Wellesley, MA: New kids' "sensory gym" opens to "cater to those with autism"

July 14, 2021, Wellesley, MA , Swellesley Report: Sisters bringing We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym to Wellesley Square https://theswellesleyreport.com/2021/07/sisters-bringing-we-rock-the-spectrum-kids-gym-to-wellesley-square/

There will soon be a gym in Wellesley that boasts a zip line, safety landing pit, and trampoline among other equipment designed to exercise and stimulate kids’ senses in a fun and motivational way. We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym will be opening at 34 Central St., in Wellesley Square, previously the location of Kidville, possibly by the end of summer (peeking into the windows, there’s not too much to see yet). The sensory gym will be inclusive for all children, though will cater to those with autism and other special needs. We Rock the Spectrum in Wellesley will be a new franchise for an international business that is approaching 100 locations around the world. Each gym features about a dozen special pieces of sensory play equipment targeting senses from sight to hearing and addressing everything from balance to pulling and pushing motions. A calming room is also available if kids become overstimulated. Owners Melissa Defay and Sherley Brice, doing business as Boss Lady Sisters, are in fact sisters. They’re both financial professionals (Brice in the public health field). Their gym will be a rare Black-owned business in Wellesley. Defay says her youngest son, 7-year-old Caden, has autism, and is the inspiration for she and Brice launching the business. Defay cites an incident at a trampoline park a couple of years back that ended in sobbing, embarrassment, and frustration…. She searched the internet for local sensory gyms and came up empty. She discovered Rock the Spectrum, and saw that the outfit didn’t have a Massachusetts location. “That’s when the lightbulb came on,” Defay says. Defay and her sister had discussed starting a business in the past, and while they don’t want to give up their full-time jobs, they also feel like the moment is right to do this. They’re in the midst of recruiting personnel, including volunteers, to get the business up and running. They raised some $10K from about 80 donors in advance of launching the business, with Defay’s pre-teen son Nathanial and a friend really stepping up on this front, even presenting on the venture at school….