weekly header
October 15, 2010
Issue 33, Volume 4
It's All About the Choices!
Greetings!

Hope all is well with everyone. We have another big issue for you. Please enjoy and share! There is a lot going on out there. October is Sensory Awareness Month, Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Physical Therapy Month and National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month.

News Items:
  • PTs, OTs and SLPs have Three of the Best Jobs in America!
  • Infant Jaundice Linked to Higher Risk of Autism
  • Mental Wellbeing Declines with Increase in Kids' Screen Time Regardless of Physical Activity
  • New York Times - Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children
  • Research Reveals How the Deaf Have Super Hearing
  • Pediatric Hospitalizations for ATV-Related Injuries More Than Double; Rates of TBI for Those Hospitalizations Triple
  • Technology for Special Kids in the News
Tips, Activities and Resources:
  • Kids Yoga Pose - The Camel / Ustrasana
  • National Stop Bullying Awareness Month
  • The Phonetics Flash Animation Project
  • To Share with Parents - Sensory Friendly Halloween Tips
  • Fun Book to Check Out for Halloween: Wendy's Magical Voice
Upcoming Events/CEU Opportunities
  • Upcoming Event: Sensory Processing Foundation's 11th International Institute and Symposium
Articles and Blogs
  • Pediatric Therapy Corner: Learning Styles and Sensory Processing Disorder
  • Guest Blog: Nonsense Words and Artic
  • Guest Blog: What's in your Therapy Bag?: Early Intervention
  • Guest Blog: Chores...A Simple Name Change and A Little Collaboration Get the Job Done
  • Worth Repeating: Fitness and Friends: Socialization Through Exercise
Feel free to contact us with any questions about our openings or items in these pages. Have you discovered our RSS feed? Click on the orange button below to subscribe to all our openings and have them delivered to your Feed Reader! Don't have an RSS Feed Reader set up? Sign up at
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Have a great weekend and Take Care!

Heidi Kay and the PediaStaff Team

The Career Center

The links to the right are "live" and reflect the most recent jobs with PediaStaff. To further narrow your search by state use the drop down menus on the search page to select a specific state. If a particular search is returning no hits it is Girlpossible that we do not currently have new openings
for you in that state.

To see ALL our openings click HERE
and select the checkbox for your discipline.
Recent Speech Language Pathologist and SLPA Jobs
Recent Occupational Therapist and COTA Jobs
Recent Physical Therapist and PTA Jobs
Recent School Psychologist Jobs
Hot School Based Job of the Week
School Based Speech Language Pathologist - Glendale/Burbank, CA

This one is hot off the presses!!! We have an immediate opening in the Glendale/Burbank area. We are seeking a contract Speech Language Pathologist for three days a week. This is to service all Elementary kiddos in one location! The position is in a great location and starts immediately and runs through the end of the school year.

Experience with this age is preferred but new grads will be considered. Pay is between $45-55.00/hour BOE. Qualifications: MS in Communication Sciences, a current state license (or eligible) if applicable.

Pediatric therapy is our specialty - and our expertise is backed by excellent hourly rates and per diem offered based upon IRS eligibility. Additional benefits include: nationally recognized medical insurance, 401K, generous relocation and continuing education assistance, optional paid leave, optional summer pay program, reimbursement for state licensure and/or teacher certifications, and completion bonuses.

Our management team provides 24/7-telephone support to our therapists - you are not alone when you are on assignment with us. In addition, we provide Clinical Coordinators to assist our therapists in managing their caseloads effectively. Our Clinical Coordinators are experienced therapists who have excelled within their profession and are able to help you succeed.

Respond now and learn how YOU can be a part of our team! There is never a charge to applicants and new graduates are always encouraged to apply.

Interested in this job? Contact PediaStaff today!..

...IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHOICES!
More Hot School Jobs of the Week

Pediatric Occupational Therapist - Chicago, IL

Our client is a school system on the west side of Chicago. They seek an Occupational Therapist to join their team on a full time basis for the 2010-2011 school year and beyond. The position is full time and in two locations. Four days of your week would be spent in the Wood Dale area seeing children in early childhood and elementary settings with mild to moderate diagnoses. One day would be spent in a multi needs classroom within a middle school in Bloomingdale. Previous school based experience is preferred, but strong new grads with pediatric or school clinicals will also be considered. Hours are 8-4pm. The school system boasts a great team of therapists with more than 10 other therapists on staff. Monthly meetings are conducted to ensure you're part of the team and have the support you need to improve the quality of life for each and every child.

This contract position pays based on experience and ranges from $36-45 an hour.

Qualifications: Must hold a Masters Degree (or grandfathered Bachelor's) in Occupational Therapy; a current state license (or eligible) if applicable.

Pediatric therapy is our specialty - and our expertise is backed by excellent hourly rates and per diem offered based upon IRS eligibility. Additional benefits include: nationally recognized medical insurance, 401K, generous relocation and continuing education assistance, optional summer pay program, optional paid leave, reimbursement for state licensure and/or teacher certifications, and completion bonuses.

Our management team provides 24/7-telephone support to our therapists - you are not alone when you are on assignment with us. In addition, we provide Clinical Coordinators to assist our therapists in managing their caseloads effectively. Our Clinical Coordinators are experienced therapists who have excelled within their profession and are able to help you succeed. Respond now and learn how YOU can be a part of our team! There is never a charge to applicants and new graduates are always encouraged to apply.

Interested in this job? Contact PediaStaff today!..

...IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHOICES!
Your Career the News: Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Speech Language Pathologists Have 3 of the Best Jobs in America!
[Source: CNNMoney.com]

Hey PTs, OTs and SLPs! You already knew you have a great job, but now so does everyone else! Money Magazine and PayScale.com have rated your occupations all in the "Best 50 Jobs in America":

#4 - Physical Therapist
#19 - Occupational Therapist
#44 - Speech Language Pathologist

Read and Comment Through a Link on our Blog
Autism in the News: Infant Jaundice Linked to Higher Risk of Autism
[Source: Reuters]

Babies diagnosed with jaundice may be more likely to later receive a diagnosis of autism, suggests a large new study.

However, the Danish researchers caution that many questions remain unanswered, making it too early to say for sure if there is a true cause-and-effect relationship between the conditions.

Environmental exposures prior to, during and shortly after birth are emerging as important risk factors for the development of autism, in addition to genetic factors, Hannah Gardener of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study, told Reuters Health in an e-mail.

Jaundice is a common condition among newborns that results when the yellow pigment found in bile, called bilirubin, accumulates faster than the immature liver can process it. More than half of babies born full-term have some of the characteristic yellowing of the skin and eyes, but it usually resolves itself and is rarely harmful.

Read and Comment Through a Link on our Blog
Screen Time in the News: Mental Wellbeing Declines with Increase in Kids' Screen Time Regardless of Physical Activity
[Source: Reuters]

More than two hours a day spent watching television or playing computer games could put a child at greater risk for psychological problems, suggests a new study.

British researchers found the effect held regardless of how active kids were during the rest of the day.
"We know that physical activity is good for both physical and mental health in children and there is some evidence that screen viewing is associated with negative behaviors," lead researcher Dr. Angie Page of the University of Bristol told Reuters Health in an e-mail.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our Blog
The Hearing Impaired in the News: Research Reveals How the Deaf Have Super Vision
[Source: Medical News Today]

Deaf or blind people often report enhanced abilities in their remaining senses, but up until now, no one has explained how and why that could be. Researchers at The University of Western Ontario, led by Stephen Lomber of The Centre for Brain and Mind have discovered there is a causal link between enhanced visual abilities and reorganization of the part of the brain that usually handles auditory input in congenitally deaf cats.

The findings, published online in Nature Neuroscience, provide insight into the plasticity that may occur in the brains of deaf people.

Read More About this Research Through a Link on our Blog
Literacy in the News: New York Times - Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children
[Source: The New York Times] -- Picture books are so unpopular these days at the Children's Book Shop in Brookline, Mass., that employees there are used to placing new copies on the shelves, watching them languish and then returning them to the publisher.

"So many of them just die a sad little death, and we never see them again," said Terri Schmitz, the owner.

The shop has plenty of company. The picture book, a mainstay of children's literature with its lavish illustrations, cheerful colors and large print wrapped in a glossy jacket, has been fading. It is not going away - perennials like the Sendaks and Seusses still sell well - but publishers have scaled back the number of titles they have released in the last several years, and booksellers across the country say sales have been suffering.

The economic downturn is certainly a major factor, but many in the industry see an additional reason for the slump. Parents have begun pressing their kindergartners and first graders to leave the picture book behind and move on to more text-heavy chapter books. Publishers cite pressures from parents who are mindful of increasingly rigorous standardized testing in schools.

Read the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our Blog
Pediatric TBI in the News: Pediatric Hospitalizations for ATV-Related Injuries More Than Double, Rates of TBI for these Visits Triple
[Source: Science Daily.com] - All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are associated with a significant and increasing number of hospitalizations for children in the U.S., according to a new report by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Over a nine- year period (1997-2006) hospitalizations for ATV injuries increased 150 percent among youth younger than 18 years, with important demographic variations. Rates increased the most dramatically in the South and Midwest, and among teens ages 15

Read the Rest of this Study through a Link on our Blog
Technology for Special Kids in the News: Article from the Wall Street Journal
[Source: Wall Street Journal]

The rise of mainstream tablet computers is proving to have unforeseen benefits for children with speech and communication problems-and such use has the potential to disrupt a business where specialized devices can cost thousands of dollars.

Before she got an iPad at age two, Caleigh Gray couldn't respond to yes-or-no questions. Now Caleigh, who has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, uses a $190 software application that speaks the words associated with pictures she touches on Apple Inc.'s device.

"We're not having to fight to prove to people that she is a smart little girl anymore, because it's there once they see her using the iPad," said Caleigh's mother, Holly Gray, who said her daughter can use the tablet to identify colors or ask to go outside.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our Blog
Therapist Resource of the Week: 'Stop Bullying! Speak Up' Campaign
This year marks the fifth anniversary of PACER's National Bullying Prevention Month that unites communities nationwide to raise awareness of bullying prevention. Traditionally held the first week in October, the event has been expanded to include activities, education, and awareness building for the entire month. This year, the Pacer Center has teamed up with the Cartoon Network to reach students.

Access the Following Resources and Articles Through our Blog Site
  • Press Release about the 2010 'Stop Bullying: Speak Up' Campaign
  • The National Center for Bullying Prevention
  • CNN Stop Bullying: Speak Up
  • Kids Against Bullying - Pacer Center Kid's Site
  • The Cartooon Network "Stop Bullying: Speak Up" Kid's Page and Resources
  • Article by Julie Hertzog, the Director of the Pacer Center
More Therapy Resources of the Week: The Phonetics Flash Animation Project
If you haven't yet seen this resource, it's your lucky day.

This site contains animated libraries of the phonetic sounds of English, German, and Spanish. Available for each consonant and vowel is an animated articulatory diagram, a step-by-step description, and video-audio of the sound spoken in context. It is intended for students of phonetics, linguistics, and foreign language. There is also an interactive diagram of the articulatory anatomy.

This project was a collaborative effort of the Departments of Spanish and Portuguese, German, Speech Pathology and Audiology, and Academic Technologies at The University of Iowa.

Visit the Phonetics Flash Animation Project Through a Link on our Blog
Therapist Activity of the Week: Kids Yoga Pose - The Camel / Ustrasana
[Source: Yoga in My School]

Camels are fascinating creatures. With their long eye lashes, silent feet, ability to carry heavy burdens across the desert, and telltale hump(s) on their back, camels can teach us much about adapting to life and enduring through it's sandstorms.

In yoga camel pose is a lovely back-bend which opens the heart & chest, lengthens the psoas (hip flexors), and strengthens the back. When teaching camel pose, I'll often talk about dehydration and our need for regular water consumption each day for our bodies to function properly, digest food, fight off illness, circulate the blood, etc.

Check out this Yoga Activity for Kids on our Blog
Fun Book to Check Out!: Wendy's Magical Voice
[Source: Stuttering Foundation]

Just in time for Halloween: Wendi's Magical Voice is a new 32-page book for kids. Written and illustrated by Brit Kohls, it is an imaginative, well-written story about a girl who stutters.

Children will identify with her fears in the classroom and be delighted by the magical way she resolves them. Order now to receive by Halloween! Call 800-992-9392 or click here.

Parent Resource to Share: Help Your Kiddos Have a Sensory Smart Halloween
Thank you to Nancy Peske for letting us reprint this great piece that you can share with the parents of your kiddos with Sensory Processing Disorder. Please support our contributing authors and visit SensorySmartParent.com

Parties, costumes, makeup, and treats-you can't count on any of these being fun for the child with sensory issues (hence, October 25-31 is National Sensory Awareness Week). How can you make Halloween more sensory friendly for a child with SPD?

Costumes and masks often involve new sensations against the skin and body that a child will find distressing. Experiment beforehand with any make-up, masks, wigs, or hats and see if the child can truly tolerate them for a few hours. For a costume, consider working from the basic pieces of a soft, cotton top and bottom, such as a sweatsuit or pieces of clothing purchased at a used clothing store or pulled from his play clothes pile. Add elements and props that he can hold or wear comfortably.

Treats with plenty of sugar and artificial colors and flavors should be limited for all children, but kids with sensory issues are often more sensitive to these substances. Let her gather all her loot after trick or treating and choose the favorites, then have the rest mysteriously disappear overnight (maybe after using them as math counters!). Or hoard it to use a piece at a time as rewards for overcoming challenges, doing extra chores, or use in therapy (speak to your child's occupational therapist or speech therapist about the possibilities, for example). If your child has food allergies and intolerances, skip the highly processed, sugary treats altogether. Have a party instead of going trick or treating, and provide healthy, fun snacks and nonfood items such as stickers, pencils, and toys.

Read the Rest of this Piece on our Blog!
Upcoming Event: Sensory Processing Foundation's 11th International Institute and Symposium
November 12 - 14, 2010
Bellevue, Washington
Discounted Pricing Ends October 15th

Why attend?
  • The conference will begin connecting what we know about Sensory Processing Disorder from various disciplines to engage, enlighten and energize YOU to make change happen wherever you live or work.
  • Presenters include the best and the brightest from the local area as well as from prestigious organizations and educational institutions from around the country.
  • Network with colleagues from around the world and learn about opportunities for global collaboration at the free Sensory Integration Global Network (SIGN) Lunch Meeting, hosted by Diana Henry and Colleen Basaraba, co-chairs of the International Communication Committee.
  • AOTA Continuing Education Credit: 1.7 CEUs or 17 hours for participation in Institute and Symposium
  • Exhibitors this year, include the STAR Center, Future Horizons, Sensory World, Landscape Structures, Weighted Wearables, SticKids, Integrated Listening Systems, IDEA Training Center, Henry OT, SPIO and SmartKnit Kids.
Register for this Conference HERE
Pediatric Therapy Corner - Learning Styles and Sensory Processing Disorder
By Margaret Rice of Your Therapy Source
In the school setting, teachers discuss various learning styles of students. There are three main types of learning styles:
  • Auditory learner - learns best by using sense of hearing
  • Visual Learner - learns best by sense of vision
  • Kinesthetic/ Tactile Learner - learns best by doing or touching
More teachers are now accommodating students and presenting new material in various ways to help all students learn more efficiently. Teachers can offer choices regarding different ways to complete assignments that allow students the freedom to utilize their own learning styles. When determining a students learning style, a teacher looks at the students strengths. How do they learn best - auditory input, visual input or tactile input?
Is is starting to sound familiar? When determining if a student has sensory processing disorder, pediatric therapists look at auditory, visual and kinesthetic input and output. When an pediatric therapist evaluates a student for sensory processing disorder typically weaknesses are determined. For example, "this student is a sensory seeker constantly looking for movement opportunities". Pediatric therapists can also look at students in a different manner with regards to learning styles and offer suggestions to the teachers in a language that they can fully understand.

Read the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our Blog
Guest Blogs This Week: Entire World of R, Easy Speech and Language Ideas, Autism Is Not the Boss
Nonsense Words and Articulation - By: Christine Ristuccia

Nonsense Words are a great tool in your kit to help break through poor phonological habits. Nonsense words are meaningless words (e.g. Gar, Har, Nar) that maintain useful phonologic patterns. Since, the nonsense words are novel to a student and are not frozen in a child's lexical system; it forces the student to focus on the component sounds, perhaps resulting in a successful production which can be used as a facilitator for other contexts.

Read the Rest of this guest post on our Blog

What's in your Therapy Bag?: Early Intervention - - By: Shareka Bentham

Anyone who has seen me going into work knows I have a huge therapy bag. It's one of those fancy bags on wheels that you pull along by a long handle. You don't only see me coming, you hear me as well. I tend to get strange looks, and often the question "What in the world is in that bag?"
I also remember while being a grad student frantically searching the web for cool gadgets, toys and other resources that were commonly used by speech therapists.

Read the Rest of this guest post on our Blog

Chores...A Simple Name Change and A Little Colaboration Get the Job Done - By: L. Mae Wilkinson

NB: This blog post was originally written for parents. We really enjoyed this article and Mae's suggestions for how to help children on the spectrum think differently about chores. Please print out and share with the parents of your kiddos.

Figuring that Connor, my seven-year old, was ready for more responsibility, I approached other moms to see what their children were doing in the Chores department. My heart sank to my toes as I realized that once again I was late to the task. Many moms had been watching their children happily scrubbing, dusting, making beds and cleaning bathrooms for years.

Read the Rest of this guest post on our Blog
Worth Repeating - Fitness and Friends: Socialization Through Exercise
Source: Autism at Home Series

We thank Your Therapy Source for directing us to this article.

Social initiation and interaction are two of the most pervasive and challenging deficits among individuals on the autism spectrum. Through exercise and physical activity, it is possible to shape social skills. Interaction can be taught in several different ways including incidental teaching in the natural environment and/or using discrete trial or chaining tasks. While these situations can be used to teach the rote language and orientation skills, there often lacks meaningful exchange. When two children are making eye contact because they are playing catch together, or helping one another during an obstacle course. Physical fitness is a gateway towards many social skills that are otherwise difficult to teach.

Socialization is a difficult concept to generalize because human interaction is nuanced and varies tremendously across people, situations, and environments. A child may learn to initiate interaction by saying "Hello, my name is Max" to any and all people when he walks into a room. Immediately some concerns arise. If Max walks out to go to the bathroom and reenters the room, does he then say "Hello, my name is Max" to everyone again? If he is in the company of family or an already familiar person, does he use the same greeting? I've seen all of these scenarios plus some other novel variations. The common theme is overgeneralization of the skill. There is also the problem of conceptualizing social interaction.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our Blog
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