Hi everyone! My name is Arlene Keeler and I'm the owner of Kaleidoscope Family Gym. I am a life-long resident of the Pacific Northwest, born and raised in Auburn and a resident of Sumner/Puyallup for 39 years. I am a daughter, mom, sister, aunt, grandma, friend, entrepreneur; hardworking, loyal, respectful, caring.
I worked my entire adult life as a supervisor/manager and thought I would always be employed in the standard, ordinary workforce. Then my small grandson was born and diagnosed with autism. Because he was non-verbal and suffered separation anxiety, he was not successful in daycare so gramma retired in order to be his person while his parents were at work.
He is such a precious soul and, much like any toddler, is brimming with energy and the need to run and jump and play. During his 2nd and 3rd year, we would take him to indoor playgrounds; he enjoyed playing in them most of the time. Sometimes, he would cover his ears and sit on my lap. Sometimes he would intrude on the boundaries of others. Sometimes, it just didn't work out.
During the last two years, I've gotten to know other parents/grandparents/caregivers of kids with special needs and have heard the same story over and over - we need a place for our kids to play where they can play with their sibling, where we can meet other parents in the same situation, where our kids will be welcome and accepted. So, we're making a place. A place for all kids and their families, a place where everyone belongs. Soon...soon, we will be open.