A gym for children of all abilities and ages is under new ownership, but the goal of inclusion remains the same. The children’s gym, We Rock the Spectrum opened last year off of West 12th Street. The business is now under new ownership.
Mike Walling, the new owner explained, “It is a place for all kids and one thing that I love about that is that it allows kids that are neurotypical and neurodivergent play together and really interact with one another and we find that is a great need in the community.”
The new owners have a son, named Oliver, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. They know how important it is to have a place for their son and many children like him.
“We Rock the Spectrum, here, this place, was a place he was really able to thrive and do really well at. He has come here several times for open play, for therapy services, and even had his fourth birthday party here. It was just eye opening and heart warming to us to have this environment where he would be able to thrive in”, said Walling.
While they have made some changes to their calming and game room, the gym and the goal remains the same, be a place for everyone. Both for the children who enjoy it and the parents who want to see their children excel.
As Walling explained, “I’m really excited about being able to connect with other parents and other community groups about being able to connect them to the right resources and allow their kiddos to do well because we are fortunate to have good supports in place and I want to be able to continue to build those networking opportunities .”
The gym is open for open play 9:30 until 6:00, but they post their hours and availability weekly on their social media pages too. To learn more, click here.