The playgrounds at Alliance Preschool and Alliance Early Learning School have new communication boards to help meet the communication needs of all students. The boards are designed to give the young Aviators learning to communicate and those who need assistance with communication the ability to effectively express their needs and wants with staff members and peers.
Kara Kandel, a speech language pathologist for the district at Alliance City Schools since 2016, came up with the idea as a way to support the diverse communication needs of the young students.
“Many students across Alliance Preschool, Alliance Early Learning School and across the district are unable to communicate their needs through traditional speech,” Kandel explained. “Advocating for these students and their communication needs is a passion of mine. Everyone deserves to have their voice heard.”
One side of the board features images and symbols of playground specific vocabulary that students can use to communicate. It includes questions, playground equipment, adjectives, toys, actions and more. All are common words or concepts students would naturally use on a playground. The other side of the board has the LAMP communication board based on the LAMP Words for Life language system. This communication app is used by many students at both schools on personal devices as a way to communicate in school.
“Communication boards have the power to support learners by allowing them to access information within their environment,” said Dr. Amy Cramer, director of special education. “The boards rely on symbols rather than words with the purpose to be inclusive of those who might not be able to verbalize their thoughts. They help ease the frustration of students without spoken language and are valuable tools for language development.”
While the boards are there to assist students, they have a dual purpose in helping to raise public awareness about augmentative and alternative communication (ACC). Young students communicate in a variety of ways- through gestures, signs, speech-generating devices, eye gaze, ACC apps, communication board, icons and more.
“Playgrounds offer a great place for kids to learn to connect, interact, learn vocabulary and build positive relationships,” Kandel said. “For kids who have difficulty communicating, engaging or initiating interactions with others, these boards offer that support. The playground communication boards ensure that the playground is inclusive for all kids of all abilities, especially those who use ACC.”
With clear pictures and symbols on the board, students are able to go to the board and point to the different images, allowing others to see what they need. If a child wants on the swingset, they can point to the picture of the swing and the staff member or their peers will understand what the child is communicating to them using the board.
“Communication may look different for some kids, but every form of communication is very important,” Kandel explained. “I hope these boards spread awareness of the diverse ways kids can communicate and the importance of including everyone. All kids, regardless of their ability, are welcome and encouraged to use the communication boards.”
Families and community members are encouraged to check out the communication boards at Alliance Preschool and Alliance Early Learning School to see the benefits they offer in meeting the communication needs of students at Alliance City Schools.