We Rock the Spectrum breaks barriers

May 13—When Courtney Lewis-Utrata took her two children to a gym in Tucson for New Year's Eve, she never would have imagined that gym would be the saving grace for her business and help her understand her children better.

As a parent of two children who are neurodivergent — a term that describes people whose brains develop or work differently — Lewis-Utrata has a personal understanding of what neurodivergent children and their families need. She is also a licensed professional clinical counselor and the owner of Small Steps Child Counseling, a collection of therapists who specialize in treatment for neurodivergent children.

Lewis-Utrata was scrambling to find new revenue to sustain her business.

"The money we were making was unsustainable to pay the therapists and provide them all the support they deserved," Lewis-Utrata said . "Most of our clients receive services through Medicaid, so that is what pays for the therapists at the office."

The Lewis-Utrata family went to Tucson and discovered a We Rock the Spectrum play gym while searching for a child-friendly New Year's Eve ball drop event. When she discovered the gym was designed specially for neurodivergent children, she was excited, and so were her children.

"The gym was designed for neurodivergent children. I was so shocked at all of the thought that went into everything," she said. "My daughter got overwhelmed by the balloons and was able to go into a calm room designed to relax children."

Lewis-Utrata also said her son was able to find swing equipment he enjoyed and felt comfortable playing with.

"My son normally never likes the swings, but he spent the whole day just swinging around on the swing they (We Rock the Spectrum) had," she said. "Both of my children are in (occupational therapy) and we needed a space to support their sensory systems."

After coming back to New Mexico, Lewis-Utrata knew she wanted to get involved with the We Rock the Spectrum franchise, so she reached out and shared her story about her children and how great the gym was for them.

In March 2023, the gym was secured and Lewis-Utrata knew exactly where she wanted to place it — 1101 Golf Course SE in Rio Rancho.

"A lot of families from Rio Rancho and Bernalillo were supportive of us since the area has great training for teachers to support neurodivergent children," she said.

We Rock the Spectrum provides a sensory-safe playground for all children, including those with autism, special needs and neurotypical development. The gym has 12 pieces of equipment that have been handpicked by a company that focuses on sensory safe equipment.

"There is enough variety that a wide range of children can come and play at the gym, so it's an option for everyone," Lewis-Utrata said. "All kids are able to attend, but we have found that it's more appealing to children who are 12 and under developmentally. The equipment is made to hold larger-bodied people, so children who may look 22 but are developmentally 8 can still enjoy it."

The play gym will also include private party rentals, the open play gym and respite care for parents looking to take a break while ensuring their children still have specialized care. While the respite program costs to use for now, Lewis-Utrata says she is hoping to partner with Medicaid to ease the financial burden for parents.

We Rock the Spectrum currently has three employees and plans to integrate a specialized training for those who will be overseeing the respite care. Respite care is $20 plus tax per hour and has a minimum requirement of two people per hour. Open play is $16 plus tax per child for two hours of play.

"We're going to fine-tune how we can best fit the needs of families and children with our gym and be responsive to what people are needing in our neurodivergent community, since that's our heart," Lewis-Utrata said.