weekly header

January 21, 2011
Issue 3, Volume 5
It's All About the Choices!     
          
Greetings and Happy Friday to you!  

Here is our weekly newsletter offering for you.  Please don't forget to feel free to email us with any items, events, resources or activities you would like to share.  I can be reached at heidi@pediastaff.com
 
News Items: 
  • Swimming as Autism Treatment in the News
  • Video Game Addiction Tied to Depression, Social Problems and Poor Grades
  • Why Things Dont Add Up for Some Students
  • Bladder Control Problems More Common in ADHD
  • Parent-Child Play Therapy Relieves Depression in Pre-Schoolers
     
Therapy Activities, Tips and Resources
  • Activities for National Handwriting Day
  • Book Review: "Here's How to Treat Apraxia of Speech" - by Dee Fish
  • New Global Speech Magazine - Free First Issue

Upcoming Events

  • Workshop:  Practical Evidence-Based Strategies and Interventions for Occupational Therapists Working in Schools
     

Articles and Blogs 

  • Guest Blog: Just a Kid Again
  • Guest Blog: Between the Lions - Phonemic Awareness
  • Pediatric Therapy Corner: The Impact of ADHD on Stuttering Therapy
  • Worth Repeating: For Children with Autism, Don't Set the Bar Too Low
  • Also Worth Repeating:  How Spelling Supports Reading                                                                                                        
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 Early Intervention Job of the Week
Early Intervention / Pediatric SLP and OT, Santa Clara, CA

 
Our client serves children with disabilities in the Santa Clara County, California. We are seeking a motivated pediatric Speech Language Pathologist or Occupational Therapist, passionate about providing quality therapy services to babies and children with disabilities. The population
most served is 0-5; a smaller percentage is 4-9 year olds. You will be a part of the Early Start Assessment Team for the 0-5 population about 50% of the time in facility. The other duties include providing 1-1 therapy services and participating in the community outreach, collaborative
screening program: going out into the homes within Santa Clara County and working with the kiddos to determine eligibility.

Experience in working with this population is most favorable. Compensation includes a generous pay package as well as extensive employee benefits including Medical, life, dental, a health savings account, retirement, holidays, vacation and other leave.

Hours are 37.5 per week. Salary Potential is between 56,000 - 66,300 and based on your level of experience.

If your dream and passion aligns with this close-knit collaborative model, we encourage you to apply today to learn more about this long-term career opportunity.

Qualifications: Must hold an appropriate degree in either Speech Language Pathology or Communication Disorders, or Occupational Therapy; a current California license (or eligible).

...IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHOICES!
 

Interested in this job?  Contact PediaStaff today!..

...IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHOICES! 

Hot School-Based Job of the Week

School-Based Speech Lanaguage Pathologist, Tacoma/Olympia WA 


This full time contract position offers you excellent pay from $37/hr (new graduate) and higher based on experience - plus benefits! You'll find this to be a convenient commute from Tacoma or Olympia and you'll work in just two locations, a Middle School and a High School. The initial contract will be through June 2011 to finish the school year and may extend to next SY too. You may also have the option to convert to a district employee.

Qualifications - Masters in Communication and Speech Disorders. New graduates are welcome to apply, CFY may be available.

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.

...IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHOICES

Interested in this job?  Contact PediaStaff today!..

...IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHOICES! 

Autism Treatment in the News:  Swimming for Autism in the News
[Source: The Brownsville Herald]

The bus pulled up to the Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center. All of the children were extremely excited, even the new boys. They had been seeing a swimming picture on the calendar for some weeks. The older boys knew well what that meant, three weeks of swimming in the big pool. It didn't matter that the days fell in the middle of winter. Swimming was swimming. They absolutely loved going. For "Marshall" and several other boys, it was a great activity right after all the hoopla surrounding the Christmas holidays.

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

Pediatric Psychology in the News: Video Game Addiction Tied to Depression, Social Problems and Poor Grades
Video game addiction is a global phenomenon and appears to lead to poorer grades in school and serious psychological problems, including depression, anxiety, and social phobia, said an international team of researchers who followed over 3,000 third through eighth grade students in Singapore and found the percentage of pathological youth gamers there to be similar to other countries.

You can read how Dr Douglas Gentile, an associate professor of psychology at Iowa State University, and five researchers from Singapore and Hong Kong, came to their findings in a study they published online in the 17 January issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our Blog
Dyscalculia and Language in the News:  Why Things Dont Add Up for Some Students
[Source: The Globe and Mail]

It is not a typical math test. The elementary school students lie as still as they can in a brain scanner while they answer questions for University of Western Ontario neuroscientist Daniel Ansari. "Which number is larger, 7 or 1? What about 9 or 8?"

Dr. Ansari and his colleagues study neurological deficits that make it so hard for some children to learn arithmetic, the subtle differences between the brains of children who struggle with the most basic calculations and those who excel.

They want to find new ways to identify and help the five per cent of children who have a learning disability called developmental dyscalculia, which makes it difficult to master addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. But their work has broader implications as well. Dr. Ansari, a world leader in the study of the brain and math, wants to understand how children learn arithmetic, what can go wrong, and how teachers and parents can intervene to help.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our Blog
ADHD in the News: Bladder Control Problems More Common in ADHD
[Source: Reuters]

Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be more likely than their peers to have problems with bedwetting and other bladder control symptoms, a new study finds.

Turkish researchers found that among 62 children with ADHD and 124 without the disorder, kids with ADHD scored considerably higher on a questionnaire on "voiding" symptoms -- problems emptying the bladder.

In particular, they tended to have more problems with bedwetting and habitually feeling an urgent need to go to the bathroom.

Read the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our Blog
Childhood Depression in the News: Parent-child Play Therapy Relieves Depression in Pre-Schoolers
[Source: PhysOrg.com]

A form of play therapy between parents and their toddlers can relieve depression in preschoolers, according to child psychiatry researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Known as parent-child interaction therapy, the play-based technique has been used successfully to treat hyperactivity and disruptive disorders. The researchers adapted it, adding a focus on emotional development, to test whether it could help parents teach their children how to regulate negative emotions, such as guilt and sadness.

Play therapy sessions put parents and their children in one room while a therapist observes from a nearby room.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our Blog
Resources and Activities of the Week: Activities and Resources for National Handwriting Day, January 23rd
January 23rd is National Handwriting Day. Click on the link below to access a bunch of great activities compiled from around the internet to help you celebrate National Handwriting Day with your students!

Access These Activities from Crayola, Handwriting Without Tears and More on our Blog
Book Review: "Here's How to Treat Apraxia of Speech"
"Here's How to Treat Childhood Apraxia of Speech" by Margaret Fish is a comprehensive book written for students of speech-language pathology and for slps working with children with confirmed or suspected childhood apraxia of speech. It provides practical suggestions for evaluating children with CAS, and planning/implementing effective treatment programs for this challenging group of children.

This book is organized into three sections. The first section of the book provides in-depth and detailed information about the definition of CAS, and describes the characteristics that are commonly associated with this motor speech disorder. In addition, section one presents a protocol for conducting a thorough motor speech assessment as part of a comprehensive speech-language evaluation. The author outlines the step- by- step components of a comprehensive speech-language evaluation that includes the history, general observations, an oral-motor examination, and speech analysis. Section one also focuses on how to interpret evaluation findings and make treatment decisions in order to develop appropriate goals that address the specific needs of this population.

Read the Rest of this Review on our Blog
 
Therapy Resource of the Week: New Online Global Speech and Language Magazine - S&L World Bulletin
Our friend Libby Hill at Small Talk Speech & Language Therapy has asked us to tell you about a new online magazine that goes on line this week, called S&L World Bulletin.
.
It's a excellent opportunity for each country around the world to share what they're doing and tell the world about their news, events, jobs and examples of expertise and good practice.  It is not a high academic publication but rather a reader friendly magazine which can appeal to anyone interested in the world of speech therapy/pathology.   She has offered the first issue to our readers free of charge.  Check it out below. 

Read the First Issue of S&L World Bulletin Free Through a Link on our Blog

Upcoming CEU Event: Practical Evidence-Based Strategies and Interventions for Occupational Therapists Working in Schools 

The Institute for Educational Development (IED) is a national sponsor of professional staff development for educators and occupational therapists.  Barbara Smith, one of our regular contributors will be presenting the seminar:

 

Especially designed for occupational therapists and OT assistants, this outstanding seminar will provide you with the tools to evaluate, write treatment objectives and design the activities that will help students with mild to severe disabilities develop functional and/or academic skills.

 

Learn More and Sign Up through the Links Below
 

Syracuse, New York      April 26, 2011
Buffalo,     New York      April 27, 2011
Fayetteville, AR              May 11, 2011
Oklahoma city           May 12, 2011

 

Email: info@iedseminars.org

Phone: 1-800-260-8180
Fax: 1-425-453-4103

Guest Blogs This Week: The Daily Dose, SpeechGadget
Just a Kid Again - Janelle LoBello

 
Chase Ford was just two-years-old when his world changed forever. He fell off a couch hitting hit head on the couch's arm, resulting in a spinal cord injury.

Through a vigorous program at the Reeve Foundation's NeuroRecovery Network (NRN) Center at Frazier Rehab in Kentucky, Chase, now seven-years-old, is just a kid again.

"He's seven, but has the mental capacity of being older than that," says Renee. "He had to learn to adjust and that he can't do it the way you do it, or the way mom does it, or the way his brother and sister do it. He has had to learn if 'I can't do it this way, then how do I do it?'"

Renee credits Chase's growth and recovery on his youth and strength.

 
Read the Rest of this Guest Post Through a Link on our Blog
Between the Lions - Phonemic Awareness - By: Deb Tomarakos, SLP-CCC

 
My youngest children have been enjoying playing PBS Kids online games. It is a great way for me to occupy them while I am cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. The boys are usually finishing up homework, and the girls sit at the kitchen island and play a few games. I am typically moving around the kitchen on clean up duty, but I am close enough to offer help and feedback while they are playing on the computer.

The Quiet Machine is one of the reading games that is part of the Read Between the Lions game area.


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


Pediatric Therapy Corner: - The Impact of ADHD on Stuttering Therapy
By:  Joseph Donaher, Ph.D.
The Center for Childhood Communication

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

The role of genetic factors in the onset and maintenance of stuttering has received considerable attention. Multiple studies have shown that stuttering runs in families and that approximately 70% of the variance in liability to stutter can be accounted for through inheritable factors 1,2. The contribution of congenital factors and early neurological incidents has been less thoroughly investigated but research has suggested that both may be causal factors for some individuals who stutter, especially those with no family history of stuttering 3,4. Furthermore, it has been suggested that when no genetic component is present, adults who stutter are more likely to present with increased ADHD-like characteristics possibly as a result of underlying neurological factors 3.

While research linking stuttering with ADHD is limited at best, preliminary reports suggest that the prevalence of ADHD among children who stutter is significantly higher than in the general population 5,6.

Thus, research is needed to better understand this relationship in an attempt to identify risk factors, management strategies and possible neurological underpinnings of each disorder. However, a more pressing need relates to the clinical management of children who stutter who present with diagnosed ADHD or with subclinical levels of ADHD-like traits.

Read the Rest of this Article on our Blog

Worth Repeating: For Children with Autism, Don't Set the Bar Too Low
[Source: About.com]

By Lisa Jo Rudy

Not too many people with disabilities become role models for the rest of the world.

Some, like Stevie Wonder, are just so talented and able in a particular area that their disability seems to become unimportant. Stevie Wonder's musical talent loses nothing as a result of his blindness.

But others, like Helen Keller and Temple Grandin, are held up as models because they worked like demons to achieve their goals despite ongoing, extraordinarily difficult challenges. Helen Keller became an intellectual and author, in the face of almost unimaginable odds. Temple Grandin became a world-renowned expert in animal husbandry and an international speaker and writer, daily facing and conquering her very real autistic challenges.

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

Also Worth Repeating - How Spelling Supports Reading

by: Louisa Moats (2006) 


Much about spelling is puzzling. Our society expects that any educated person can spell, yet literate adults commonly characterize themselves as poor spellers and make spelling mistakes. Many children have trouble spelling, but we do not know how many, or in relation to what standard, because state accountability assessments seldom include a direct measure of spelling competence. Few state standards specify what, exactly, a student at each grade level should be able to spell, and most subsume spelling under broad topics such as written composition and language proficiency. State writing tests may not even score children on spelling accuracy, as they prefer to lump it in with other "mechanical" skills in the scoring rubrics.

 

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

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