Nonverbal Communication Boards Installed At New HoCo Playground

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Two innovative nonverbal communication boards have been installed at Blandair Regional Park’s new “Play for All” playground. The boards, which 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 park’s Play for All playground is set to open this spring.

To use the 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 boards, which also include braille, are designed to encourage a sense of community as well as an inclusive, more equitable play environment, according to Howard County Executive Calvin Ball.

“Howard County is constantly working towards creating a more inclusive community, for all,” Ball said. “These communication boards are a welcome addition to this state-of-the-art park and will allow for more of our children of all abilities to have a positive experience at our playground.”

The county had eight other communication boards installed at Waverly, Cedar Lane, Bellows Spring, Clarksville, Dayton Oaks, Ilchester, Pointers Run and Rockburn Elementary School last year. The 3 x 5-foot boards were made possible through special funding from the HCAS and fabricated by sign manufacturer Sharma & Associates.

“Our new playground at Blandair Park was designed from the ground up to be a space where every child feels welcome. With amenities like these communication boards, Blandair Park will serve as a model for how our parks can and should be built with every member of our community in mind,” Howard County Recreation & Parks Director Raul Delerme said.

Katie Gandy, a 10-year veteran autism mom and Howard County Autism Society Board Member, said she "couldn't be more proud of our community and its pioneering vision to address the needs of everyone in our community.”

"This inclusive playground at Blandair Park is going to revolutionize the way families with disabled family members are able to play and interact within our community. It provides them with an inclusive, judgement-free zone to allow our children to play just like their peers," she said.