Communication aids to be rolled out to more playgrounds

Megan Stewart said the symbols on the board included things you might need to say at a park

A charity which supports families of children with special educational needs and disabilities has been asked to make 11 more communication boards for playgrounds after a successful pilot.

The Leicestershire SEND Hub made two visual aids, which were put in place at Queen’s Park, in Loughborough, in February.

The boards contain letters, words, numbers and symbols, which children and young adults can point at, to help them communicate.

Megan Stewart, who designed the boards, said they have orders for 11 more locations - 10 parks and one school - across the county.

Miss Stewart, from Leicestershire SEND Hub, said she based it on PECs books, which stands for Picture Exchange Communication System, that her son used.

She said her son, now aged eight, was completely non-verbal until he was five-and-a-half years old.

"He could choose the cards and semi-construct a sentence with it."

Talking about the design of the aids, she said: "We started off with a set of squares, and filled in things you might need to say at a park.

"We added in an alphabet because some children learn to finger spell instead of talking, and some numbers.

"We added on all the information around it so people knew what it was."

She added the project was to "increase inclusively".

"We want parents and children, who maybe have never come across this before, to see these boards and learn about it, so SEN children can communicate with non-SEN children."

Robert Martin, pictured here with his seven-year-old son, said the orders were positive for the SEND community

Talking about the interest in the boards, Robert Martin, co-CEO of Leicestershire SEND Hub, said: "It's still in the early stage but it's really exciting that people are coming to us and engaging without us advertising.

"As a charitable organisation, it is great to use our resources and our funding to the best effect."

Charnwood Borough Council fitted the two communication boards in Loughborough.

Councillor Anne Gray said: “The boards have helped make the play area a more inclusive space, and we hope that they have made it easier for autistic, neurodivergent and learning-disabled children to have a little more fun this summer.”

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