(playful music) - [Dara] There's movement everywhere from little bodies at Unwind Indoor Play Cafe.

They're zipping down slides with smiles, courageously climbing walls, and stacking towers of foam blocks.

At first glance, it may look like your average play area, but what you won't find here in Pineville is loud background music, bright colors and equipment that kids can get lost in.

(playful music) - We made them in an open concept so that no matter where you sit, you have a clear view of your child.

The slide behind me is a clear slide, and that was done on purpose.

(playful music) - [Dara] Everything was done with a purpose, because founder Patricia Carrothers knows firsthand what it's like being a parent at a play area and not being able to keep an eye on your autistic child.

- A lot of the places that are built for children are more commercialized, and they're thinking about all the fun things, but maybe not realizing it could be sensory overload for children like Charlie that have autism.

- So, if a child shows up disorganized, excitable, and disconnected, there's not a chance they're gonna be able to perform to their fullest potential.

So, what we do is, we regulate those systems, that's your vestibular, proprioceptive and deep pressure systems.

We regulate those by activities that are included here at Unwind, which swinging, spinning, hanging upside down.

- [Dara] Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Heidi Tringali, is one of the two partners Unwind works with to provide additional support for families while they're visiting.

The other is Speech-Language Pathologist, Rebecca Rowe.

- When we're playing with each other, it's a whole different system that we're using now versus sitting at a table.

We're moving our bodies, we're getting sensory integration, we're using different materials and techniques.

And, again, we're letting the child lead, play-based therapy.

- Oh, it feels like Christmas, Charlie.

- [Dara] Three years ago, Patricia learned her 7-year-old son, Charlie, had autism.

She says it caused him to get easily distracted in class and have to move around a lot.

Eventually his school asked for him to be removed.

When her family couldn't find another school, she had to quit her job to homeschool him.

- We went through like a stage of figuring things out 'cause we obviously don't expect to have that type of news.

Can I have a hug?

That was so beautiful.

To receive a diagnosis of autism, you don't know what to expect.

So, it takes a while for you to kind of process that information.

- [Dara] What Patricia also had to process were the looks from strangers when Charlie had a meltdown.

- If there's a combination of too many sounds, he starts shouting or he may feel like he needs to cover his ears.

And so, for someone that doesn't know that he has autism, it looks like a behavior issue.

- [Dara] In September, 2023, she decided it was time for her family to stop missing out on the fun, and finally have a place where they could unwind.

(gentle upbeat music) - The struggle that we've gone through, like to be tapped out, like I've put all chips in to create this, quite literally.

- [Dara] That includes selling their still creek home, using the equity to invest in Unwind, and all of the household expenses fell on Christopher.

- [Christopher] It made us get down on our knees and pray.

What ultimately this has done is caused healing for the community.

- [Person] Great job.

- But it caused healing in our home because now we are best friends.

(bright orchestral music) - [Dara] That healing can be felt by parents like Aislinn Martinez.

Her son, Caleb, is an example of the one in 40 North Carolina kids diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.

She brings him here to play all the time.

- He's able to unwind himself and be himself for a little bit, you know, for the time that we're here, and not be as, you know, frustrated that, oh, it's too packed or it's too loud.

- [Dara] Caleb, like most kids, has a favorite spot.

- As soon as he comes in, he is already like looking at the ball pit, and he's like, eyeing it, like, that's where I'm going.

And then it's always, as soon as he comes in, he's at the door and he is like looking in like, is it still there?

- [Dara] While the ball pit looks like just a fun activity, experts say it, along with the sensory light up floor tiles and climbing wall, play a major role in the development of autistic children.

(drill whirring) - He has given me resilience to fight through challenges.

I don't have a choice to say, oh, I'm not gonna take on the challenge.

Like, I have to find a way to get through the challenge because there's no other way, like, he's my son.

- [Dara] Patricia may never know how her fight for her son (child laughing) changed the lives of so many families.

For Carolina Impact, I'm Dara Khaalid.