Malden Installing Communication Boards At All School Playgrounds

MALDEN, MA — City officials unveiled two new Augmentative and Alternative Communication Boards at Malden's Early Learning Center on Thursday.

The boards display photos, symbols and illustrations to aid children who are non-verbal or have limited speech. Children can point or gesture to the symbols on the board to communicate.

The city plans to install such boards at all of its school playgrounds.

The initiative came about through the advocacy of the Malden Disability Commission, which helps the city and its residents bring about full integration and participation of people of all abilities.

At one of the commission's monthly meetings, Imene Bouziane Saidi, a mother of three children in the Malden Public Schools, spoke about the importance of communication boards. One of her sons uses an AAC device to bolster his language and communication needs, and she suggested that the Disability Commission advocate for the inclusion of such boards on school playgrounds.

"I'm grateful to Imene Bouziane Saidi and the Disability Commission for coming forward and advocating for this positive addition to school playgrounds," Christenson said in a statement. "This is a great tool for children of differing abilities to better communicate and feel supported and included."