One of the greatest challenges that individuals with special needs face is a lack of fitness programs and gyms. They are not provided with the necessary equipment or physical activity needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Thankfully, a new gym designed especially for individuals with disabilities has made its debut in Los Angeles, CA! The ZOOZ Fitness studio in Encino opened its door on Sunday, March 10th. It is sure to make huge strides for the special needs community. We Rock the Spectrum is excited to support and welcome ZOOZ Fitness to SoCal! “Our grand opening was a huge success! The amount of love, support, and excitement we received was more than I could have ever expected. It was incredible to see how many of our current athletes as well as prospective athletes, and their families came out on Sunday,” says owner and founder, Jake Weiner. “I am confident, now more than ever, that what we are trying to create with our new gym space …

The We Rock the Spectrum International family is about to get quite a bit bigger across the pond! It has been an incredibly successful few months for our Australian franchise and we will be welcoming 4 new gyms in the land down under. Sally Johnson of the WRTS Corporate Australian office is on the team that brought the We Rock the Spectrum brand to Australia in 2018: “We had a hunch that the WRTS concept would be well received national in Australia, but we admit to being completely blown away by the support and interest the brand received,” says Johnson. “It is a hugely exciting time and we are so pleased that more communities around the country will soon have access to our sensory-beneficial play spaces.” Sally and her brother, Marcus, will be working hands-on with all of these upcoming gyms. Let’s introduce you to our new locations and the awesome new gym owners that will be joining the family! Wollongong, often referred to informally …

On Saturday, March 2nd, 2019, We Rock the Spectrum celebrated the grand opening of our first Canadian gym, We Rock the Spectrum – Oakville! Our CEO & Founder, Dina Kimmel, flew in for the big event. Tatiana and Boris Korosec are the amazing new owners of this newest location. They are parents to two awesome boys, Maxim & Aleks. Both boys are diagnosed on the Spectrum. Tatiana and Boris have made it a priority to spread awareness and to support other Autism parents. They heard about all the great work that We Rock was doing in America and knew they HAD to bring the franchise to Canada! Dina Kimmel and Grace Covino made the trip to Canada from our Corporate office two days prior to opening. Their guidance and help with setting up the gym was invaluable! This gym is the biggest We Rock gym in square footage so far. Dina gave it the prize of “most ready to open its doors”! The day was …

There are countless benefits to getting involved in sports at a young age. Kids learn invaluable skills like coordination, communication problem-solving, and encourages a healthy lifestyle! However, we understand that these skills may not come as easily to children who are on the spectrum. The core features of ASD effect social, communicative, coordinative and behavioral skills, which are heavily relied on for many team sports. Sports that require an advanced amount of communication and coordination can cause sensory overload and make it potentially difficult for kids diagnosed with autism to find the enjoyment that their typically developing peers do. This doesn’t mean that they should miss out on the chance to get involved! While there are sports that may not be suitable for children on the spectrum, we’ve compiled a list of six sports that have been proven to be a good fit for children with ASD:   Learning to swim is an extremely valuable skill for all children to know and translates into a great …

We Rock on Wheels provides children of ALL abilities a place to play and grow together. Each bus features specially-designed sensory-safe equipment that is fun to use while also helping improve areas of strength, movement, sensory processing, communication, and more! A perfect addition to any celebration you or your organization is planning to hold. In the past the bus has been booked for schools, churches, synagogues, camps, fairs, birthday parties, fundraisers, and other special events! The bus is decked out with a ROCKIN’ sound system and an air conditioner to make sure all kiddos have a blast no matter how what the weather may be! Zipline Hammocks Rock Climb Wall Monkey Bars Rear Exit Slide Mini Trampoline Rope Bridge Swings Crash Pad Balance Beam (All equipment is sensory-safe) Scooters Hula Hoops Arts & Crafts Tables Bouncy Animals Sensory Water Bead Tables We give out a We Rock take home goodie bag to those who book the bus for a birthday party! The bus is geared towards …

The next people we’d like to introduce in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, are Jackie & Shawn from We Rock the Spectrum – Jacksonville! Jackie & Shawn are volunteers through the North Florida School for Special Education. The North Florida School for Special Education has partnered with WRTS – Jacksonville for 3 semesters now servicing a total of 6 students. (2 per semester) Upon arriving at the gym, both employees begin a Cleaning Task Analysis that encompasses the entire gym. This list will explain what cleaning materials to use, what materials to clean, and the cleaning tools needed. They begin at the top and work all the way to the bottom! Tasks vary from sweeping & mopping floors, sanitizing toys, wiping equipment, etc. The two boys also greet their members as they are working in the gym. Jackie has been with Jacksonville for 2 semesters now, and they have seen a significant increase in independence around the gym (grabbing supplies, task completion, transitioning …