September 12, 2014
Issue 37, Volume 7
It's All About the Choices!     
          
Greetings and Happy Friday!

Please enjoy this week's newsletter courtesy of PediaStaff!
 
News Items:
  • Put the Physical in Education
  • Food Craving is Stronger, but Controllable, for Kids
  • Word 'Edges' are Important for Language Acquisition
  • How do Sex Hormones Influence Autism Risk?
  • Exercise Before School may Reduce ADHD Symptoms in Kids
  • Want to Improve Motor Learning? Go to Sleep.
PediaStaff News
  • PediaStaff Placement of the Week: School Psychologist - Chicago!
  • PediaStaff Interview Topic of the Week: HIPAA
  • PediaStaff Job of the Week: SLPs for West Virginia Schools 
Therapy Activities, Tips and Resources
  • Classroom Management Resources from Edutopia
  • Free Montessori Inspired Apple Unit - Over 40 Activities
  • Pinboard of Week - Therapy Activities & Resources with Autumn/Harvest Themes
  • Book: Changes in Self Awareness Among Students with Brain Injuries

Articles and Special Features 

  • School-Based Clinician's Corner: To the New Grad
  • School Psychology Corner: Addressing the Issue of Speech Anxiety with Selectively Mute Children
  • OT Corner: Helpful Tips for New School-Based Occupational Therapists
  • Worth Repeating: Do You Make These 3 Mistakes Teaching Phonemic Awareness?
  • Worth Repeating: Six Ways You're (Unintentionally) Telling Kids NOT to Listen
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Have a great weekend and Take Care!

Heidi Kay and the PediaStaff Team





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Put the Physical in Education

Thank you to Loren Shlaes of Pediatric OT blog for the heads up on this article.

[Source:  New York Times, Well blog]
 

When confronted with an overly active child, many exasperated teachers and parents respond the same way: "Sit still!" It might be more effective, though, to encourage the child to run. Recent research suggests that even small amounts of exercise enable children to improve their focus and academic performance.

By now it's well known that diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are increasingly widespread among American children: The label has been applied to about 11 percent of those between the ages of 4 and 17, according to the latest federal statistics. Interestingly, past studies have shown a strong correlation between greater aerobic fitness and attentiveness. But these studies did not answer the question of which comes first, the fitness or the attentional control

 

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

Food Craving is Stronger, but Controllable, for Kids

[Source: Science Daily]
 

Children show stronger food craving than adolescents and adults, but they are also able to use a cognitive strategy that reduces craving, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
 

"These findings are important because they suggest that we may have another tool in our toolbox to combat childhood obesity," says psychological scientist and lead researcher Jennifer A. Silvers, a post-doctoral fellow at Columbia University in the laboratory of Professor Kevin Ochsner.

 

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

Word 'Edges' are Important for Language Acquisition

[Source: Science Daily]

 

Word "edges" are important for language acquisition. Children start to learn the sound of words by remembering the first and last syllables. A SISSA study, published in Child Development, sheds light on the information the infant brain uses during language acquisition and the format in which it stores words in its memory.
 

If you're only seven months old, there's no difference between a "cinema" and a "cimena."

What infants accurately remember of a word is, in fact, only the first and last syllable. The middle syllables may even be jumbled, but to these little ears this will make virtually no difference. These are the main findings of a study carried out at SISSA and recently published in Child Development that uncovers the early mechanisms of word memory.

 

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog

How do Sex Hormones Influence Autism Risk? 

[Source:  Medical News Today] 

 

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an umbrella term encompassing the neurodevelopmental disorders autism, Asperger's syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder, among others. These disorders are usually characterized by impaired social interaction and communication and restricted or repetitive behavior.
 

Research has shown that there are three boys with autism for every girl with the condition, and 10 boys with Asperger's syndrome for every girl with Asperger's. These ratios have led researchers to suspect that sex hormones - such as high levels of testosterone - may play a part in influencing the disorder.

 

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog

Exercise Before School May Reduce ADHD Symptoms in Kids

[Source: Science Daily]

 

Paying attention all day in school as a kid isn't easy, especially for those who are at a higher risk of ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
 

A new study from Michigan State University and University of Vermont researchers shows that offering daily before-school, aerobic activities to younger at-risk children could help in reducing the symptoms of ADHD in the classroom and at home. Signs can include inattentiveness, moodiness and difficulty getting along with others.

 

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog

Learning to Play the Piano? Sleep on It!    

[Source:  Science Daily]

 

According to researchers at the University of Montreal, the regions of the brain below the cortex play an important role as we train our bodies' movements and, critically, they interact more effectively after a night of sleep. While researchers knew that sleep helped us the learn sequences of movements (motor learning), it was not known why.
 

"The subcortical regions are important in information consolidation, especially information linked to a motor memory trace. When consolidation level is measured after a period of sleep, the brain network of these areas functions with greater synchrony, that is, we observe that communication between the various regions of this network is better optimized. The opposite is true when there has been no period of sleep," said Karen Debas, neuropsychologist at the University of Montreal and leader author of the study. A network refers to multiple brain areas that are activated simultaneously.

 

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog

PediaStaff Placement of the Week:  School Psychologist - Chicago!  

Congratulations to Dr. Robert Z., on his new, part-time School Psychologist position with one of PediaStaff's school-based clients in west suburban Chicago.
 

Robert will be working four days per week and will see kids in three or four schools in close geographic radius.   In addtion to seeing his students regularly, he will be in charge of attending Tier 3 Rtl meetings, Initial Case Studies and 3 year re-evaluations. 

Interview Topic of the Week:  HIPAA  

Does HIPAA apply at your facility?   If so, what are your HIPAA guidelines?   How do you comply with HIPAA on a daily basis? 
 

The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 established privacy rules patients in health care settings and does apply in many cases for therapy.
 

Most therapists know that Clinics and Hospitals must comply with HIPAA, but did you know that in some states, schools must also comply?

 

Read the Rest of this Post on our Blog

PediaStaff Jobs of the Week:  SLPs for West Virginia Schools  

We have immediate openings for contract Speech Language Pathologists in the quad state area of the Eastern Panhandle in the state of WV.  Recognized as the fastest growing area in the state, it is known as the "Gateway to the Shenandoah Valley."  The city is just 30 miles from Hagerstown, MD, and less than an hour's drive from Frederick, MD.  This area offers a low cost of living in a family friendly, peaceful setting with quick & easy access to the larger cities of Washington D.C. and Baltimore, MD. 

This is a public school setting with students in the Pre K through elementary age range.  The contract starts as soon as possible, and runs throughout the 14-15 school year. The pay rate ranges from $35 - $42/hour and includes benefits such as medical insurance, continuing education, 401K, and more!  

 

Read More and Apply For These Positions on our Blog

Classroom Management Resources: from Edutopia  

Looking for information on guiding classroom communities, minimizing disruptions, and developing class routines to help students stay engaged and focused on learning? This resource collection is packed with useful tips, tools, and advice.  
 

We found this fantastic collection of classroom management resources on this blog article by Edutopia. Resources by Topic Include:

  • Building Positive Learning Communities
  • Teaching Rules and Routines
Access These Resources Through our Blog

Free Montessori Inspired Apple Unit:  Over 40 Activities  

Editor's Note:  I love Montessori, and the blog Carrots Are Orange.   Marnie has collecting in one post, over 40 activities from a variety of fine child development blogs, in fine and medium motor, sensory, language, sorting, patterning and more.

 

Find These Activities Through a Link on Our Blog

Pinboard of Week: Ideas/Resources for Autumn & Harvest Themes  

This week's Pinterest Pinboard of the week will get you in the mood for more activities, crafts and ideas to do with your therapy kiddos during the autumn and harvest season. This is our third school year maintaining and developing this board and there are close to 500 pins now!
 
 

Visit this Pinboard Through a Link Blog

Book: Changes in Self Awareness Among Students w/Brain Injuries  

by McKay Moore Sohlberg, Ph.D., Bonnie Todis, Ph.D., and Ann Glang, Ph.D.
 

This manual explains five factors that contribute to a student's unawareness after acquired brain injury. It shows how to work with the student by using awareness activities consistently over time.

Awareness exercises show how to:

  • build student's awareness of how things are going at school
  • understand effects of brain injury on school work and peers
  • develop adaptive strategies with teachers.
Learn More About this Book on our Blog

School-Based Clinician's (Career) Corner: To the New Grad

by Teresa Roberts, MS CCC-SLP

Dear New Graduate,
Congratulations! The research papers, the dense encyclopedic textbooks, and the class lectures - have ended. School is tough and your optimism, dedication, and perseverance served you well.
As you transform from student to professional, know that you will never feel this way again about your work. Your newness, your wonderment, and energy are precious.We recognize this - those of us who came to this work before you and those of us who work with you now. We rush by you in the hallways  at your work site, at conferences, and at collegial functions. Our shadow selves remember how you feel, even if our physical selves appear oblivious to your transition.

 

Read the Rest of This Article on our Blog


School Psych Corner: Speech Anxiety with Selectively Mute Children

An Excerpt from the Selective Mutism Resource Manual
 

By:  Maggie Johnson & Alison Wintgens
 

Let the child know you understand their difficulty and the feelings they experience when they try to speak. You know they want to and have tried to speak, but they feel so worried about talking that the words seem to stick in their throat. The language you use and the detail you give will depend on their age, but even very young children benefit from having their problem acknowledged rather than ignored, 'hushed-up' or misinterpreted.
 

Many children get the message from well-meaning adults that talking is easy, and this is borne out by the fact that no-one else in their nursery, school or street appears to be having any difficulty. Rather than admit they are afraid to speak,  they say (and often convince themselves) 
 

Read the Rest of This Article on our Blog


OT Corner: Helpful Tips for New School-Based OTs

by Christie Kiley, OTR/L

 

New school-based occupational therapists have a steep learning curve.


To be honest, the experience of being a first-year school-based OT can be very similar to being a first-year teacher. Though you may be an excellent therapist and know how to do a great job when it comes to actually working with the students themselves, there is just so much extra stuff to learn and figure out when you are first starting in the schools.
 

Wouldn't it be great if you had someone to point you in the right direction during your first year as a school-based OT?
 

Personally, this is my third year working in the schools (and my fourth year as an OT), where I serve a high-income, high-profile school district in California. Last school year I supervised and provided OT services for 7 school sites within the district (PreK-8th), plus 3 additional non-district sites, plus supervised a COTA/L and Level II fieldwork student.

 

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

WR: Do You Make These 3 Mistakes Teaching Phonemic Awareness?

Editor's Note:  This article 'Worth Repeating' was written for classroom teachers, and is an excellent resource that our readers might like to share with the professionals in their schools.

[Source:  Bay Tree Blog]
 

You know that nagging voice inside your head? The one that says that you're missing something BIG?
 

"What's wrong with my teaching?" it says. "Why can't my students do something as simple as blending together three sounds?"
 

The little worries keep piling up. Most of your students are doing fine. But that little voice reminds you that things are not working for all of your students.
 

"Well, those students aren't trying as hard. They're just distracted," you say.
 

"What if it has nothing to do with your students?" the voice replies.

WR: Six Ways You're (Unintentionally) Telling Kids NOT to Listen

[Source:  Not Just Cute]
 

Learning to be a good listener is a critical skill.  Kids need to learn to be active listeners (here's how I teach it in the classroom) and adults need to remember to be good listeners too.)

But there are also things we do as we speak to children that may increase or lessen the likelihood that children will actually be listening.

 
Here are 6 ways we may be unintentionally telling kids NOT to listen, and how to correct that: 


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

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