A new playground at Connections Education Center of the Palm Beaches opened last Tuesday with features you won't find on a typical jungle gym: a communication board, an accessible safety surface, and mock stop signs and railroad crossing signs meant to teach real-world safety skills. The school, located at 1310 Old Congress Ave. in West Palm Beach, designed the space specifically for children on the autism spectrum.
School leaders said the playground was built with features that go well beyond a standard playground, according to WPTV. Alongside sensory elements, the new space was officially christened “Addy's Playground of Possibility” during an October ribbon-cutting ceremony, honoring donor and longtime volunteer Addy van Leeuwen, according to a Connections Education Center video of the event.
Van Leeuwen, a Palm Beach Gardens resident, has supported the school as a donor and longtime volunteer. The WPTV report credits her generosity with helping make the playground possible in the first place.
Why The Signs And Sensory Features Matter
The communication board lets nonverbal and speech-limited students convey play choices and social prompts on their own, supporting inclusive communication and play, according to the Pelham Union Free School District. Child Autism UK recommends visual supports, stop-sign games, role-play and practice for teaching road-safety skills, per Child Autism UK.
Those lessons carry real weight in Florida. Safety statistics tracked by the Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County found that 16 children with autism or suspected autism drowned in the state through late August, following a record 39 autism-related child drownings statewide in 2025, as Hoodline previously reported. Wandering and traffic accidents remain serious community safety risks that disproportionately affect children on the autism spectrum.
A School That Outgrew Its Original Footprint
Connections Education Center has grown considerably since its founding, expanding from a small 22-student private initiative into a comprehensive charter school and adult vocational facility now serving more than 140 neurodivergent individuals in West Palm Beach, per the school's own history documented by Town Crier. The center earned a Commendable School Improvement Rating from Florida education officials for the 2025–2026 academic year across its lower school, high school, and adult vocational centers, according to Connections School.
The school also underwent a leadership transition last year. Co-founder and longtime Executive Director Debra Johnson retired in July 2025 after a 50-year special education career, leaving fellow co-founder Jason Portman to take over as Executive Director, North Palm Beach Life reported.
Part Of A Larger Pattern In Special Education
Specialized schools such as Connections provide education and support for children with autism.
The stakes extend well beyond childhood: Connections also offers adult vocational programming. The new playground, with its blend of sensory play and structured safety practice, reflects that broader push to prepare neurodivergent students for independence well before they reach adulthood.
