Point To The Possibilities

Communication boards give children a voice at playgrounds

By Carolyn Mondlock
Photos: Carol Stream Park District

Water, food, air, and shelter are essential for survival. But to thrive instead of just surviving, a person needs more, such as sleep, clothing, and education. Perhaps beyond anything, the most significant need is to feel love and acceptance; this feeling is based on human touch and communication. But what if an individual has trouble communicating?

There are many children who cannot communicate as easily as others because of learning disabilities, or vision or hearing loss. So, both verbal and nonverbal communication factors influence a person’s acceptance and socialization with others. These influences may not be realized by a child until adulthood, but parents and concerned community members do. Adults who have had a stroke experience the same. Speech can be difficult for them, too. 

A Heartfelt Mission

The Carol Stream Park District in Illinois recently undertook a project that was special for staff members, as three employees have children who suffer from an autism spectrum disorder. Marketing Manager and Graphic Designer Theresa Esposito traveled 40 minutes to a special park that was recommended by the developmental school her 4-year-old son attends. When he pointed to a treehouse on a communication board, indicating his desire to go to this unique feature, it was then that Esposito’s vision for the same boards at Carol Stream parks became a mission.  

Esposito took photos and sent them to Shane Hamilton, Director of Parks and Facilities, and inquired if she could develop similar communication boards. Hamilton’s son, who is now a teenager, has leaped hurdles to communicate via these visual methods. Park team members were eager to assist with the project. Seven parks were identified as starting points, and visits were made to identify key features on a communication board. 

Esposito priced out 24- by 36-inch, single-sided aluminum boards with a protective coating. Pricing was affordable through an online printer at $150 a sign. Esposito hand-drew special amenities for the signs, such as a graphic for a splash pad and another for climbing walls. She presented her designs to local therapists and developmental professionals during the illustration process for recommendations.  

To keep installation costs low, the park's carpenter built the frames for the boards with posts and a backing to prevent warping and protect them from Midwest elements. The boards were installed at a height accessible to children under 48 inches, so small children can easily point to the images. 

Initiating A New Standard

The park district senior-leadership team was so enamored with the idea that a communication board was installed in every park-construction project that includes a playground. Each area, beginning in June, was equipped with these essential communication tools. It is believed that the district’s initiative is a “first” in the Chicagoland area and in the county.

“This is the moment I take off my employee hat and put on my ‘father of a child with special needs hat,’” Hamilton wrote in an email to Esposito. “I simply had to take a moment to say, ‘thank you!’ I know you fully understand the impact these signs will have on families such as ours, but please know it is so much deeper than just signage. These small acts of kindness (and awareness) show the community we don’t just say things, we do them! If these communication boards help just one family have a more positive recreational experience on one of our playgrounds, they are worth it. If a sibling of a child gets to actually play on one of our playgrounds instead of going home because their brother/sister is having a meltdown, then the signs have done their job. Kindness is, and always will be, undefeated in the game of life, and you are simply continuing to prove that statement correct. I am so damn proud to work here for many reasons, and I get motivated each and every day because of fellow employees like you! Thank you from the very depths of my heart and my family’s hearts for choosing to put children like ours first for a change. As an employee of the Carol Stream Park District, I am proud to call you my co-worker; as a parent of a child with special needs, I am proud to call you my friend! Keep up the great work, never give up, and always know your son is capable of anything and everything as long as he has tons of love, kindness, and respect in his life! Thank you!”

If you as readers are tearing up, it’s okay. Just know that creating and installing communication boards at all the district’s playgrounds will brighten the eyes of individuals who now have a way to connect. And for parents whose children can communicate where they want to play—tears of joy.

Carolyn Mondlock is the Division Manager in Marketing & Communications for the Carol Stream Park District in Illinois. Reach her at carolynm@csparks.org.

For information about this project, contact Shane Hamilton, Director of Parks & Facilities for the Carol Stream Park District at shaneh@csparks.org.