Emma is 18 years old, and suffers from autism and epilepsy.She has speech delay and gross motor skill delay. The ball she is exercising with is heavy, almost one kilogram.

"What we do here, we help her work on more sensory-related skill by hitting the lights, but also work on her sport-related skill and gross motor skill by doing simple chest pass,” said Ricardo Cunningham, the owner of the studio.

Cunningham opened Life Changing Fitness Kids, also known as LCF Kids, in 2011. The studio in Falls Church, Virginia, near Washington, offers a therapeutic program to help children with disabilities develop physical and social skills.

“What inspired me to start a program like this is my aunt. She has Down Syndrome. When we were growing up, we saw her struggle. There were not a lot of programs for her to participate in to help her build up her gross motor skill, coordination, and even motor planning skill.”

Cunningham, a former track and field athlete, came to the U.S. from Jamaica in 2000, and studied health fitness and recreation research in college.

“It was always a vision of mine to help people. It is my passion. And it is my drive. I wanted to create an environment where kids can come and work and build their confidence and also don’t feel intimidated, a place like a safe haven for them, a place that they come and feel good about themselves.”

The program is designed for people as young as three years old and as old as 21. The specific routine in a one-on-one setting for each child varies depending on their particular needs.

The children also have group sessions.

“It is like a playground. When they come here, they don’t think of it as a therapy. They think of it as a place they have to go to have fun.”

"And one of the really great benefits we never ever anticipated was a social aspect of it. And the friendships we have here with the kids she comes to the gym with."

Yet, Cunningham's goal is more than providing a comfort zone for the kids.

"So the key is to build up success. It is to build up individual skill. And then they will take it out into their community.”

“My goal is to have these children more acceptable in the community and also in the workplace."

However, Cunningham says this can only be possible if able-bodied people make an effort to make those with disabilities feel included.