CHAPEL HILL N.C. – Sensored Vibes is one of the first sensory-based clubhouses to open in the Triangle.
The clubhouse on Governors Drive is designed for children and adults with neurosensory conditions and on the autism spectrum. The space includes a ball pit, rock climbing wall, zip-line swing and mini-trampolines.
A.J. McGee is 11 years old, and he was diagnosed with a rare chromosomal condition that causes him to be non-verbal and have developmental delays. For families like the McGee’s, Sensored Vibes is life changing.
“We knew something was wrong around seven to eight months, but the doctor was telling us he is a baby. He is a boy, it’s going to take a while. It took over a year to get a diagnosis. We went to a genetic specialist and he was diagnosed with a chromosomal 18 deletion,” his mother Maria McGee said.
She said she received a call from Tynisha Doe, who is the owner of Sensored Vibes. When Doe explained her plan of opening a place for kids and adults with sensory disorders, Maria McGee was floored.
“My mouth just dropped. There are no other sensory gyms or places that I could truly bring A.J., and for him to just be and enjoy, and don’t have to worry about people looking at us or me having to apologize for his behavior, or explain over and over again his diagnosis,” she said.
Sensored Vibes is an open-play concept with structured and unstructureded play time. They also offer occupational therapy services for clients who are interested with no insurance necessary.
“Some of the things he may want to play with at a therapist office, he’s not able to because that is not what his session is about,” Maria McGee said.
The rate of children with neurodiverse conditions and on the autism spectrum is climbing. One in every 42 boys and one in every 189 girls are born neurodiverse, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 2000 and 2018, the percentage of 8-year-old children diagnosed with autism increased by 150%.
Doe said 10 kids are allowed in for open play at a time, which helps create a less overwhelming and stimulating environment.
“Seeing A.J. flourishing and enjoying himself, it’s the little things and that mean a lot to me,” Maria McGee said.
The clubhouse also offers Parents Night Out monthly. It's where where parents can drop their children off for two hours and staff will watch them play while parents can run errands or enjoy a date night. The plan is to expand that program to where parents can leave their kids for a full day.
Doe said the clubhouse is also open for adults.
