A Playground Where Everyone Gets to Speak: Why These New Communication Boards Matter
I still remember the first time I took my son Rhys to the playground with his AAC device, his “talker,” as we called it then. He was a wide-eyed preschooler who didn’t care about tag but absolutely wanted to climb everything and slide every slide. And there he was, determined to play like everyone else while dragging around a device roughly the size of a cereal box and twice as heavy. It cost more than our first car, and I was terrified it would get dropped, drowned in the mulch pit, or launched off the top of the climbing dome during a very intense solo mission.
It was a beautiful tool that gave him a voice, but it wasn’t exactly built for jungle gyms. My kid? Very much was.
So when I saw the newest addition to Winding Hills Park, a brightly colored Playground Communication Board mounted right by the play area, I had to stop and blink a few times. There it was: a way for kids to express themselves without a device in hand or a parent hovering at DEFCON 2 levels of anxiety. These boards are starting to pop up at parks throughout our area, and they deserve some serious applause. Or at the very least, one uninterrupted sip of coffee in their honor.
And the best part? It’s not just a great idea; it’s a real investment in inclusion, thanks to Upper Allen Township. This communication board is the latest step in their ongoing work to make Winding Hills Park more accessible and welcoming for all families.
🗣 What’s a Playground Communication Board?
In short? It’s an AAC device you can’t accidentally leave at home, throw into the mulch, or panic-repair with duct tape. It’s a large, weatherproof board with symbols and visuals for common playground words: “swing,” “stop,” “help,” “play,” “happy,” “I want,” “ouch,” and more. Kids can point, gesture, or use them as cues when words aren’t quite cutting it.
For Rhys, who mostly uses mouth words now but still hits the occasional language traffic jam, it’s the perfect fallback. He can still jump in and participate, no device required, and without me playing sidekick translator while also trying to keep his siblings from licking the slide.
🧩 Not Just for “Nonverbal” Kids
Most preschoolers are emotional Rubik’s Cubes in crocs. Even the chatty ones have their moments of full system shutdown when they’re overwhelmed, tired, or just mad because their granola bar cracked in the wrong place.
These boards don’t just help the kids with IEPs or speech devices. They help all kids communicate. They make it easier to ask for a turn, say what hurts, or even tell a new friend they want to play without needing the perfect words.
And for kids who grow up seeing these tools as part of everyday life? That’s how we raise humans who are kinder, more inclusive, and less likely to blink when someone communicates in a different way.
⏳ What About the Kids Still Waiting?
Not every child who needs support has an AAC device yet. Some are on waitlists for evaluations, speech services, or funding approvals. Some parents are still chasing diagnoses, fighting insurance battles, or trying to figure out what their kid needs while surviving on three hours of sleep and leftover dinosaur nuggets.
We’ve been there.
And while the system drags its feet, these boards don’t. They don’t ask for a script. They don’t need a diagnosis code. They’re just there, ready for any kid who needs another way to say, “Can I have a turn?” or “That slide looks awesome” or “Please stop, that’s too much.”
Because no child should have to wait for the perfect paperwork before they get to play like everyone else. Inclusion shouldn't be on a 12-month waiting list.
These communication boards bridge that gap. They say, “You don’t need to prove anything to be part of this.” And that’s the kind of support families like mine, and maybe yours, have been waiting for all along.
🛝 Why It’s a Big Deal
Inclusive playgrounds aren’t just about ramps and swings (though, please keep adding those too!). When we build spaces that welcome all kinds of brains and bodies, we make room for deeper friendships, bigger adventures, and a lot fewer tears. These communication boards say to our kids:
“You’re welcome here.”
“You’re understood here.”
“Let’s figure this out together.”
That’s huge. For everyone.
💛 Thank You, Winding Hills (and Everyone Else Who Gets It)
Winding Hills has always been one of our go-to parks, with its adaptive swings, shaded trails, and solid sensory-friendly vibes. This board? Just the cherry on top of the already-awesome sundae.
To Upper Allen Township and all the parks making these changes: THANK YOU. You’re not just slapping up signs. You’re saying, “Hey, we see your kid. And we want them here.”
And to the parent standing near the slide, balancing a melting coffee in one hand and a highly sensitive child’s entire emotional state in the other: I see you too. You’re doing great. We’re getting there. One symbol, one slide, one beautifully inclusive park at a time.
🛠 How You Can Help Build a More Inclusive Playground (Even Without Power Tools)
If you’re a parent or caregiver currently stuck in the waitlist loop, waiting for evaluations, services, devices, answers, I hope you know this: your child is worthy of inclusion right now. No diagnosis required. No permission slip needed. Just play.
But if you’re a community member, a teacher, a PTO rep, a parks department hero, or someone who wants to help but doesn’t know where to start, start here.
✅ Ask your township or parks department if they’ve considered adding a communication board.
✅ Share this article with your local municipality or school district.
✅ Connect with local disability organizations; many have templates and grant resources available.
✅ Model using the boards with your own kids. Normalize them. Make them part of the playground landscape, just like swings and slides.
Because when we make room for every kid to speak, however that looks for them, we’re not just building better playgrounds. We’re building better communities.
