ROANOKE, Va. -- Little voices sing: "Five green and speckled frogs, sitting on a speckled log, eating some most delicious bugs. Yum, yum!"
Molly McConnell, 4, watches her twin brother, Peter, and mimics the motions to the song. Every few seconds, her eyes dart to the teacher in search of cues, almost as if the little girl is uncertain of what she is supposed to do.
Across the room, Audreanna Robertson, 5, is focused on the teacher leading the song; Audreanna knows the words and sings along, but her pronunciation is not fully developed.
Molly and Audreanna, who both have autism spectrum disorders -- neurological conditions that affect communication, social interaction and behavior -- have made great strides since featured in a pair of February stories in The Roanoke Times.
Now, the girls are among about a dozen 4- and 5-year-olds, with and without autism, who start the school day together at the Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center in Roanoke County.
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