A new way to connect at the park
Communication Board at New Ulm park allows kids with unique challenges to better express themselves
By Scott Thoma
Nestled among a large group of trees atop a large hill in the German heritage town of New Ulm sits Hermann Heights Park in southeastern Minnesota. The park’s showpiece is a 102-foot “Hermann the German” statue that has been visible poking his head above the trees for well over 125 years.
The park is now also being noted for its latest addition, a communication board in the playground area that was installed in June to assist children and adults with limited communication skills due to autism or developmental disabilities.
A communication board is a visual tool that includes various pictures, symbols or letters that make it easier for those with limited communication skills to point to an area on the board to indicate a want or need. This way of communication provides a reliable way to communicate, reduces frustration, and supports language development.
The board was installed by New Ulm Park and Recreation workers at the beginning of June at the entrance of the playground.
Kallie Schugel, who has worked as an autism social worker with Brown County Human Services for the past 14 years, was the instigator behind the park’s inclusion of the communication board.
“About seven years ago I was working with a client in Sioux Falls and they had a communication board there. I had never seen one before and I thought it would be ideal to have in New Ulm,” said Schugel. “I was getting started on fundraising and had a few places that said they would donate toward the board, but then COVID hit, so I put the idea on hold.”
Recently, Schugel decided to reinstate the process of getting a communication board placed in a park in New Ulm. She then decided to contact Cheryl Korman, Assistant Director of New Ulm Park and Recreation, who agreed that this type of communication board would be beneficial to the community, and the fundraising began.
“I work part time at Tavern 507 and they donated and fully supported the fundraiser,” said Schugel. “The Optimist Club also made a donation.”
The New Ulm City Council and the New Ulm Park and Recreation fully supported the idea of a communication board.
Since the installation of the board, many children and adults have used the board.
“We have had a lot of compliments from those that come to the park,” said Korman, who has been with the Park and Recreation Department for 30 years. “Hermann Heights Park is ideal for this type of communication board because it’s used by a lot of people and it includes a secure, fenced-in playground with a pour-in-place surface.”
Social media comments following the installation of the communication board have all been extremely positive, including:
“My granddaughter had so much fun naming lots of the pictures on that board.”
“This is so fantastic.”
“Way to go New Ulm! That’s wonderful!”
“What a wonderful gift to Hermann Heights Park!”
Visitors entering the playground area all stop and view the board and touch the photos before continuing on their way.
The communication board that Korman selected for Hermann Heights Park was manufactured by Landscape Structures of Delano. She found them after an online search.
There are 50 pictures and symbols with words, as well as letters and numbers, splashed across the bilingual board — one side in English and the other side in Spanish.
If a child unable to communicate verbally wants to go on the swing at the park, they can point to the picture of that apparatus on the communication board. Or, if they are hungry, tired or need to use the bathroom, they can indicate that need by pointing to that photo on the board.
Communication boards of this type often include high-frequency words like “stop,” “go,” “more,” and “help” that can be used in many contexts.
Fixed positions for words help children learn where each word goes, making communication easier over time.
Adults can teach children by pointing to words on the board while saying them, so the child learns the connection between the image and the word.
“One in 31 children in the United State is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder by age eight, according to Centers for Disease Control data” said Schugel. “So, this type of board will help a lot of people. It’s a great teaching tool for younger preschool-aged kids, too, that are just learning letters and numbers.”
Korman was asked if the Park and Recreation Department has plans to include communication boards in one of the many other parks throughout New Ulm.
“We’re going to see how this one goes first,” she said. “We decided on Hermann Heights Park first because of its secured playground. We like each park to have something different than the others, but we aren’t ruling anything out.”
Hermann the German, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, would be proud standing beside this latest addition to the park.
Comments