🐝 Bee INDEPENDENT: Community Navigation
Community navigation helps children and teens practice real life independence before they are in the moment. These boards can help with ordering food, asking for help, visiting community places, attending appointments, and showing a clear message to a worker when speaking is hard.
🍔 Restaurant Ordering Boards
Tap a restaurant to open one board at a time.
🛒 Store Communication
Coming soon: Walmart, Target, and grocery store communication boards.
📚 Community Locations
Coming soon: library, post office, and bank communication boards.
✂️ Appointments
Coming soon: haircut, doctor, and dentist communication boards.
🎥 Recreation
Coming soon: movie theater, bowling, and arcade boards.
🚻 Public Safety
Coming soon: bathroom, asking for help, and trusted adult boards.
🍟 McDonald's Choice Board
Tap your choices. Then show the order to the worker.
1. What would you like?
2. Side
3. Drink
4. Sauce
Show This To The Worker
🐼 Panda Express Choice Board
Tap your choices. Then show the order to the worker.
1. Choose Your Meal
The worker may ask, “Bowl, plate, or bigger plate?”
2. Choose Your Side
3. Choose Your Entrée
Choose your entrée. Pick a meal first if you want more than one entrée.
4. Drink?
Show This To The Worker
Panda Express® menu item names belong to Panda Restaurant Group. This independent communication support is not affiliated with or endorsed by Panda Express.
🐔 Chick-fil-A Choice Board
Tap your choices. Then show the order to the worker.
1. What would you like?
2. Side
3. Drink
4. Sauce
Show This To The Worker
☕ Starbucks Choice Board
Tap your choices. Then show the order to the worker.
1. What would you like?
2. What Size?
3. Hot or Iced?
4. Snack?
Show This To The Worker
🥪 Subway Choice Board
Tap your choices. Then show the order to the worker.
1. Choose Your Sandwich
2. Choose Size
3. Choose Bread
4. Cheese?
5. Toasted?
6. Vegetables
7. Sauce
Show This To The Worker
How To Use Community Navigation Boards
These boards are designed to help children, teens, and adults practice real life communication before they are standing at the counter. A parent, caregiver, teacher, therapist, or support person can review the choices ahead of time, then the child can tap their selections and show the final script to staff.
- Practice before you leave home.
- Use the board on a phone while waiting in line.
- Let the child tap choices when possible.
- Show the final message to the worker if speaking is hard.
- Model the script out loud if the child is practicing verbal communication.
FAQ
Who are these boards for?
These boards may help nonspeaking children, AAC users, autistic learners, children with anxiety, children with intellectual disabilities, emerging readers, and anyone who benefits from visual support and clear scripts.
Are these boards only for children?
No. Community communication supports can also help teens and adults who need support with ordering, asking for help, appointments, shopping, safety, or community participation.
Should my child speak the script or show it?
Either is okay. Some children may say the script out loud. Some may point to the phone. Some may show the screen to the worker. The goal is communication and participation, not forced speech.
Can we practice before going to the restaurant?
Yes. Practicing ahead of time can make the steps more predictable. You can role play the worker asking, “What would you like?” and help your child tap through the board.
Do these boards replace AAC?
No. These boards are simple communication supports for specific community situations. They do not replace a child’s AAC device, speech therapy, occupational therapy, school services, or individualized communication plan.
Why use a literal script?
Many autistic learners understand best when language is clear and direct. A literal script shows the exact words the child can say or show to staff, instead of labels like meal, side, or entrée.
Related Accessible Hive Tools
Important Note
These boards are educational and communication supports for families. They are not a medical, behavioral, therapeutic, or speech language evaluation. Use them alongside your child’s AAC system, therapy plan, school supports, and professional recommendations.
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