OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — A new gym that is a place for children of all abilities is just days away from opening in Omaha.
On Wednesday, the family behind the uniquely designed sensory-friendly gym gave 3 News Now Reporter Molly Hudson a sneak peek and shared what this means to their family as well as the autism community.
As parents of a daughter on the autism spectrum, Sarah and David Ullsperger saw a need in the community.
"There is none like this Omaha right now. There is none like this actually in the Midwest right now," said David Ullsperger.
They are the proud new owners of We Rock the Spectrum Kid's Gym — Omaha.
"There is nothing more that a child loves than spinning," said David Ullsperger. "Our daughter can spin and spin and spin and she never gets dizzy, never," said Sarah Ullsperger.
The Ullspergers say when they go to other places, their daughter Caroline has a hard time interacting with other kids. But that's not the case here.
"She comes here and she is just all over. She just loves it. We are not sure what she is going to do when there are other children here. She thinks this is her gym," said Sarah Ullsperger.
The gym is filled with nearly 30 pieces of equipment, promoting inclusive play for kids of all ages and abilities.
"Most of the equipment here is sensory-based. It has so much sensory input, which is great for all the special needs community and any child really," said David Ullsperger.
A zip line, trampolines and swings challenge all kids to try something new as well as being a place their daughter loves.
"When she gets here, every bit of equipment is really evolved around things that are specialized for her and she absolutely loves it," said David Ullsperger.
It's also a safe space for everyone in the family.
"Children on the spectrum tend to have meltdowns quite a bit and trying to understand and cope with what is going on. Well, when they have that meltdown it's really tough for the child but it's also tough for the parent," said David Ullsperger.
But they say this gym creates a space of understanding, including a lobby for parents to connect.
"You don't feel like you have all eyes on you when you are trying to access the situation," said David Ullsperger. "This is a hard life, for some people, it's different when you are dealing with the spectrum on which level you are at. But for some people, it's a hard life for the parents as well."
The grand opening of We Rock the Spectrum — Omaha is on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Find more information on the gym's website.
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