Two nonverbal communication boards were unveiled at Blandair Park in Howard County, Maryland, on Friday, as part of an effort to create an environment that is more welcoming to children of differing abilities, County Executive Calvin Ball said.

The boards allow children to express thoughts and feelings by pointing to pictures on a display, according to a news release. The symbols on the board were selected by speech-language pathologists specifically for use on playgrounds.

“These communication boards are a welcome addition to this state-of-the-art park and will allow for more of our children of all abilities to have positive experience at our playground,” Ball said.

The boards were a contribution from the Howard County Autism Society. They join eight other similarly designed communication boards at Waverly, Cedar Lane, Bellows Spring, Clarksville, Dayton Oaks, Ilchester, Pointers Run and Rockburn Elementary School that were installed in 2020.