Pierrefonds/Roxbro Borough Installs Communication Station in Local Park to Help Increase Autonomy of Autistic Youth
by Darren Becker
The Lester B. Pearson School Board has collaborated with the City of Montreal’s Pierrefonds/Roxboro Borough as part of an effort to increase the autonomy and self-confidence of Autistic youth.
The initiative involved the installation of a Communication Station in Grier Park, located in Pierrefonds/Roxboro.
A Communication Station is a form of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). It includes all forms of communication that are used to express needs, wants, thoughts, feelings, and ideas. AAC includes facial expressions, gestures, symbols, pictures, and written language, as well as specialized communication apps and devices that provide speech output. The stations can also improve communication between students and staff.
“The Lester B. Pearson School Board is extremely proud to collaborate with the borough of Pierrefonds Roxboro on this initiative, which is designed to ensure public facilities such as playgrounds and parks are as inclusive and accessible as possible. What began as an initiative in English schools across Quebec has now spread to a local park and we hope other boroughs and municipalities will install communications stations as well,” said Cindy Finn, Director General of the LBPSB.
The Centre of Excellence for Autism Spectrum Disorder, housed at the Lester B. Pearson School Board, in collaboration with LEARN (Leading English Education and Resource Network) have already provided complementary Communication Stations to all English elementary and secondary public schools, and schools in specialized education settings across Quebec.
The LBPSB was the first and only school board in Canada to implement this initiative in all elementary school playgrounds. As part of a pilot project in June 2023 Verdun Elementary School and Beechwood Elementary Schools were the first to welcome the boards and make the tool accessible for all students.
The Centre of Excellence for Autism Spectrum Disorder supports English school boards across Quebec by providing coaching, professional development, and the sharing of materials and supports educational personnel in developing their capacity to meet a wide range of needs in the inclusive classrooms.
