New Castle County Executive Thomas P. Gordon will host the dedication of “H!GH 5 PARK,” the state’s first playground designed for children on the autism spectrum, at 4 p.m. this Thursday, Oct. 27.
Research and planning for the park – to open officially that day within Glasgow Regional Park at Del. 896 and U.S. 40 – began last year after a group of parents asked county parks officials to fence an area for the safety of their autistic children.
“After learning more about these children’s needs and the lack of facilities for them, we committed to creating Delaware’s first playground that would be open to all, but specifically designed to address the needs of those on the autism spectrum,” Gordon said. “This will be the first area of its kind – actually not just in our state but in our region – that will provide our autistic children with such safe and appropriate outdoor recreation, also designed to assist their parents or guardians with supervision.”
H!GH 5 PARK is just behind Glasgow Park’s main pavilion, accessible by using the park’s main entrance off Pulaski Highway (U.S 40), turning left at the T and parking on the left past the skate park.
County officials extend a special invitation to members of the autism community, with parents encouraged to bring children to the dedication ceremony. Light refreshments will be served.
In addition to comments by Gordon and others, the dedication will include a ribbon-cutting and booklets that explain how each piece of playground equipment serves the special needs of children on the autism spectrum.
Autism community leaders, state parks officials who provided a grant and New Castle County Councilman David Tackett, whose district includes Glasgow Regional Park, will be among other speakers at the ceremony.
For GPS, the park’s address is 2275 Pulaski Highway, Newark, DE 19702.