Super Gym expected to double therapy options for kids with disabilities

MINNETONKA, Minn. (KMSP) - It’s estimated that one in six children is born with a developmental disability. If you are the parent of one of those kids, you're probably trying to find the best therapy available. St. David's Center for Child & Family Development is offering a cutting edge treatment in a brand new gym.

St. David’s new Super Gym is 1,500 square feet with 19-foot ceilings. The big space gives the kids inside plenty of room to swing, toss balls, bounce, jump, scale walls, and even hang out in the lycra swing.

“Daniel is working on a lot of things," said Robin Campbell, an occupational therapist at St. David's, working with a client. "He’s working on his motor skills, on learning where his body is in space. He's working on coordination -- using his arms and legs together in a coordinated way so he can play games with his friends or sports if he's interested in that."

The Super Gym has four therapists on staff at a time. A gym this large gives the therapists plenty of options and gives the children a chance to be part of the process and plan their actions.

“That's a really important part about therapy,” Campbell said. “Most of the children we see have trouble with that. They tend to be a little more disorganized. Maybe they look clumsy or uncoordinated. In therapy, we use fun activities that are motivating for children and they need to plan how they're going to move through space, what equipment they're going to use during the activity if they can do that. “

Last year, 480 children received therapy of all kinds at St. David's. Now, with the addition of the Super Gym and other spaces in this new wing, the number is expected to double.