We Rock the Spectrum - A conversation with gym owner Andrea

Oftentimes, parents are overwhelmed when raising children with special needs more because of the lack of resources than anything else. Would raising an autistic child be so daunting if we had more spaces set up for those children to play and be comfortable? Would raising a child who functions differently or has special needs be so hard if there was no stigma and only acceptance? If we offered the same resources, spaces, and acceptance as we do for families with neurotypical children, that could drastically change the landscape for parents and communities.

We Rock the Spectrum is one such resource building community and support for parents with neurodiverse children. I had the privilege of speaking to the owner of the location in Franklin, TN, Ms. Andrea! She spoke with me for about 40 minutes and answered all my questions about how the gym works, how she got started, and about all the resources around her. You can watch the full interview below, but I took some time to pull out some of the most important clips of the interview to discuss them here. 

(Note: Interview is shared in snippets in this post and has been edited for length and clarity. Full interview in the video embedded at the end.)

Q: Hey Andrea! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got involved?

Well sure! I have been a lifetime member of the special needs community. My younger sister was born with Down’s Syndrome, and that was my introduction to the special needs community. My sister did a lot of activities, she participated in the Special Olympics, so early on, being in inclusive environments and engaging with kids that had differences was just part of my early upbringing. Fast forward, I’ve been a pediatric nurse for over 20 years, and when I became a mom, my professional kind of crossed into my personal. My son was born with a rare chromosomal abnormality called Chromose 9 dilatation and replication, which put him at risk for developmental delay. We enrolled in early intervention, so my son was receiving occupational and physical therapy at four months old. He was born during the pandemic, so we didn’t have many options for places to go. His occupational therapist told us about We Rock the Spectrum. When I looked it up online, the first thing that attracted me was their cleaning regimen! I saw all the steps taken to keep the gym clean between children, so I brought my son and he just thrived in the environment! So, when the opportunity presented itself to become a location owner, I jumped at the chance!

Q: What is a piece of equipment that the kids love and just can’t get enough of?

It is absolutely our zip slider! It started off as a zip line, and we upgraded a few months ago and installed the zip slider. It’s a steel tube and it kind of mimics the pathway of a rollercoaster but not Six Flags level or country carnival level. The kids hold on to a bolster swing that was designed by occupational therapists and at the end of it, they are able to release and crash into a soft crash pad. That gives them excellent proprioceptive input. It feels really good to them and they don’t know why, so it’s kind of the equivalent of jumping in the bed and then falling down on your back. Who didn’t love that when they were little? So definitely our zip slider is popular! It’s also adaptable. We changed the bolster seat so it fits a kiddo who doesn’t have enough upper body strength to hold themselves up. Some kids choose not to crash into the crash pad, and they just love the up and down.

Q: What is something you typically say to parents who are completely new to raising neurodiverse children or children with special needs and may be feeling a little overwhelmed?

I’m glad you asked! Actually, I met a family that was brand new to the Franklin area. They relocated from California and they lost their home in the California fires. And, you know, when they came and told their story, we were just in a lobby talking and so many parents just stopped and listened and just shared concern. We all started sharing resources and supporting them.

For new parents, I first ask who their family pediatrician is. Gone are the days of the family doctor, and there are large practices that have a team of pediatricians, so you may not always get to see the same doctor every time. You have to pick one, and if you don’t feel good about that relationship, move on! The family pediatrician directs the orchestra, right? Having specialists is important, but your family pediatrician is at the center of that. So building that relationship is really important. That’s the first step.

The second step is, depending on the diagnosis, figuring out the specific therapies you need for your child. We have a resource book for occupational therapists, aquatics therapy, speech therapy, and lots of other resources. I also recommend that they join local Facebook groups. I have found so much community that way, so I offer my preferred list of groups. 

I walk the parents through what it all looks like. The diagnosis, the next steps, the necessary evaluations, and I help them build those relationships. 

If the kiddo is under the age of three, I recommend Tennessee Early Intervention Services. I serve on the board there, and it’s a resource where your kiddo can have therapy funded by that program, whether or not you have insurance.

I also recommend finding the right babysitters and caregivers, because parents need a break sometimes. So, this is actually the first time I’m announcing it, but we are going to start offering Nanny Academy here at We Rock the Spectrum. This is training for folks that provide babysitting services and we’re going to train them on how to provide care for kids with differences. 

Overall, join a support group, get trusted childcare, and come back with questions.

Q: This sounds incredible, and any parent that walks in there is going to be so lucky! They have so much information from you and other parents they meet when they bring their kiddos. It’s wonderful! So, if a parent wants to get started with We Rock the Spectrum, what do they need to do? How do they sign up?

You can call us at 615-807-1627. You can just show up! We’re actually in a great area here in Franklin. We’re at 1113 Murfreesboro Road in the Williamson Square Plaza. We’re right next door to Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby, and we truly have a kid’s corner. Move Inclusive is an amazingly inclusive dance program. They used to operate right out of We Rock the Spectrum, but they got so big they needed their own location. Also right next to us is Bach to Rock, a child-focused music education program. Some of the students DJ here for Teen Night. And I’m not even done! Next to them is Goldfish, which is a swim school for children. I so love that program. So the kids are taking swim lessons, and guess what? There may be a sibling that’s not taking a swim lesson, and they come over here to play. There’s also a theater program called Act Too Players and a Code Ninja location here. This is definitely the children’s corner! We have coding, dance, swim, acting, music, and we are at the literal center of all of that. 

So, come on down! Check us out, and you will definitely be part of a huge and special community.

(End interview excerpt.)

Thank you again to Andrea for speaking with me. I had such a lovely conversation with her, and I am tickled pink that we can connect with We Rock the Spectrum as a resource in the Franklin area. I really hope to have the chance to speak with Andrea again in the future about all sorts of topics. She is knowledgeable, so conversational, and so warm and welcoming. If you have a neurodiverse child that needs a safe place to go, We Rock the Spectrum in Franklin is the place for you!