A few months ago we found this amazing playground in Belmont called “Joey’s Park.” I just happened to stumble across it when I got lost looking for the Belmont Farmer’s Market. One of the central features of the playground is a large castle made up chiefly of bridges and slides. The rails on the bridges make it possible for Noa to do a lot of independent exploring (though there are occasional and sudden gaps in the railing which is kind of a shame).
In this video you can see how well Noa can move on her own with the railings. Looking at it, it’s hard to believe that without those rails she can’t stand on her own at all. She also does a good job of using the railing to let her know when to step up (or down).
The other thing you get to see here is what Noa’s interaction is with most normally developing kids. The castle is very popular and kids like to chase each other around on it. To those kids, we’re just in the way and Noa is a weird kid who won’t move. Most kids either push through or go around a different way – for the most part, Noa’s experience of these kids is just the feeling of a coat sliding past like a fish that swims skims by your leg before you even know it’s there.
The Land of Noa 