Category Archives: Autism Resources

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 …

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 …

The next person we’d like to introduce in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, is Kelsey from We Rock the Spectrum – Northeast Philly! Kelsey has been volunteering at the gym for one year now through a program from her school! Kelsey helps children enjoy the gym’s sensory-safe equipment! She supervises the “Make & Take Tuesday” arts and crafts projects; organizes toys and dress up clothes, organizes the rock shop and helped run the recent Summer Camp Program. Throughout the time Kelsey has been working at the gym she has gained more confidence socially. She was very quiet and hesitant to take action when she first started volunteering at the gym, however, now she talks and interacts with everyone much more naturally!  Kelsey’s favorite part of working at the gym is helping all the kiddos enjoy the equipment, especially the zip-line! Kelsey is definitely in her element helping with arts and crafts. She is very crafty. When she is working on a project with …

The next person we’d like to introduce in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, is Megan from We Rock the Spectrum – Severna Park! Megan has been working at We Rock the Spectrum – Severna Park for about 2 years now! Megan is extremely good at her job! Her customers always appreciate the effort Megan puts in while at the gym. A typical day of work for Megan consists of her cleaning and organizing the gym. She loves assisting children on the equipment! She also takes care of administrative tasks such as filing, inventory and laminating. Her gym usually has a checklist ready for her which helps Megan know what to expect and work independently on her tasks! Throughout the time Megan has worked at the gym, she has gained confidence in her ability to work independently in the workplace! Megan loves to interact with customers (especially babies), by far it’s her favorite thing to do while working at the gym. She enjoys catching up with …

The next person we’d like to introduce in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, is Sagi from We Rock the Spectrum – Jupiter/Tequesta! Sagi Brodt originally started as a volunteer at We Rock the Spectrum – Jupiter/Tequesta 18 months ago. Fast forward to today, and Sagi has worked her way up to one of Jupiter’s paid employees! Sagi’s typical work day looks no different than any of Jupiter’s other employees. She maintains safety in the gym, checks in customers, and cleans toys and equipment as needed. She recently took charge and volunteered to run Jupiter’s “Storytime” on Friday mornings! Since Sagi started working at the gym, her self-esteem and willingness to try new things has increased tremendously! She takes constructive criticism well, and has become much more flexible in her critical thinking! Sagi loves meeting new people and coming to work at the gym! Her favorite part of her workday is playing with the kids! She loves helping kiddos and getting to know her …

The next person we’d like to introduce in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, is Zach from We Rock the Spectrum – Columbus! Zach is a volunteer through the Olentangy School District ACT (Academy for Community Transition) Program. He has been helping out at WRTS – Columbus since late August. Zach volunteers on Monday mornings from 9:00am – 11:00am. During this time, We Rock the Spectrum – Columbus has their “Messy Monday Mornings”. Zach normally helps set up the activity, shows the children how to complete it, and interacts with them as well! He is also on the gym floor where he interacts with parents and children as they enjoy the gym. He monitors children play safely on the zip-line, swings, and other sensory-safe equipment at the gym. Zach also helps re-stock the Rock Shop when the shelves are running low. In the short time that Zach has been volunteering at the gym, he has become a lot more confident.  He has learned the …

In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we’ll be introducing you to some of our ROCKIN’ team members with special abilities. We’d like to kick off our series of introductions with Victoria from We Rock the Spectrum – Lake Charles! Victoria has been working with We Rock the Spectrum – Lake Charles for about 6 months now. Her duties include assisting with opening and closing tasks, organizing areas, wiping down toys and equipment to keep everything as germ free as possible, and greeting We Rockers! Victoria’s favorite part of working at the gym is helping with parties, and working the super fun zip line! Victoria has shown incredible growth since she began working at the gym. She has come out of her shell tremendously and loves talking with families and friends that frequent the gym. She’s always overjoyed when her regulars come in and they remember her name! She is also very appreciative of the fact that parents trust her with their children. Victoria …

Since our beginning, We Rock the Spectrum has had the philosophy of full inclusion, whether it be in our gyms across the world or in our corporate offices. We are overjoyed that we have not only created a place for children of all abilities to play and grow together but also a place for those with special needs to a part of our company. We emphasize to all our gym owners the importance of hiring individuals with special needs. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Throughout the month, we are going to celebrate by introducing you to some members of our team with special abilities from gyms all over the world! These individuals repeatedly take our breath away as they prove to be some of the most amazing employees we ever have. As you will see in our upcoming series, there’s many opportunities for employers to provide to those with special needs. There are government and non-profit programs to partner with, in addition to …