Common Signs of Autism

What are some common signs of Autism?

Autism is an impairment in social interaction. Children with autism may fail to respond to their names and often avoid looking at other people. Such children often have difficulty interpreting tone of voice or facial expressions and do not respond to others’ emotions or watch other people’s faces for cues about appropriate behavior. They appear unaware of others’ feelings toward them and of the negative impact of their behavior on other people.

Many children with autism engage in repetitive movements; such as, rocking and hair twirling, or in self-injurious behavior; such as, biting or head-banging. They also tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of “I” or “me.” Some speak in a sing-song voice about a narrow range of favorite topics, with little regard for the interests of the person to whom they are speaking.

People with autism often have abnormal responses to sounds, touch, or other sensory stimulation. Many show reduced sensitivity to pain. They also may be extraordinarily sensitive to other sensations. These unusual sensitivities may contribute to behavioral symptoms; such as, resistance to being touched or hugged.

For More Information on Autism go to AutismSpeaks.org 

The Fundamentals of Grammar and Syntax

Teaching the Fundamentals
of Grammar and Syntax at Home

     Here are some strategies to use with children at home to help improve their use of grammar and syntax.

1)     Use correct grammar and syntax when speaking or responding to your child. Don’t focus on correcting your child. For example, if your child says, “Her hitted me!” you should respond, “Did she hit you?”  Always respond as an adult. Don’t use baby talk.

2)     Play sentence games. Cut pictures of everyday items from

magazines, paste them on cards, and have the child give a

sentence verbally describing the object to the other players for

them to guess the item. (“It has icing you can eat and candles

that tell how old you are.”)

3)  Cut simple scenes from magazines and glue them on cards. Give

the child open-ended prompts, and have the child complete your

prompts verbally or write sentences. (Picture of dog playing catch

with his owner –“What is/was the dog/owner doing?” “The dog is/

was/will…, His owner is/was..., The ball is/was…”-this gives the child

opportunities to use the correct form/forms of the verbs.)

4) Cut out cartoon frames from newspaper comics and glue them to

cards. Add a cartoon speech bubble to the cards and have the child

write what the character(s) is saying, or have him/her tell you verbally. Ask questions about the cartoon that prompt the child to use different forms of the verb. “What do you think he is saying? What was he saying? What do you think he will say? Where are they going? Where have they been? Where are they?”

5)     Write words on note cards – Sentence Scramble. Pick words that make a complete sentence/question and scramble them (include the punctuation mark). Have your child organize the words into a sentence/question that makes sense.

6)   Use cloze sentences like “Mad Libs” for practice using correct word forms. These kinds of activities are great for practice with verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

7) Use everyday objects around the house to teach plurals. “I have a spoon. You have two spoons.”

Even before children learn to read and write, they can learn to use correct grammar and syntax.

Having a grasp of grammar and syntax will help your child with reading comprehension and writing competence!

Normal Language Development of the 3-4 year old

Receptive and Expressive Language Skills

3-4 year olds...

RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE Begins to understand sentences involving time concepts (for example, We are going to the zoo tomorrow). Talks in sentences of three or more words, which take the form of agent-action-object (I see the ball) or agent-action-location (Daddy sit on chair). Understands size comparatives, such as,  big or bigger Tells about past experiences. Understands relationships expressed by if….then, or because sentences. Uses “s” on nouns to indicate plurals. Carries out a series of two to four related directions. Understands when told,  “Lets pretend”. Uses “ed” on verbs to indicate past tense.  If you have any concerns about your child's development, please contact me at  Jennifer "Ginger" Praytor 864-592-1211 Refers to self using pronouns  I or me. Repeats at least one nursery rhyme and can sing a song. Speech is understandable to strangers, But there are still some sound errors.

Spartanburg District 2 Childfind

??What is Child Find??

Spartanburg County School District Two Early Childhood Special Education Services provides children ages 3-5 developmental screening through Child Find. 

This screening will determine the need for only further evaluations and we will work collaboratively as a team with parents to develop services across a full range of community-based and school based options.

Schedule a Screening

     The first step is a developmental screening.

For a child from birth to age 2 ½ years old, contact South Carolina Babynet at 573-6719 for information regarding scheduling a developmental screening.

     For a child age 2 ½ years old through 5 years old, not enrolled in a public school program, contact Fran Metta, coordinator, Spartanburg School District Two Special Services at 578-0128 to schedule a screening appointment for your child.

     A multidisciplinary team will meet with you and your child to perform a screening to the areas of adaptive, motor, social-emotional, speech/language, and cognitive development to determine if further assessment is needed.

Child Find Screening are held by Spartanburg School District Two on a regular basis at the Upstate Family Resource Center and at Mayo Elementary School by a team consisting of a nurse, a speech/language therapist, and a school psychologist. Once making an appointment you will receive a packet in the mail. Please bring the completed packet and proof of residency to the screening.

Parents must give written permission for screenings. An adult must accompany the child throughout the screening. 

The screening team will complete:

*Vision and Hearing Screening

 *Developmental Skills Screening

 *Communication Skills Screening

 *A review of all information gathered

Following the completion of the screening, the team will review the screening results with you and make recommendations and appointments with you if any follow up observations, or evaluations are necessary while your child plays in the toy area.

Disability Categories

Autism Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Deaf-Blindness Developmental Delay

Emotional Disability Intellectual Disability

Multiple Disabilities Orthopedic Impairment

Other Health Impairment Traumatic Brain Injury

Speech-Language Impairment Visual Impairment

Contact: Frances.Metta@spartanburg2.k12.sc.us

Site location – Upstate Family Resource Center and Mayo Elementary School

Spartanburg School District Two

Special Services

3231 Old Furnace Road

Chesnee, SC 29323

Phone: (864) 578-0128

Fax : (864) 515-5198

The Causes of Delays

Finding the exact cause of your child’s speech problem can be difficult. 

Each child’s speech is influenced by many factors:

·       *The ability to hear

·      *The physical development of the mouth & throat

·       *The abilities the child inherits

We also Do Not Know what causes language delays in most cases; however, there IS a genetic or biological link.

Language Delays are more LIKELY for…….

#1...BOYS!!

   #2....Children who have a close family member with a history of a language delay or communication disorder.

   #3... Children who have a developmental disorder or syndrome in which language delay is a typical feature (i.e. Downs Syndrome)

   #4...Children who have ongoing hearing problems and ear infections.

If you are concerned about your child's speech and/or language development then you need to contact your pediatrician or contact me at 

Cooley Springs-Fingerville Elementary  

864-592-1211

 Jennifer.praytor@spartanburg2.k12.sc.us