MANDAN, N.D. (KXNET) — Two Mandan parks have new sign boards that aim to help bridge communication gaps in the community.
These new playground communication boards, which came into Legion and Eagles park last week, were designed by the Mandan Park District with help from Kids In Motion Pediatric Therapy and Wellness.
The boards show the different verbs, activities and actions that are normally used at the park to play and interact with other people in the area. Individuals who may be having trouble communicating can point at them in order to communicate or replicate the gestures displayed on the board to indicate their intentions.
There’s also a personal reason for the boards, too: helping kids communicate with the world around them.
“Communication boards mean a lot to me,” explained Kayzanne Hewitt, a speech and language pathologist at Kids in Motion, “because it gives a kiddo or an individual the ability to communicate with others even by pointing, or gesturing. A playground is a place that a lot of kids go to play with friends or play with their families, so having a communication board that can be easily accessed for those kids gives them that ability to communicate what they want to do, or what they want to say. It can mean a lot to those families, and especially those kids.”
So far, Kids in Motion has reported the community has expressed their gratitude for the signs, and they hope to collaborate with Mandan parks to create more in the near future.