Sensory Kids & Social Minds (located at 158 Newark Avenue, Downtown Jersey City), has been providing valuable pediatric therapy services for children with special needs in Hudson County and beyond for the past ten years. They recently celebrated their 10th anniversary by having a special fundraiser. The event also coincided with Autism Awareness Month (April) and the celebration of founder Sonia Zayas’ forty years of service as an Occupational Therapist. Family and friends of Sensory Kids gathered at Club Transmission in Jersey City for this milestone fundraiser. It included a four-course dinner catered by Whealth & Co. and Garden Steaks. The proceeds from the celebration went to the Hudson Partnership CMO (Care Management Organization). This nonprofit organization provides wraparound services for families with children who have special needs.
“Sonia, our Director, is my mom, so we have a family business, run by these two feisty Puerto Rican women. My brother is the Director of Marketing, my retired father plays Mr. Fixit around the clinic, and my sister, who has developmental disabilities herself, also participates as a Therapy Assistant in our Drop Off Program for children under age 3. It’s a family affair—and everyone is in the mix! We are lifelong Jersey City residents and very proud of that,” said Vanessa Vega, Director of Education Programs, Senior Occupational Therapist and proud daughter of the owner, Sonia Zayas. “There were times in the late 80s when neighbors and friends were leaving the city in droves, but we always chose to invest in our city. Jersey City at that time was a stopping ground for young professionals who were looking for cheaper housing stock. People would come here, start families, and then move to the suburbs. It created a vacuum of services for children who were living here because businesses had trouble thriving. It was difficult on the part of the consumer, also, especially for those families who did not have the means to go elsewhere for essential pediatric therapy services.”
Vanessa continued, “Now, with a change in the median income of our city, and increased interest in creating a community that is responsive to members’ needs, new families want to stay here. And that means, a more consistent clientele for businesses like ours. The prevalence of Autism in NJ is the highest in the nation—with 1/41 children impacted. The school system alone cannot meet children’s holistically—that would be financially impossible. So, we have this little place that my mom started to fill in the gap. That’s how Sensory Kids & Social Minds got started.”
Vanessa explained that the framework through which the staff at Sensory Kids & Social Minds work with children acknowledges that each person is a product of the ways in which their brain/body senses, integrates, and interprets sensory information. Their focus at Sensory Kids is on eight of the nineteen senses that all human beings experience. The five we all learned in school (vision, hearing, taste, touch, smell) and three exceedingly important senses that are less well-known: the vestibular system (sense of balance), and the proprioceptive system (sense of body awareness, related to the position), and interoception (the ability to interpret sensations from within the body) senses.
The night grew even greater as the hours went on with a special gift to Zayas—the development of a non-profit in New Jersey branded “Miss Sonia’s House.”
“My mother has been talking about creating a non-profit for years, to cater to the families who could not otherwise afford our services. We decided to call it ‘Miss Sonia’s House’ because when she first opened the business it was just in the studio apartment of a brownstone next door to her home. Kids would come for treatment and always say how much they liked ‘Miss Sonia’s House.’ This created a sort of brand or fidelity to the family experience: we don’t function like a cold medical facility. We are more like family,” explained Vanessa. “And we are members of our community, just as we are neighbors to our clients. The ultimate goal of Sensory Kids & Social Minds is to prepare kids for their various social roles within the community. Some clinics care only about skills; we care about the whole child.”
The woman of the hour, Sonia Zayas, expressed how much she loves her job, “The ten years of Sensory Kids has been an amazing journey. Learning from the children and giving something to the families has been a true joy in my life. I feel totally fulfilled, and I finally feel that my purpose is served, now that the business can stand on its own. I probably will begin leaving as I gradually retire. My daughter Vanessa will be taking the baton, and I know that she will have the same soul, love, and compassion that needs to be had to do this kind of work,” she said.
I got to speak with people who all seemed to have the same response to their growth as parents. Mary and Joe explained that since having their son attend Sensory Kids & Social Minds, no one believes he is a “special needs child.”
“We started with my child when he was 3 ½ years old. He had a lot of challenges and the way he is now is unbelievable,” Mary said.
“If Sonia wasn’t there, we wouldn’t have figured it out. Sonia taught us how to open our eyes and explore more about Autism and Autism awareness, and she is available whenever we need her,” Joe added.
Now great friends, Angelique, Catherine, and Julie have truly expanded their knowledge of Autism as parents of children on the autism spectrum who have attended Sensory Kids & Social Minds.
“Sensory Kids is my second family and it’s been a beacon for me. I’ve been coming to Sensory Kids since 2008 and Sonia is a miracle worker, and I don’t know what I would’ve done without her. She knows these kids are intelligent and kind, and it shows in every inch of them, and then I’ve made all these awesome friends too,” Angelique said.
Julie is a mother of autistic twins who has been attending Sensory Kids for eight years. She expressed so much gratitude for what they have done for her and her family. “She (Sonia) was our salvation for when my husband and I were in a dark time. I would send my husband with the boys to therapy, so he could see what I dealt with from a day to day, so she was like a family therapist. While I don’t live in Jersey City, I will continue to visit her—she and her family will always be a part of our children’s lives.
Catherine, also known as “Sebastian’s Mother,” expressed complete appreciation for the staff of Sensory Kids. “Sebastian started with Sonia when he was eight months, and right now he is ten years old. He went from not speaking, and it’s incredible to see that he could have developed this kind of relationship with Sonia. Now, Sebastian is in a general education class, and he goes to the park and has friends. And that’s from the little boy that we always knew was in there but we needed to encourage him to come out and play,” she said.
The experiences many of these parents have had with Sensory Kids are unanimous. Each family has walked away feeling more whole than ever before. Before dinner, Howard Brunner, owner of Club Transmission took to the microphone.
“Nothing matters more than our children. It’s so important that all kids get the best possible start, the best shot. Sonia and her team at Sensory Kids are bringing awareness, understanding, and treatment of Autism to a new level, right here in Jersey City,” he said.
The gathering was brought together with a hearty and satisfying meal made by David from Whealth & Co. and Alex from Garden Steaks.
“This is the second year that this has happened (the fundraiser) and we’re happy to be a part of it.”
Sensory Kids & Social Minds celebrated another year of success, and it showed in every face present at the event. For more information on their Drop Off Program for children under age 3, or for evaluations and treatment in the areas of Speech-Language Pathology, Physical Therapy, or Occupational Therapy, please call (201) 324-1700 or email vanessa@sensorykidsandsocialminds.com.
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