Communication boards allow non-verbal children and adults a way to interact with other people sharing the same environment. The boards are developed using the resources of the site in which they are placed – they are site specific. The symbols on the boards are specific to that park/environment as well as basic commonly used symbols.
With the assistance of a district grant, the Rotary Club of Whangarei South developed two communication boards to be erected beside play equipment in different parks. This was done in partnership with the Speech Language Therapists and the Whangarei District Council during the 2021-22 Rotary year.
The club has also been making small personal communication boards for individual students in schools to help them communicate in their daily interactions at school and in the community. These boards have symbols that you would use in everyday life and are on flip boards that the children can carry over their shoulder. When they need to ask/tell a person something they flick through the pages and point to the appropriate symbol.
The club has made around 520 of these individual boards since receiving a district grant in 2016-17. These boards are supplied to individual students via Special Education, and they now supply materials as well.