Fall 2013 Edition

Volume: 5
Issue: 4
Fall 2013
Dear Bright Start Family,
I am very excited to introduce myself to you. My name is Brantley Bonnette, and I am the
Family Advocate for Bright Start. I have been a Bright Start Early Interventionist (EI) since
2008 and worked with young children and families for many years prior. The role of Family
Advocate was created to make sure that you are receiving the quality service(s) that your
family deserves. This will provide for you an outlet to express any comments, concerns, or
questions regarding the service(s) that you receive from Bright Start. As your Family
Advocate, I will act as a neutral contact regarding any service your child is receiving from us. I
am not replacing your Early Interventionist, Service Coordinator, or Speech Therapist. I am
here to act on the behalf of your child and your family to ensure you are receiving excellent
services from Bright Start.
If you have any concerns about your Early Interventionist, Service Coordinator, or Speech
Therapist from Bright Start and the delivery of his/her services, please make us aware by
contacting me to discuss the matter. I also encourage you to call me to share good things
about your experiences! We take your comments and concerns very seriously and will act on
them quickly and accordingly.
Please look for helpful tips and information from me in the quarterly newsletter and on our
website (www.brightstartsc.com). If you don’t already get a newsletter and would like to do
so, let us know. You may choose to receive a hard copy
or to be placed on our email list.
I am so happy that you are a part of our Bright Start
Family, and I hope that you will contact me if I can
assist you with anything.
Sincerely,
Brantley Bonnette
803-261-8266 (Cell)
803-929-1112 (Office)
[email protected]
Please be sure to check out our WEBSITE and like Bright Start on Facebook!
Bright Start, LLC
www.brightstartsc.com
http://www.facebook.com/#!/BrightStartSC
Features
Check Out These Photos From One of Our
Early Intervention Fall Playgroups!
What Are We Up To?
Bright Start will attend these upcoming events this Fall!
October
October
October
October
October
October
5th:
6th:
20th:
26th:
26th:
26th:
Palmetto Pediatrics Fall Festival
Greenville Buddy Walk at Greenville Tech College Barton Campus
Columbia Buddy Walk at Sesquicentennial State Park
Spartanburg Buddy Walk at the SC School for the Deaf and Blind
One Small Step Prader-Willi 5k at USC Upstate Hodge Quad
The Therapy Place Fall Festival at Trenholm Park Gymnasium
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Features
Speech Therapy Update!
All Bright Start Speech Language Pathologists will be trained in Feeding Therapy: A
Sensory-Motor Approach in October!
Speech Tip of the Month:
Encourage Sounds
Thoughts from Kelli Floyd, Speech Therapy Supervisor
When children are learning to speak they first coo, which consists of mostly vowel sounds.
They then progress to babbling, which is a mixture of consonants and vowels. At some point
after this, first words begin. Some of the first words and important sounds children make
include animal sounds, car sounds, raspberries, etc.
During this time children are experimenting with moving their mouth in different ways to
produce various sounds. Try to encourage this sound practice by singing songs such as Old
MacDonald, pushing a truck around on the floor and making the engine noises, playing with toy
animals and modeling the sounds the animals make. Encourage your child to imitate you and
even ask them “what sound does a cow make?”
Make it fun for your child by pointing out different items in their environment that make
sounds, from the timer sounding to the sound the water makes coming out of the faucet.
Encourage them to listen for sounds in their environment too. You may want to whisper “shhh,
did you hear that?” to help encourage them to listen, and then go for a hunt to see what made
the sound you heard. When you are outside and hear a bird, plane, dog, or other noise stop
and listen with your child. Then see if you and your child can identify and imitate the sound you
heard. Help your child take delight in his/her environment and all the fun sounds to hear and
make in it!
Welvista: For the uninsured and underinsured
Welvista is a nonprofit organization which provides access to prescription
medications and pediatric dental services for the uninsured and underinsured. To be
eligible for this program, participants must be South Carolina residents under the age
of 65 without any form of health insurance, including Medicaid, Medicare, and Veteran’s
health benefits. In addition, any member of the household with an income must
provide proof that their income is at or below 200% of the Federal Property Level.
Additional income criteria may be required. Eligibility is available for one year at a
time; participants must reapply for services after that time.
www.welvista.org
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Features
Autism Consortium
for Parents, Families, and Caregivers
The McCarthy-Teszler School is hosting an Autism Consortium in 2013-2014 . This
program is free of charge! You may attend any or all sessions and may come and go as
your schedule allows. You do not need to register or call ahead for sessions. The latest
research on autism and practical solutions to be used on a daily basis will be discussed,
and research and information on strategies will be provided.
All sessions will be held on a Friday from 3:30 - 5:00 PM at the McCarthy-Teszler School,
located at 175 Burdette Street, Spartanburg. Below is a complete listing of sessions.
November 8th: Managing Meltdowns in Children with Autism
December 13th: The Connection between Behavior Issues and Visual Support
February 7th: Managing Anxiety in Children with Autism
March 7th: Sensory Issues in Children with Autism
May 9th: Dieting for Autism
Claro Software
Augmentative and Alternative
Communication
ClaroCom and ClaroCom Pro are new
applications from Claro Software which are
available for iPads and iPhones. AAC
applications replace speech or assist in
writing for those with impairments in the
production or comprehension of spoken or
written language.
ClaroCom is user friendly interface that
can be utilized by individuals who face
challenges with social communication.
ClaroCom Pro goes a step further with
editing, privacy, and communications
features.
To purchase ClaroCom or ClaroCom Pro
visit the App Store or www.claro-apps.com/
clarocom.html for more information.
Sign Language
After School
Sign Language Club
Jill Eversmann of SPEECH SIGNS, LLC is
offering a 'Come Sign With Me' club for
kids in Kindergarten-3rd Grade on
Tuesdays at 5 PM at the new ARK
Therapeutic Services building (703
Clemson Road in NE Columbia).
No monthly commitment or fee is
required until October. Club meetings
will include ASL signs, letters, and
numbers as well as Signing Time songs
and activities.
Contact Jill to pre-register or to ask
questions: [email protected] or 803348-1654 (call/text).
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Features
Dance Classes for
Special Needs
Burns Dance Studio was voted
Aiken’s Best Dance Studio for
2013 by readers of the Aiken
Standard!
Come to the Open House for
Families with Special Needs Kids at
Burns Dance Studio on October 18th
from 3:30 - 4:30 pm. Families will be
able to meet the individuals working
with this program and see the facility.
Classes will begin Friday, October 25th
for 6 weeks ( skipping Thanksgiving
week). Class time will not be
determined until enrollment is closed.
Burns Dance Studio
831 Neilson Road • Aiken, SC 29803
What Autism Looks Like
For parents who wonder whether their child
might have autism, a new online video from the
Kennedy Krieger Institute, in Baltimore, may bring
some clarity. It features three children who show
early signs of autism spectrum disorder playing
with toys and interacting with others, as well as
three typical children in the same situations. “The
video helps parents to articulate to their
pediatrician any behaviors that concern them,”
says Rebecca Landa, Ph.D., director of the Center
for Autism and Related Disorders. Go to
parents.com/autism-video to view it.
This article was taken directly from the
October 2013 edition of Parents Magazine.
*The first part of the video runs slowly,
but it improves soon after.
Operation HOPE Charity
Golf Tournament
Friday, October 11th
Village Greens Golf Club, Inman, SC
1:00 PM Shotgun Start
The First Annual Operation HOPE Charity Golf Tournament will benefit the Special
Olympics, H.A.L.T.E.R. (Handicapped Athletes Learning to Enjoy Riding) and Family
Connection of SC-Spartanburg. The tournament will include a cart, greens fees, range
balls, lunch, dinner, beverages, and a chance to win a car! Cost is $75 per person.
Sponsor opportunities are available for gift items and door prizes.
For more information and players list contact:
Mike Boncoddo
(864) 525-0876
[email protected]
Tom Saniewski
(864) 270-6992
[email protected]
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Upcoming Events
Local Events
October 24th–26th: Friends of York County
Library Book Sale
Choose from over 10,000 books for children
and adults at the First ARP Church gym, 201 E.
White St., Rock Hill. All proceeds benefit the
York County Library System Programs. The
Public Sale will begin Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.;
Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and Saturday is halfprice day.
November 2nd or 6th: Abracadabra!
Join the Greenville Zoo to learn about the
amazing secrets behind animal tricks - like
frogs hanging by their toes on glass and
lizards losing their tails and growing new
ones! 2 Year Old Class 10:30-11:15 AM. 3
Year Old Class 11:30-12:15. $15 for Members
and $25 for Non-Members. Includes one child
and one adult.
November 28th: Roper Mountain Holiday
Lights
The Holiday Lights show opens November
28th at Roper Mountain Science Center in
Greenville, SC .
December 5th – 8th: Christmasville in Rock
Hill
This 4-day event in Historic Downtown (Old
Town) Rock Hill will include over 70 events,
including horse drawn carriages, historic
tours, carolers, gingerbread house contest,
Santa activities, an ice skating rink, and real
snow! For special needs transportation upon
arrival, call Jessie Freeman at 704-724-3741.
For more information, visit
http://www.christmasvillerockhill.com/#!welc
ome/mainPage
December 7th or 11th: Winter Wonderland
Join the Greenville Zoo for a walk into a
winter wonderland. 2 Year Old Class 10:3011:15 AM. 3 Year Old Class 11:30-12:15. $15
for Members and $25 for Non-Members.
Includes one child and one adult.
Exercising with Ellie!
One Small Step for
Prader-Willi
The annual One Small Step for Prader-Willi
5k will be held at USC Upstate Hodge Quad on
October 26th. Registration will be open from
8:30 - 9:30 AM, and the event will begin at 10
AM. Fun family activities and a healthy lunch
will be available after the 5K. Join this totally
rad and awesomely 80s themed event to help
raise awareness and funds for Prader-Willi
research.
You can follow One Small Step for Prader-Willi
Syndrome, Upstate on Facebook and learn
more about the upcoming race and events at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-SmallStep-for-Prader-Willi-SyndromeUpstate/343120842424933.
To join the team and participate in this
event, visit https://onesmallstep.fpwr.org/
dw/walking/location/586 for more
information. You may donate to the cause,
sign up for the 5k, or even just show up the
day of the race!
Consignment Sale
The Upscale Wee Sale Children’s Consignment
Sale will be held at the Galleria Mall at2225
Dave Lyle Blvd, Rock Hill, SC 29730 on the
following dates:
October 17th: 5 pm - 9 pm
October 18th: 10 am - 7 pm
October 19th: 10 am – 4 pm
October 20th: 1 pm – 5:30 pm
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Upcoming Events
South Carolina
Buddy Walk Events
October is Down Syndrome
Awareness Month. Help
promote acceptance and
awareness of those affected
by Down Syndrome by
participating in your local
Buddy Walk.
Sunday, October 6th: Greenville, SC
The Down Syndrome Family Alliance of
Greenville Buddy Walk will be located
at Greenville Technical College Barton
Campus on Pleasantburg Drive.
Registration will be from 12-2 PM and
the walk will begin at 3 PM. To register
online go to
www.dsfagreenvilleorg.presencehost.n
et/events/buddy_walk.html.
Sunday, October 20th: Columbia, SC
The Columbia Buddy walk will be held
at Sesquicentennial State Park from 1-5
PM. Register online at
www.familyconnection.org/columbiabuddy-walk.html.
Saturday, October 26th: Spartanburg, SC
The Spartanburg Buddy walk will take
place at the SC School for the Deaf and
Blind outside track from 1-4 PM.
Register online at
www.familyconnection.org/columbiabuddy-walk.html.
Be sure to check with your
Early Interventionist
about upcoming
playgroups in your area!
Sprout Pediatrics at
the 2013
Pumpkin Run
Sprout Pediatrics of Columbia, SC is
sponsoring the Pumpkin run at the YMCA
in Irmo on Saturday, October 26th.
Children and adults can join Team Sprout
to help raise awareness about physical
fitness needs for and among those with
special needs.
This year’s race will include a one mile
kids’ race and 3 mile race. Strollers of any
kind are allowed for the 3 mile race;
parents may walk or run with or without a
stroller or child. Children can run or walk
the race and can have a parent or guide
to participate in the race with them. All
members of Team Sprout will receive a
race shirt and a Sprout Pediatrics t-shirts.
For additional details and registration
information visit http://sproutpeds.
wordpress.com/pumpkin-run-info/.
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Activity Corner
Crafty Ideas: Leaf People Finger Puppets
Materials:
Cardboard Tubes
Pebbles or Bark
Leaves
Twigs
Wiggle Eyes
Scissors
Glue Stick
Hot Glue Gun
Instructions:
1. Hot glue the leaf to the top of the cardboard
tube to create the head.
2. Hot glue twigs to the side of the tube to create arms.
3. Hot glue bark or pebbles to the front of the tube to create buttons.
4. Attach wiggle eyes to the leaf head
The above activity was taken from http://www.ivillage.com/diy-fall-kids-crafts/6-b-385748.
Cook’s Nook: Owl S’mores
Ingredients:
•
•
•
•
•
Graham Crackers
Mini-Marshmallows
Chocolate Chips
Yellow Candy Melts
Candy Corn
Instructions:
1. Cut one marshmallow in half and place both pieces on a large graham cracker (2 stuck
together).
2. Put a candy melt on top of the marshmallows.
3. Heat in the microwave for about 2-5 seconds, just enough to make the marshmallows
puff up but not get too hot. (Time depends on your microwave, so make sure to do a
few test runs.)
4. Take out of microwave and add a chocolate chip on the yellow candy melt and the
candy corn beak wil the marshmallows and candy are still warm.
5. Let cool and serve! These are still delicious the next day!
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**The above recipe and picture were adapted and taken from http://www.livinglocurto.com/2010/09/owlsmores/.