ASD-friendly park could be replicated

CARRIGALINE is leading the way as it has become the first town in Cork county to pilot an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Communications Board and it’s already proving a hit with both parents and children alike.

The former county mayor Cllr Mary Linehan Foley recently visited the playground to see the new Communications Board, in the company of local independent councillors Ben Dalton O’Sullivan and Marcia D’Alton, who had both called for the installation of the board.

Cllr O’Sullivan had proposed a motion last year calling for the installation of the boards and called for a county wide policy on this as well as ensuring ASD friendly play equipment is installed at every playground.

‘This is a pilot and if the feedback is positive hopefully we can look to rolling this out to each county playground to give other children the same access to these,’ he said.

The communications boards helps non-verbal people and encourages imaginative play and can also be used for people who have had strokes.

At a previous Council meeting, director of services for municipal districts and operations Niall Healy said the Council is committed to promoting social inclusion in the services and will welcome feedback on the pilot scheme