A father who wants to help make a city one of the most autism (孤独症) — friendly places in the UK is creating a network of signs to help non-verbal (非言语的) children communicate in public spaces.
Dan Harris, from Peterborough, whose son Joshie is autistic, has gained funding for 100 picture boards in the city. They help people communicate through images. He said, “We no longer want autism to be hidden.” The communication boards include symbols representing common words and phrases that allow non-verbal people to communicate how they are feeling and what they want to do.
The idea for the picture boards came from Mr Harris' son, Joshie, who points to pictures on an electronic tablet (平板电脑) to communicate. Mr Harris said, “He is a very clever little boy, but because he is non-verbal, he has to communicate using different methods. This communication board truly gives him a voice.”
Mr Harris got funding for the first communication board last year. Now government money has been secured through Peterborough City Council to create a network across the city and Mr Harris would like it to go further. “This is a proof of concept. There are about 3,000 autistic people in Peterborough and it's important that the needs of that community are met.” He said he wanted to see the boards introduced across Britain and in other countries. The boards cost £6,000 and are funded through a combination (结合) of charity donations and local government funding.
Mr Harris, who is also the founder of the charity Neurodiversity in Business, which works to raise more awareness, said, “This board is extremely important because it doesn't just help non-verbal people communicate, but it also promotes discussions.” He also said that autism acceptance can only come after autism awareness.
【小题1】Why did Dan Harris create the communication boards in Peterborough?| A．To raise funds for charities. | B．To promote autism awareness. |
| C．To help non-verbal individuals communicate. | D．To educate the public on special words. |
| A．His wife first expressed the idea to him. | B．He was greatly inspired by his son. |
| C．He learned the idea from an electronic tablet. | D．He was affected by other autistic people. |
| A．Donations from local businesses. |
| B．Government funding and charity contributions. |
| C．Money collecting events organized by the community. |
| D．Contributions from-Neurodiversity in Business. |
| A．Patient and rich. | B．Humorous and brave. |
| C．Creative and kind. | D．Honest and determined. |
