New AAC Communication Board installed at Eisenhower Park makes play more inclusive for kids with autism and other communication challenges.

By Melissa Cole

There’s one moment that has stayed with Ashley McClain ever since she brought her son, who is on the autism spectrum, to the park. At the time, he was nonverbal when another little boy approached, eager to play. 

“It was a little boy just trying to connect with him and talk with him. Colt couldn’t really respond,” Ashley recalled. “I just remember saying to the little boy, ‘He has something called autism, and he has a hard time communicating.’ I’ll never forget the little boy saying to me, ‘It’s okay. We don’t need words to have fun.’ And I felt that in so many ways.”

At home, Colt used a picture exchange communication device, similar to a tablet, that allowed him to point to pictures and tap icons to express his wants and needs with family members. Ashley began wondering how much more enjoyable a trip to the local playground could be if he had a way to communicate there, too.

That experience sparked an idea.

Inspired by the words of her grandmother: “For every problem you see, you must have a solution. Don’t worry about complaining unless you’re willing to find a way to fix it.”

And that’s exactly what she did.

Ashley founded Beyond the Horizon, a nonprofit organization with a mission to make public spaces more inclusive, as well as educating the community about autism. One of its signature initiatives is installing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) playground communication boards in parks, schools, and playgrounds across Connecticut.

The boards are essentially larger versions of the communication devices many children already use on tablets. Filled with pictures, symbols, and words, they allow children who are nonverbal or have communication challenges to point to how they’re feeling, what they want to do, or what they need. This makes it easier to connect with caregivers and other children while they play.

The first communication board was installed at Ashley’s neighborhood park in North Branford, and she’ll never forget the moment her son saw it.

“He immediately went right to the board,” Ashley said, her voice filling with emotion. “I get emotional every time I tell this story, but he immediately pointed to the picture that said, ‘I love this.'”

When West Hartford mom Jessica Sinkus came across a Facebook post about Beyond the Horizon and the work Ashley was doing, she immediately reached out to see if she could help bring AAC communication boards to local parks.

“It was when the North Branford board was installed,” Jessica said. “I reached out to Ashley and asked, ‘Do you think you could help me work with my town?’ And she said, ‘Absolutely.’ So we were able to work with Leisure Services and get the ball rolling.”

For Jessica, the mission was personal as her son Maverick, now 3, was diagnosed with autism in March 2025.

“It really started at his 18-month appointment with his pediatrician,” Jessica said. “We were going through the typical milestones, and he wasn’t meeting those. She referred us to Birth to Three, and we began that whole journey of early intervention, getting his diagnosis, and all of that. Early intervention is key, and that’s made a huge difference in his life.”

Today, her son’s vocabulary and verbal communication continue to grow, but he still relies on an AAC device to communicate.

“His vocabulary is growing. His verbalization is continuing to progress, but he really does rely on his AAC device to communicate how he’s feeling, what he wants, what he needs, and what he sees,” Jessica said. “It’s made a huge difference for all of us.”

Working alongside Ashley, Jessica connected with Jamie Krajewski, director of the Elmwood Community Center, who also oversees the Special Needs and Inclusion Support Division for West Hartford Leisure Services. When Jamie received their email, she immediately recognized the value of the project.

“I looked at it and said, ‘How have we not done this yet?'” Jamie recalled. “It seemed like a no-brainer. It’s the perfect opportunity to meet that goal of inclusion for everyone.”

Beyond the Horizon graciously donated the communication board template, while the West Hartford Public Works Department handled the installation. Today, the colorful AAC communication board sits proudly in the playground at Eisenhower Park.

Jamie says she’s especially grateful for the perspective Jessica shared in that first email.

“The way Jess explained it to me was that children who use AAC devices generally have an iPad or some sort of digital device,” Jamie said. “These kids can’t bring those onto a playground. I was like, ‘Why haven’t I thought of that before?’ I think it’s something that, unless you’re living it, you don’t necessarily know. I’m grateful she gave me that perspective.”

Now, everyone involved hopes the installation at Eisenhower Park is just the beginning. The goal is to bring more AAC communication boards to parks throughout West Hartford and communities across Connecticut, giving children with communication challenges more places where they can express themselves, connect with others, and simply enjoy being kids, without having to rely on just one accessible playground in their area.

The communication board at Eisenhower Park has only been in place for a few weeks, but Jessica, who lives nearby, is already looking forward to making regular visits.

“We’re here almost every single day,” she said. “So just to have this so convenient and again, being able to educate people on what communication may look like for some people – I think that’s a great thing to be able to do, too.”

While the playground communication boards are one of Beyond the Horizon’s most visible programs, the nonprofit’s work extends far beyond parks.

“We have another program within Beyond the Horizon called the Linked to Autism Safety Project,” Ashley said. “We do first responder training. We meet with police, fire, and EMS providers not only around the state of Connecticut, but throughout the United States. We provide them with resources like picture exchange communication cards, sensory kits, and training to help them better understand what it’s like to work with individuals with disabilities. We focus a little more on autism, but that’s one of our highlight programs.”

Ashley says every program the organization offers is provided at no cost.

“We don’t charge anything for any of our programming, even our first responder training,” she said. “We rely on donations for pretty much everything.”

You can scan the QR code located on the AAC board at Eisenhower Park for more information and to donate. You can also follow along on Facebook and Instagram (@beyond_the_horizon_inc) , as well as visiting their website to learn more.

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