We Rock the Spectrum (S9E06)

She got kicked out of five indoor playgrounds with her autistic son. Then she built her own. Today, We Rock the Spectrum has over 200 sensory-friendly, inclusive gyms in eight countries, and her son Gabriel just earned an academic scholarship to Loyola Marymount University. In this episode, Rob sits down with Dina Kimmel, founder and CEO of We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym, and Christopher Reyes, autism dad and owner of the Clovis, California location, to talk about what an autism family can build when the world tells them no. What you'll hear: • How one mom turned daily occupational therapy at home into a global sensory gym franchise • Why Gabriel's scholarship proves a diagnosis is a baseline, not a prophecy • Inside the gym: zip lines, crash pits, sensory tunnels, trampolines, and 12 pieces of OT equipment • The "play with a purpose" philosophy behind every piece of equipment • Christopher's path from nurse to owner of Central Valley's only sensory gym • Parents Night Out drop-off addressing California's childcare shortage • Big news: We Rock the Spectrum is now Medicaid waiver and Medi-Cal approved • The My Brother Rocks the Spectrum Foundation grants for open play and respite "This was all inspired from these two children that I have. I had no idea the need. I had no idea there were so many of us." — Dina Kimmel About Dina: Dina Kimmel is the CEO and founder of We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym, a sensory friendly inclusive franchise with over 200 locations in eight countries. An autism mom first, Dina launched the first location in 2009 after seeing her son Gabriel thrive on OT equipment. About Christopher: Christopher Reyes is an autism dad and owner of We Rock the Spectrum Clovis. He's father to Jacob, six, level two, and Roxanne, four, level one. He opened his location to serve the Central Valley community. Resources: Find a location: https://wrtsfranchise.com/locations Clovis: https://werockthespectrumclovis.com This episode is brought to you by Mightier, a clinically proven app that helps kids build emotional regulation skills through biofeedback-based video games. Visit mightier.com and use code theautismdad22 for 10% off. Also brought to you by VizyPlan. Built by a dad who gets it, VizyPlan uses AI to create visual routines with photos of your actual child. Visit vizyplan.com/app and use code theautismdad for your first month free. About Rob: Rob Gorski is the founder of The Autism Dad, a blog and podcast dedicated to supporting parents raising kids on the autism spectrum. As a dad of three autistic sons with over 25 years of experience, Rob brings lived experience, honesty, and heart to every conversation. Rob's first book lands early 2027 from Quarto. Updates and preorder: theautismdad.com/book You can find me at theautismdad.com, on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at The Autism Dad, and on YouTube at The Autism Dad. New episodes drop every week at listen.theautismdad.com.