All about inclusion
Panhandle Autism Society donated a playground communication board to Skyway Elementary School on Sept. 25 and purchased a total of 33 boards to distribute to schools and Head Starts in the five northern counties. From left: Skyway Principal Jennifer Peak, Jill Goetz, PAS President Jennifer Cork, William Cork, Michelle Biediger, Amy Hansen and Heather Izzard. In front: Aria Cork, with Julia, the "Sesame Street" muppet with autism.
Courtesy photo
This playground communication board shows different pictures that can help nonverbal and low verbal children express their needs and wants when at recess. Panhandle Autism Society has purchased 33 boards to distribute to schools and Head Start programs in North Idaho.
Nonverbal and minimally verbal students can have a tough time sharing their needs when they're playing at recess.
Panhandle Autism Society knows this, so its members have gathered funds to donate communication boards for schools to have on playgrounds to make life a little easier for those little ones who struggle with language.
"They're just a great big board that has different pictures that kids can use to indicate things they want," Jennifer Cork, mental health therapist and PAS president, said Tuesday. "It’s about inclusion and for those kids to be able to communicate to their peers or teachers on the playground."
The 48-by-32-inch boards contain images to help nonverbal children express things like when they're happy, mad, scared or sad, or when they need a break, want to play or use the bathroom. They were designed by Deborah Ralston, a certified speech-language pathologist at Periwinkle Children's Therapy in Coeur d'Alene, and crafted by Bartman Signs in Dalton Gardens.
Cork said the images on these boards are commonly used when children work with speech therapists.
"A lot of these kids already have smaller boards they carry with them," she said.
PAS collected more than $2,700 through a Facebook fundraiser and received a $3,000 grant from the Hussman Foundation through the Autism Society of America to provide 33 signs for school districts and Head Starts in the five northern counties. The durable metal signs, with installation hardware and posts, cost a bit more than $150 each.
"Our long-term goal is to maybe raise money to get boards to some charter schools, private schools, and we'd really like to raise money to put boards in city playgrounds," Cork said.
Info: www.panhandleautismsociety.com
