SPOTLIGHT ON SUCESS
Griffin and his brothers Henry and Leo
I
n the spring of 2012, my friend Tina Perriello and I, both mothers of autistic boys, were looking for sensory-friendly activities
for our kids during the winter months. We attended a sensory
gym clinic at a local therapy center with our boys and watched our
children play so freely and easily on the equipment – equipment
that was familiar to them from their school OT sessions. For the
first time ever, we were able to talk with one another while they
played. It was fantastic that our local Autism Alliance provided
this sensory gym time during the winter months, but we knew our
community needed a place like this all year long. We are between
Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts, and there was no place like
this anywhere in our area.
Creating a SAFE Place
for the Whole Family
to PLAY! SenseAbility Gym
BY ALYSIA & G RI F F IN BUTLER
76
ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses
An idea was born, and once we
had it in our heads, we couldn’t
let it go.
In February 2013, we opened
SenseAbility Gym as a nonprofit indoor sensory gym in our
hometown of Hopedale, MA. We are a “parent-led” play space,
meaning that parents or caregivers stay and play with their children. Since our opening, we’ve welcomed over 450 families from
all over Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Connecticut, and by families, we do mean the whole family: mothers,
fathers, siblings, cousins, grandparents, caregivers, therapists and
friends.
ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses
77