We Rock The Spectrum - Cary — Local services in Morrisville

We LOVE We Rock the Spectrum - Cary! My four year old autistic son and six year old son with ADHD did their day camp for the last two weeks and have also been going to their weekend parties. They really liked it! This place has been truly a breath of fresh air - a place that is designed to accommodate my kids, releasing me from the usual worries that go with private drop-off programs like whether they will be patient and flexible with my kids and whether I'll get a call asking me to pick them up early because of "bad behavior" (which has usually been code for the camp having failed to provide adequate support). The place has amazing gym equipment to give my kids the proprioceptive and vestibular input (aka joy!!) they need. There's also an arts/crafts activity as part of each camp day. Critically, while the kids are given a schedule of activities (gym time, arts/crafts, lunch) and encouraged to follow it, there is plenty of flexibility if, for example, my kid really wants to just do gym equipment for the day. They can allow this because of the extremely high counselor-to-camper ratio.

An example of how this place made my life and my kids' life easier: one morning my boys decided at the last minute that they wanted to wear their superhero costumes to camp. I was able to give them a quick and easy "sure, why not?" And that was that. I wasn't worried that some adult or kid at the camp would hassle them or me over it.

They also have parties periodically. My kids have done those as well, and really liked them!

They also have various other things like birthday parties and parents night out (aka you can drop your kids there while you go on a date).

I personally dropped the kids there every day and observed the vibe. It's a happy place. Music softly playing while kids swing, spin, jump and play.

Did my kids need to be redirected sometimes (e.g. reminded of certain necessary rules like waiting for their turn for the zip line, or staying off the zipline runway for safety)? Yes! Did I feel this was always handled with kindness and understanding? Also yes! And that's the key. Jes, who runs it, is herself a parent of a neurodivergent kid, and I felt she really got it.

The camp is 9am to 1pm. The way that works is that 9am is the earliest you're allowed to arrive, and it's no problem if you show up late. It's not like there's some rigid group circle time activity at 9am that you'll get hassled for interrupting. When life happened, we sometimes showed up at 9:30 or 10 and it was fine. You need to come get your kids by 1pm, i.e. that's when they stop providing camp counselor staffing, but if your kid wants to continue there past 1pm you can pay for Open Play for the afternoon while you hang out there.

For those who, like us, live far enough away that it's not realistic to do two round trips for drop off and pickup, there are a couple options that worked well. One option, which we ended up doing almost every day, is that we had a sitter pick the kids up at 1pm and take them to a playground or play space for the afternoon (e.g., Downtown Cary Park, Pleasant Park in Apex, Over the Moon, Marbles Museum). I understand that's not an option for everyone. Another option is that sometimes I'd stay in the Cary/Morrisville area for the morning, filling the time on my laptop at a cafe or walking one of the nearby trails. There's also a lot of shopping nearby (e.g. Trader Joe's, Target, Michaels, Home Goods).

I'm posting this because I think this place is really valuable and serves a huge need in the Triangle area for neurodivergent kids, so I want others to be aware of this resource. I also want it to succeed so that it will continue to be there for my own kids! The business just opened and I can tell they are still evaluating whether they can make it work. The more people who go, the better their chances will be! I'm hopeful that they will eventually also open a location over here where we live in...

This place is a labor of love. I have a toddler on the spectrum and I am always looking for new stimulating environments for him to burn off energy and get the vestibular stimulation his body needs for him to feel good.

I’m always looking for opportunities for him to connect with other children in an affirming way as a non-verbal child. And being newly diagnosed, I am definitely seeking opportunities to meet other families of autistics. This alone, is enough to make this place worth going to. But it is so much more than that!

The elements that they include in this fantastic playground designed specifically for autistic children, reminds me of taking all the best parts of marbles kids Museum and compressing it into a smaller space. Then adding sensory equipment that most families only have access to during occupational therapy sessions.

They have all kinds of breakout rooms. There’s a quiet room where stimulation is turned way down and there are quiet toys to play with. There’s a Almost like a teenage man cave for slightly older autistic children. They are safe spaces for really small kids to play. There is so much equipment to help you help your child meet their needs.

They have a variety of wonderful pretend play stations for imaginative youngsters, including a barbecue station, a kitchen, a grocery store, and adorable little costumes if your child so chooses to dress up as a construction worker or a fireman.

The sensory swing set up is amazing. Such a variety of hanging swings to offer all kinds of sensations and directions of motion. And if your kiddo is really active, they can always use the zip line or jump on the trampoline.

When it’s time to wind down, there are chalkboards and coloring tables and puzzles galore. Blocks and stim-toys.

Most impressive of all, is that the floors were mound so there were always trained attendees on the floor to help maintain safety and keep the space clean and fun for everybody. They were all extremely friendly, and many of the people working there we’re on the spectrum which I personally appreciate it a great deal.

If you have an autistic child, this is a place made for them. Such an incredible resource for our community and such a gift to our children. We bought a five pack before we even left on opening day because I know that I am going to be bringing my kid here whenever I get the chance.

In closing, this place is awesome....

I really wanted to love this establishment but this was our first and last time at this facility. Three stars for the nice setup, lots of activities for the children and parents to partake in. It is a little bit smaller than other indoor playgrounds we've visited but the side rooms make up for the 'openness' most playgrounds offer. They also have tons of cool "autistic" toys that are had to find in regular stores. The reason we will not be returning is because of the looks we received from the front desk attendant. As you may know children on the spectrum take a little while longer to adjust to new environments, toys etc. While my son was learning how to play with the magnetic animals, he would get frustrated when they fell apart when he played with them. Meanwhile, I'm trying to show him that they are not broken and we can still play with them; I noticed the front desk attendant (which i later learned is a co-owner) glancing over at me with this look. I brush it off the first time and take my son to a different area to play. He wanted to play with the animals because he loves them so much and kept returning to that area and getting frustrated when the animals fell apart again. Throughout this process I keep noticing her glancing over at us with this look of judgment/disapproval while I am attempting to soothe my little one. By the third or fourth time, I was so embarrassed and overwhelmed I gathered our belongings and left, she was still watching us on the sly and uttered "have a nice day' after we left. Mind you we stayed for MAYBE 30 minutes out of the two hours you get to play. I was so embarrassed i cried the whole ride home to the point where my husband noticed my demeanor while getting out of the car. I explained the situation to him and he called the establishment and spoke with her a few minutes before she spoke with me. She explained that that was not her intention and she was apologetic about what I may have felt was happening. But I know she was looking at us, none of the other children were having outbursts that would cause the look she was giving. I have taken my son to NUMEROUS indoor playgrounds and never felt the way I did today. Its hard enough to find spaces for families like ours but its another thing to not feel the leniency that's supposed to be provided in a space that's created for our...