What Is a Communication Board?
A communication board is a visual tool that uses pictures, symbols, or icons to help someone express needs, wants, and feelings without relying on spoken words. Communication boards give a voice to children and adults who are nonverbal, minimally verbal, or who communicate more easily with visual support — including individuals with autism, speech and language delays, or cognitive differences.
Communication boards are used across many settings, including classrooms, speech therapy sessions, clinics, and homes. **Playground communication boards** apply this same tool to outdoor play, giving every child a way to request, comment, and connect with peers during recess and free play.
What Is an AAC Playground Board? (And What’s a Core Board?)
AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication — any tool or method that supports or replaces spoken language. An AAC playground board is a permanently installed outdoor sign that brings this same AAC support to recess, so a child’s communication system doesn’t stop at the classroom door.
A core board is a specific type of communication board built around “core vocabulary” — the small set of high-frequency words (like *go, stop, more, help, my turn*) that make up the majority of everyday communication across almost any activity or setting. Because core words apply everywhere, a playground core board lets a child build the same flexible, functional language they use in the classroom, just applied to swings, slides, and shared play instead of worksheets.
Our AAC playground boards are built using licensed Boardmaker© and SymbolStix© symbol sets, the same systems most schools already use so the vocabulary a child sees on the playground matches what they already know from the classroom and their personal AAC device.
Playground Communication Boards - SLP Desgined
Welcome to the Future of Inclusive Play
Playground communication boards are powerful tools designed to send a visible message of inclusivity, promoting social interaction among children of all abilities. These innovative boards provide choice and independence, helping to reduce frustration and encourage collaborative play in diverse playground settings. Playground communication boards provide complete accessbility to public spaces – physical access and access to communication.
In recent years, the push for truly inclusive play has moved beyond physical ramps and rubber surfacing. Playground communication boards have emerged as the vital third pillar of accessibility: communication access. These boards are permanently installed, weather-resistant signs featuring symbols, pictures, or icons that allow children who are nonverbal, have autism, or speak different languages to interact with their peers.
The beauty of playground communication boards lies in their simplicity. By providing a visual anchor for language, these boards remove the “invisible barriers” to play. When a child can point to an icon for “slide,” “swing,” or “my turn,” the frustration of being misunderstood vanishes. This leads to longer play sessions, fewer behavioral meltdowns, and a genuine sense of belonging for every child who visits the park.
School Purchasing FAQs
Do you accept Purchase orders?
Yes. We accept POs, checks, credit cards and ACH payments. We also provide standard W-9 documentation upon request to streamline vendor onboarding.
Are these playground signs ADA compliant?
Yes. Our SLP-designed communication boards are engineered to support universal accessibility and enhance ADA compliance in public play spaces and school environments.
How can schools fund a playground communication board?
Schools can fund playground communication boards using federal funding streams like IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) Part B grants, Title I funds for inclusive school environments, or corporate community grants. Resources at Lakeshore Speech provides itemized quotes to support school grant applications and PTA fund requests. Complete a quote request in just 3 minutes.
What symbols are used on your school playground communication boards?
Our playground communication boards utilize professionally licensed SymbolStix and Boardmaker symbol sets, ensuring direct continuity with the AAC vocabulary systems that students already use in special education classrooms. This alignment enables non-verbal and minimally verbal students to seamlessly generalize their communication skills from the classroom to the play environment.
Communication Boards for Parks & Outdoor Public Spaces
Playground communication boards aren’t just for schools. Parks departments, municipalities, and community organizations across the country install our boards in public parks, splash pads, nature trails, and recreation centers to make outdoor public spaces accessible to every visitor — not just physically, but communicatively.
Why parks and rec departments choose Resources at Lakeshore Speech:
- Boards are built to withstand full outdoor exposure ,sun, rain, snow, and heavy public use with the same UV-resistant Aluminum Composite construction used in our school installations.
- Every board is SLP-designed and vendor-agnostic, so it fits alongside any playground manufacturer’s existing equipment.
- We provide itemized quotes suited to municipal purchasing and capital improvement budgets, and can support ADA transition plan documentation.
A communication board for a park sends the same message as a ramp or an accessible swing: everyone is welcome here.
Who Benefits from AAC Communication Boards?
- Children with Autism
- Nonverbal, minimally verbal, and emerging communicators
- Individuals with speech or language difficulties to express needs, wants and feelings — Especially in a noisy or nonverbal environment.
How Do Playground Communication Boards Promote Inclusion and Accessibility?
- Sends a visible message of inclusivity
- Helps build welcoming communities centered around acceptance and accessibility
- Raises awareness and playground accessibility beyond just physical access
How Do Communication Boards Support AAC Users Across Environments?
- We hold licensing for Boardmaker© and SymbolStix© symbols, making transitions easier for AAC users
- Provides a multilingual form of communication
- Bridges the communication gap across settings and communication styles
How Do Communication Boards Encourage Social Interaction and Play?
- All children can use the playground communication boards to communicate.
- Fosters inclusion and socialization among peers
- Encourages collaborative and interactive play
How Do Communication Boards Enhance Safety in Playgrounds and Public Spaces?
- Provides clear communication options to express concerns
- Helps individuals communicate needs like feeling too hot or needing a break
- Supports safer interactions in busy or high-sensory environments
How Do Communication Boards Promote Independence?
- Provides independence for children with communication differences
- Allows active participation in play without relying solely on caregivers
- Empowers individuals to communicate their own needs and choices
How Do Communication Boards Support Emotional Expression and Regulation?
- Individuals can express their feelings
- Reduces frustration and potential “meltdowns”
- Provides a reliable way to communicate needs during overwhelming situations
What is the Best Material for Outdoor Communication Boards? Aluminum Composite
When selecting playground communication boards, durability is the most critical factor. Unlike indoor clinic boards, outdoor boards must face UV rays, extreme temperature fluctuations and potential vandalism.
Our playground communication boards are manufactured using high-grade Aluminum Composite. This material is specifically chosen because it does not rust, warp or delaminate like PVC or wood. The graphics are printed with UV-resistant inks and finished with a protective coating that allows for easy cleaning—even if hit with graffiti or mud.
When you invest in playground communication boards from Resources at Lakeshore Speech, you aren’t just buying a sign; you are installing a permanent fixture that will serve your community for years to come.
$550 - $675
- Available in 3 sizes : 2’x3′, 4’x2′ and 3’x2′
- 100% customizable
- Availalbe with Boardmaker or SymbolStix symbol systems.
- Color code system available: Modified Fitzgerald or Gossens’
- Made to order
- Inventory: In Stock
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Expansion Boards for Specific Play Zones
Many of our customers pair a standard playground communication board with one or more expansion boards, smaller, zone-specific boards placed near a particular feature of the play space. Expansion boards let children access vocabulary specific to where they’re standing, in addition to the core vocabulary on the main board.
- Water play and splash pad areas: see our Pool Communication Boards for water-specific vocabulary and materials rated for pool and splash environments
- Reading nooks and quiet zones: vocabulary suited to calmer, sensory-friendly spaces.
- Large or multi-structure playgrounds: where a single board isn’t within sight of every play feature.
Expansion boards are available in the same sizes and materials as our standard playground boards and can be added to any order. Request a free quote to discuss expansion options for your space.
Why Do Visual Supports Work Outdoors?
The Science of Inclusion in Natural Play Environments
Visual supports, such as playground communication boards, are highly effective in outdoor environments because they provide stable, predictable language access in settings that are often overwhelming, dynamic, and fast-paced. Research in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) consistently shows that communication can become significantly more difficult in high-stimulation environments—especially for neurodivergent children and individuals with communication differences.
Playgrounds are rich sensory spaces. While they are designed to encourage movement, exploration, and social interaction, they also present multiple communication barriers, including:
- High levels of background noise from children playing
- Constant motion from swings, slides, and group activities
- Competing visual stimuli across large open spaces
- Sensory input from wind, sunlight, temperature changes, and touch
For many children with autism, speech and language delays, or sensory processing differences, this combination of input can lead to communication breakdowns. Even children who can communicate effectively in structured environments may struggle to process spoken language or respond quickly in these conditions.
Unlike spoken language—which is temporary, fast-moving, and easily lost in noise—visual communication supports remain constant and accessible.
Playground communication boards act as a static reference point. This “permanent modeling” allows children to process language at their own pace.
The alignment between environment and communication system is critical. It ensures that AAC users are not switching between different symbolic languages depending on location, but instead interacting with a consistent, unified communication system across settings.
To support this continuity, we hold licensing for industry-standard symbol systems of Boardmaker© and SymbolStix©.
These widely recognized AAC systems help ensure that children see familiar visual language across:
- Classrooms
- Speech therapy sessions
- Personal AAC devices
- Community and playground environments
This consistency reduces cognitive load and allows children to focus on communication itself rather than learning new symbol systems in each environment.
How to Communication Boards Align with ADA Compliance and Universal Design for Play?
While the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has long focused on ensuring physical access—such as ramps, transfer stations, and accessible playground equipment—modern accessibility standards are expanding beyond mobility alone. Today, true accessibility includes the ability to communicate, interact, and fully participate in shared play experiences.
This evolution is reflected in the growing adoption of Universal Design for Play, a framework that emphasizes environments usable by all children, regardless of physical, cognitive, sensory, or communication differences.
Under this framework, a playground is not truly inclusive if a child can physically access the space but cannot meaningfully engage with peers. Communication is a foundational part of participation—and this is where playground communication boards (AAC boards) play an essential role.
In playground settings, this means designing for:
- Physical access
- Sensory differences
- Cognitive diversity
- Communication needs
Communication boards are a key part of this framework because they support interaction, not just presence.
Many municipalities and school districts are now prioritizing playground communication boards when applying for inclusive play grants. These boards serve as a visible signal to families that your community values neurodiversity as much as physical diversity.
Communication boards are now being included in:
- Inclusive playground grant applications
- ADA transition and compliance plans
- School district accessibility upgrades
- Parks and recreation capital improvement projects
Funding agencies and grant programs are also placing greater emphasis on equity and neurodiversity inclusion, making AAC supports a valuable component of successful applications.
Communication Solutions for Amusement Parks, Zoos & Other Public Venues
Inclusive communication access isn’t limited to playgrounds and schools. Amusement parks, zoos, aquariums, splash pads, and other high-traffic public venues face the same accessibility question: can every visitor communicate their needs, regardless of speech ability?
The best communication solution for these venues follows the same principles as a playground communication board:
- Durable, weatherproof construction that holds up to constant outdoor exposure and heavy foot traffic.
- Standardized, licensed symbol sets (Boardmaker© or SymbolStix©) so visitors’ existing AAC systems carry over seamlessly.
- Location-specific vocabulary, a splash pad board or a queue-line board can include words specific to that environment (wet, wait, ride, scared, done) in addition to core vocabulary.
- ADA and safety compliance built in from the design stage, so the board supports both communication access and your venue’s broader accessibility and safety plan
Resources at Lakeshore Speech works with parks, municipalities, and venue operators nationwide to design custom communication solutions for public spaces beyond the traditional playground. Request a free consultation to discuss the right board for your venue.
Across the Country Giving Everyone a Voice
Playground Communication Board Standard Vocabulary, Layout & Template
- Resources at Lakeshore Speech, LLC playground communication boards are 100% customizable to meet the individual needs of you and your project.
- Standard vocabulary and layout for playground communication boards is pictured.
- Click to enlarge the image for more comfortable viewing.
Use this layout as a template to preview standard vocabulary placement before requesting your custom quote.
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