A new gym in Pittsfield Township provides a safe place for children with sensory processing disorders to play and interact with one another.
We Rock the Spectrum-Ann Arbor (WRTS) offers a variety of sensory-friendly play equipment, as well as an inclusive philosophy that all children can benefit from such a facility. The gym features suspended equipment with swings for balance and vestibular treatment, sensory-based toys and equipment for improved auditory processing and fine motor skills, a calming room for regulating emotions and sensory input, and more.
The gym is the latest independently owned franchise location for WRTS, which has 168 locations in 34 states and eight countries. WRTS-Ann Arbor owner Robin Hall is excited to bring a valuable resource to Washtenaw County. As a mother of three children, her youngest child Donovan is on the autism spectrum and requires moderate support needs. Hall struggled in finding indoor play activities for her son. She then began working to open up a facility that would not only help her family but other families as well. Hall says it "means a lot" for her and other parents of children with autism spectrum disorders to have this kind of facility close to home.
"I am able to bring something to the community that is beneficial, and it’s a resource that I needed for my son but it wasn’t available," she says. "… [For] those who are on the spectrum, there was no place until now.”
WRTS just celebrated its grand opening at the end of August, with more than 100 kids participating. The gym will provide parents with an array of options to use the facility. WRTS will welcome birthday parties, field trips, and special events, like a community trunk-or-treat or holiday party. Membership prices and other information is available on
WRTS' website.
Clifton Kirkman II is a freelance journalist, father, sickle cell warrior, and minister at New Macedonia Church in Ypsilanti. He was born in Detroit and has lived in Ypsilanti since 2005.
Photo courtesy of We Rock the Spectrum-Ann Arbor.
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