From afar, the playground looks like any other.

It's the extra features that make the playground special, said Dr. Stroud, who helped choose the individual games that surround the playground.

In one, a child must direct a marble through a series of mazes. In another, the game is tic-tac-toe. There are gearshifts to crank and bells to ring and switches to turn.

The individual stations provide children with autism a respite from social interaction.