room that can be used for birthday parties. Two therapy rooms, a teen room, a piano room and a calming room will be available when gym opens.
Davis said her journey with We Rock the Spectrum started with a google search.
“We have a 3-year-old son who is neurotypical, but he’s full of energy. I started searching for indoor gyms in cities the same size as Sioux Falls and I came across We Rock the Spectrum,” Davis said. “I started learning how it helps neurological kids on the spectrum and I just continued going down the rabbit hole.”
Davis said both her and her husband Michael were music teachers and observed the need for such a gym firsthand.
“This is something that will help my son that is full of energy, but it will also help kids like those in my music classroom too,” Davis said. “I saw firsthand, being in a music classroom, some of those sensory noises was just too much for some of those kids and so I always had a special place in my heart for those kids.”
Davis said the need for a place like this in Sioux Falls was reinforced after speaking with other parents.
“One of my piano student’s mom was looking for therapy for her daughter and it was going to be two years before she could get the therapy services she needed,” Davis said. “There is definitely a need for it in the community and people have reached out about how much there is a need for it so we are really excited to bring this to Sioux Falls.”
Davis said their goal is to create a place where everyone can feel safe.
“We wanted people to know that there is not an age limit because obviously you don’t age out of being on the spectrum so everyone is welcome,” Davis said. We hope this becomes a place where families can go and meet others that are like their family and kids can meet other kids that are also on the spectrum.”
