Scott and Tammy Ross, owners of The Sensory Club Neenah, expected 100 people to attend their business’ March 11 grand opening.
All told, more than 350 people came through the doors of the membership-based club that caters to individuals of all ages with special needs and sensory processing challenges.
“It’s been [growing] faster than we thought it would, and new people are coming through the doors every day,” says Scott Ross, whose wife, Tammy, is an occupational therapist with 30 years of experience serving special needs individuals.
The business is personal for the Rosses — their 27-year-old son was diagnosed with autism at age 8. This led to the family setting up their own sensory-regulating gym at home. The couple dreamed of owning a business to serve families like theirs, so when they came across The Sensory Club franchise in July, they quickly began looking for leasable space in the Fox Valley.
“It was exactly what we wanted to do,” Scott says. “We opened a location in Neenah because the need is here.”
The Sensory Club Neenah is the third Wisconsin location for the franchise, in addition to Green Bay and Pewaukee, and the fourth in the country. Outside the state, there is a location in Denver, Colorado and one under development in Tennessee.
The 4,700-square-foot, open-concept sensory gym in Neenah features two climbing structures with slides, a monkey bar system, zip lines, various therapeutic swings, rock climbing walls, crash pads and a sanitary ball pit with jump deck.
Scott explains that indoor play spaces are often built for neurotypical children and can be overwhelming and dysregulating for those with disabilities or sensory processing issues.
“Here, instead of the disability being an afterthought, it’s the primary focus,” he says. “Everything in this gym has a therapeutic value. Everything is geared toward sensory processing and will help regulate emotions and behavior.”
The Sensory Club isn’t just for children — teens; adults with special needs, Alzheimer’s and dementia; and individuals experiencing post-traumatic stress can benefit from the club’s sensory gym and private multi-sensory environments.
In addition to providing emotional and physical support, The Sensory Club offers a space for families to build community, Scott says.
“Oftentimes individuals with special needs have a hard time making friends. This is a club, so we have seen friendships develop and parents interact and network with each other,” he says. “It fulfills a need that parents and caregivers can’t find anywhere else.”
