Rocking the spectrum: Kirtland family opens "Kids Gym" franchise

  • Published
  • By Jim Fisher
  • Kirtland Public Affairs
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- --  "Finally a place where you never have to say I'm sorry." This is the quote that is painted on the wall above the main play area at the We Rock The Spectrum Kids Gym Albuquerque. The words reflect the frustrations of parents from a key targeted demographic of the gym:  children with special needs.

Kids Gym owner and operator Allison Mersel knows how difficult it is for parents of children with special needs when it comes to public recreational activities. Her son Callan, 4, has autism.

"A lot of people with children with special needs go to places and start apologizing over and over for behaviors their kids may be displaying," Mersel said. "Here, it's safe. You don't have to say I'm sorry. We completely understand."

Mersel explained that Kids Gym is staffed with people trained to assist children with developmental delays and disabilities to ensure they have a great time at the facility. She also said that the gym is constructed and equipped with a focus on sensory stimulation and the therapeutic input often helpful to children with special needs.

"It is a sensory gym for all kids, and kids with autism and other developmental delays will get even more out of the gym," Mersel said, detailing the gym's fun features, which include a zipline, trampoline, various swings, and arts-and-crafts and dress-up areas. "All kids will have a great time here. All kids like to swing and jump and bounce."

During the course of her son's therapy, Mersel and her husband (Maj.) Evan, a member of Kirtland's 58th Operations Group, began to understand the value of occupational and play therapy. We Rock The Spectrum facilities emphasizes equipment designed to help children with sensory processing disorders, she explained. This made opening a franchise here an opportunity for the Mersels to provide their son and other children the opportunity to benefit from more of this kind of activity.

"I started looking into it and found out that We Rock The Spectrum was franchising out of California and decided that they had already done a bunch of legwork for us, so why not take advantage of it," Mersel said.

It was also in California that one of the gym's most enthusiastic customers became acquainted with Kids Gym. Jennifer Wilcox, who brings her son Erik, 4, to play at the gym, first discovered We Rock The Spectrum in Northridge, Calif.

"I went there and checked it out and it was amazing," Wilcox said. "It was a place where he could run and jump and not just be autistic, but be a kid. So when we found out this place was opening [in Albuquerque], I was just ecstatic. I think we will be here a lot. We need more places like this in Albuquerque."

Kids Gym is the only establishment in the area catering to children with developmental disabilities. In addition to open play, they offer camps and classes, and can accommodate birthday parties and other celebratory occasions. An ongoing day camp runs through Aug. 17, the end of summer vacation for Albuquerque Public Schools. There is also a parents' night out slated for Aug. 1, from 6-10 p.m.

Though open play is scheduled for some period every day of the week during the operating hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, this can occasionally be interrupted, Mersel explained. Daily schedules are posted on the gym's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/werockthespectrumabq. For more information, call 505-890-0912, or visit www.werockthespectrumalbuquerque.com.