Fall River officials unveil plan for city’s first sensory playground at Abbott Court

City officials and residents gathered at Abbott Court in Fall River to unveil plans for the city’s first sensory playground, a play space designed for autistic children and their families. Mayor Paul Coogan and Mike Dion, the city’s director of community development, joined a local parent who led the project’s push to present renderings and outline funding and timeline.

Organizers said the project is intended to promote inclusion by giving children on the autism spectrum spaces and sensory panels where they can play alongside other children. Marcel, a Fall River resident and parent who advocated for the project, said, "This is gonna be, more than a park. It's gonna be ... a place that a parent could come and just decompress." Marcel said he hopes the playground will also help children learn from…