Communication Access on the Playground: What does the research say?

Summary of: A scoping review of the playground experiences of children with AAC needs* by Therrien, Barton-Hulsey, and Wong (2022)

Playground Play and AAC

Did you know that the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child says that all children have the right to play? But, for children with disabilities, their ability to access play can be limited. Most outdoor play structures are built for children who can walk, climb, and run. Thankfully, more physically accessible playgrounds are being built! But there is another accessibility consideration for playgrounds: communication. For children who use AAC, communication on the playground can be hard because:

• it’s difficult to communicate with peers during fast-paced play
• AAC provides limited opportunities to start or join games
• AAC devices are hard to use or access during active outdoor play
• peers do not understand how to communicate with AAC users

The authors looked at studies on playground accessibility from 1990 to 2020. They found 506 studies about playgrounds and disability. But none focused on communication and social access. Only ten studies mentioned that any of their participants had limited speech.

The authors found that research is needed to better understand playground communication. There needs to be guidance to design inclusive environments for children who use AAC. And, physical accessibility alone is not enough. Even if playground equipment is physically accessible, communication access is also needed for full participation.

(Blog author’s note: I would add that device manufacturers and AAC software companies should also participate in this type of research. The tools we have for communication are not designed for this kind of play!)

What can we do now?

• Adults (teachers, therapists, playground staff) can play an important role by supporting communication and helping children join social play.
• We can encourage play on the playground that may give opportunities for social engagement, like seesaws and other equipment that needs two people to play.
• We can also work to put communication supports on playgrounds. There are now some banners and posters available to help with this! But also, putting “just in time” communication symbols on pieces of equipment (e.g. swings) or specific locations (e.g. sand pit) can also be helpful.
• The Participation Model (Beukelman & Mirenda) is a tool that can help support social and physical play based on a child’s specific skills and needs.

However, it is also important to remember that communication may not look like we expect! Kids also relax and have free time on the playground, which may look like alone time. Autistic kids may not take turns or initiate social engagement in the same way a non-autistic child does. That’s ok!

Making playgrounds more inclusive requires attention to both physical access and communication access. That way, all children can play in their own way because their needs are met!

What have you done to support communication access on the playground?

Citations:

Beukelman, D. R., & Mirenda, P. (2013). Augmentative and alternative communication: Supporting children and adults with complex communication needs. Baltimore, MD: Brookes.

Therrien, M. C. S., Barton-Hulsey, A., & Wong, S. (2022). A scoping review of the playground experiences of children with AAC needs*. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 38(4), 245–255. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2022.2155874