a sensory gym sounds like a neat idea...is it designed for kids with autism specifically or just a play space for everyone?

Yes. Sensory integration works. Our son was extremely sensitive to sound to the point that he could not tolerate the clicking of the car's indicator. He was very resistant to any physical activity. I continued to coax him into physical activities such as cycling, treadmill, basketball and table tennis. We also enrolled my son for the Listening Program. In the beginning, it was almost impossible for my son to put the head phones, but after 3 months, it has helped him immensely. He can tolerate loud and irritating noises much better, this has improved his social behavior and performance at school immensely. Now he continues to use the head phones to listen to symphony music, which continues to soothe him.

The two owners of the gym have autistic children so they designed it with that in mind. It is in Hopedale MA, and they children love to go there. They have a few distinct areas in the gym and every toy or piece of equipment has a description on the wall next to it to explain what it is for.

Get a rolling pin! It's one of Luke's favorites. He lies down on the living room floor and I roll him from head to toe (gently of course)! Just allow the weight of the pin when you roll on his head, but put gentle pressure on the sides of his back (never roll on his spine) and down his limbs. He's in ecstasy when getting his 'roll roll', as he calls it.

We take our kids to a local sensory gym every Sunday and they have a wide variety of sensory toys and games, as well as a sensory room with weighted toys and resting area. Both of the kids love it and it is well worth the $30 a month we pay for the four sessions.

My daughter also likes to get covered up in a blanket and have her feet rubbed and back rubbed and likes to have pressure on some pressure points though out her body it seems to calm her down, and relax her.