John and Gail Field built the We Rock the Spectrum gym in Boca Raton three years ago
as a place for their son, Jayson, and other autistic children, but it’s open to all.
Photo provided
By Janis Fontaine
John and Gail Field didn’t set out to be gym directors or special needs care providers or corporate officers for an international organization working on one of the world’s most pressing medical and family issues.
They just wanted a place for their son to play.
Jayson, now 7, was diagnosed with autism, also called autism spectrum disorder, at about 18 months old. The Fields were constantly looking for activities that would stimulate him, but not overly so, and simply wanted a safe place where Jayson could play and be accepted. But there just wasn’t anywhere that Gail and John felt they and their son belonged.
“We gave up looking,” John said. “The thing with autism is it doesn’t have a ‘look.’”
Other parents just think the child is spoiled or poorly parented, John Field said. It made them uncomfortable to see the looks on other parents’ faces.
But now Jayson has a place where he and any other kids are welcome.
His parents own it. The Fields opened We Rock the Spectrum gym on State Road 7 in Boca Raton three years ago. We Rock the Spectrum is an international franchise opportunity founded in 2010 that provides sensory-safe play for kids with autism, special needs, and developmental challenges and delays. Each gym is independently run but gets corporate support from WRTS.
At the gym’s third anniversary party in April, a group of dancers with ASD — who take lessons from Michele Mirisola at WRTS Boca — performed a recital, to the delight of family and friends.
Mirisola’s company, Dancing on the Spectrum, teaches dance to kids with special needs. But dance lessons are just one of the classes offered at the gym. Others include Kindermusik with Miss Susan, Zumbini (a class that helps with bonding) and a social skills class.
The gym, which John Field built, is an 1,800-square-foot space fitted with therapeutic equipment specifically designed to help kids with sensory processing issues.
“We created a place where parents can be comfortable,” Field said. He’s seen friendships blossom when parents meet others who understand their situation. “We’ve become a hub for parents with kids with special needs. It’s like a support group. And parents know that everyone, including the people behind the desk, know what they’re going through.”
The isolation that parents may feel when they have a nontypical child can lead to feelings of inadequacy and loneliness. John says that the attitude at the gym is “inclusion.” He says the gym sees kids on the spectrum “as different, not less.” And the company motto supports this: “Finally a place where you never have to say I’m sorry!”
The gym has an intimate feel. It’s designed to be small so it doesn’t overwhelm kids or bombard them with too much sensory stimulation. Field stresses that the gym isn’t only for kids on the spectrum. “Everybody is welcome.”
In the past three years, both John and Gail have poured their hearts, sweat and tears into their gym and helping kids on the spectrum. Since Gail met Dina Kimmel, the founder and CEO of We Rock the Spectrum, on Christmas Eve 2013, Gail has embraced the WRTS organization — and it has embraced her.
After years of training with the corporate office, Gail Field is now the company’s chief operating officer. There are about 36 gyms in the U.S. and six in Florida, including one in Jupiter/Tequesta.
The first WRTS gym just opened in Malaysia, and Dubai is next.
There’s no question that autism is reaching all parts of the globe. Almost everyone knows someone with a child on the spectrum. The demand for services and safe places for kids on the spectrum will only increase. Parents from all over the county bring their kids to western Boca Raton to play. People drive down from Royal Palm Beach, John said, for a safe place and friendly face.
The cost for three hours of play at WRTS is $12 (siblings pay $10), but the more time you buy, the cheaper it is.
But it’s not about the money, John says.
“My favorite sound in the world is children laughing,” Field said. “And when they look at you and smile, that does something to you.”
WRTS Boca is at 19635 State Road 7, Suite 46. For more info about We Rock the Spectrum, call 218-0128 or visit www.werockthespectrumbocaraton.com.
For more information on Dancing on the Spectrum, call 954-655-2712 or visit www.dancingonthespectrum.com.
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For outdoor play, visit the updated Science Playground at Boca Raton’s Sugar Sand Park, now better for kids with special needs.
In March, after more than a year of renovations costing about $3.2 million, the Science Playground reopened, stronger and safer, with softer surfaces and ramp access, making it more accessible to kids with special needs.
The park replaced mulch with a wheelchair-friendly rubber mat surface, added new swings and slides, replaced all the railing and decks, improved parking and bus access and made entry into the playground safer. The park also has more places for groups to gather.
But the tri-level climbing play area is the dominant feature. The carefully constructed tree house-like structure contains interactive components that demonstrate scientific principles.
For parents, it has clear sight-lines that make it easier to keep track of their kids, and its softer surfaces lessen the impact of falls.
Sugar Sand Park is at 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. Visit www.SugarSandPark.org or call 347-3900 for more information.
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Another cool spot for kids with special needs is the swamp-themed Congress Avenue Barrier Free Park at 3111 S. Congress Ave. in Boynton Beach. With 37 acres, views of ponds and sunsets in the west, the park is not just for children with disabilities. Amenities include a fitness trail, pavilion, picnic tables with umbrellas, benches, drinking fountain, open play area, specialty play structures for different age groups and abilities, spray-ground and accessible restrooms. The adjacent tennis center has 17 Har-Tru and four composite courts, restrooms with shower, drinking fountains and canopied areas with picnic tables.
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