Therapy gym opens Saturday

MINDEN -- Brain Power will be celebrating the opening of an occupational therapy gym from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

A multi-colored mat, a climbing tube and a sticky ball game in the gym will stimulate children with a conditions including developmental delay, autism, Asperger's Syndrome, visual problems, orthopedic injuries, cerebral palsy, poor handwriting, learning disabilities, brain injuries, feeding problems and sensory issues.

Lori Runyan, a Reno occupational therapist, will be available during Saturday's grand opening to provide motor skills assessments.

She will work at the new gym on Wednesdays and occasional Saturdays.

A graduate of Texas Woman's University, Runyan works primarily with adults in Reno but wants to work more with children.

"I love kids," she said. "It's just my first love. I just want to be more a part of that."

Brain Power is located in the Bently Building at the corner of Highway 395 and Buckeye Road in Minden.

"(The gym) provides gross motor coordination," Runyan said. "It helps kids learn to follow directions and become familiar with textures."

In addition to the motor skills evaluation she will provide Saturday, Brain Power will also offer services aimed at helping children become more functional, including vision and hearing screenings.

Janice Rice, the founder of the nonprofit Brain Power, said it was time to bring in an occupational therapist.

"We wanted to offer multi-disciplinary solutions," she said.

Additional plans for the occupational gym include a huge ball, swings and a trampoline.

The gym will also be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays for memory enhancing games and sensory development programs. For information on this Bounce and Balance Lab call Brain Power at 782-4256 or stop by the office.

Saturday's event is being sponsored by Carson Valley Sertoma.