By Marcus Uhe
A gym with a difference in more ways than one has opened in Hallam.
My Sensory Gym is a non-for-profit organisation that offers sensory integration training for children aged between two and 14-years-old on the Autism spectrum.
The gym opened to public bookings on Thursday 1 September and features a number of rooms that specialise in different fields of training, such as fine-motor skills emotional regulation and physical strength building, all conducted by trained occupational therapists in deliberate, specialised one-on-one sessions based on the child’s need.
The bright and vivid colours of all the equipment and surrounds provide visual stimulation for the children and create a welcoming environment that encourages play and fun, while achieving their development goals.
Cliff Cunden runs the business with his Wife, Ollene, a qualified occupational therapist with experience working in the field around the globe.
“What we are doing is something totally different to what everyone else is doing because it’s one-to-one,” Mr Cunden said.
“(one-to-one sessions) have been going on in the US and UK for many years. Autism is very recognised in the US and the UK and most of the equipment here is from the US. You don’t get most of this equipment in Australia.
“They’re getting that special attention that they need and they’re working specifically to attack that special need that needs to be addressed according to the progress.”
Located just off the Princes Highway in Hallam, the centre is conveniently close major arterials including the Monash Freeway and South Gippsland Highway, providing easy access for residents in Casey, a city with a significant percentage of residents who suffer a disability.
2016 Census data showed the City had the largest number of residents living with a disability of any LGA in Victoria, while the ABS’s 2018 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) estimated that 47,834 or 14.1 per cent of the Casey population is living with either a mild, moderate, or profound disability.
The business also has a strong community focus, with profits to be donated to charity partners as part of a broader mission to normalise autism and reduce the stigma associated with the disease.
“We haven’t set up with them (charity organisations) yet because we’ve only just started taking bookings, but we want to give back to charity groups who deal with kids who have autism, to make it more recognised,” Mr Cunden said.
“It (Autism) is starting to come out now more, but we want it to be more exposed in the community.”
My Sensory Gym is located at 7/16-28 Melverton Drive, Hallam.
For more information head to mysensorygym.org.au/
