Nonverbal Communication Boards Installed at New HoCo Ground

Innovative nonverbal Communication Boards have been trending across the state for nonverbal children. Two boards got installed at Blandair Regional Park’s new Play for All playground. The boards that were partially funded by the Howard County Autism Society, allow nonverbal children to communicate without the use of personal augmentative and alternative communication devices.The 300 Acre Play for All playground is set to open this spring. The excitement across the community is inevitable, but along with it comes more anxiousness and promptness of several questions. How can the children easily access the nonverbal Communication Boards? The analysts have come up with an answer.

To use the nonverbal Communication Boards, children point to pictures on the display to express their thoughts and feelings. The symbols on the board were taken from a communication product called TouchChat and were selected by speech-language pathologists specifically for use on playgrounds. The board, which also includes Braille, was introduced with a sense of encouraging the community as well as an inclusive, more equitable play environment.

“Howard County is constantly working towards creating a more inclusive community, for all,” Ball said.  The Communication Boards are generally a welcome addition to the state-of-the-art park and will allow the children with distinctive abilities and personality traits to enhance the overall screenplay of the playground. It will definitely leave behind a positive experience for the community as there would be a sense of equality and togetherness.

The county had eight other Communication Boards installed at Waverly, Cedar Lane, Bellows Spring, Clarksville, Dayton Oaks, and many others last year. The 3*5 footboards were made possible through funding from the HCAs and fabricated by sign manufacturer Sharma & Associates. The companies have put a foot on the peril to make the lives of children more interesting and fun-loving.