Music and Intelligence in the News:  Muting the Mozart Effect 

Editor's Note:  This study refers to musical enrichment in the form of young children listening to music as well as musical social play (also known as the Mozart Effect) and does not comment on the cognitive or neurological effects of learning how to play an instrument.  

[Source: PLOS One]

Two Randomized Trials Provide No Consistent Evidence for Nonmusical Cognitive Benefits of Brief Preschool Music Enrichment

Young children regularly engage in musical activities, but the effects of early music education on children's cognitive development are unknown. While some studies have found associations between musical training in childhood and later nonmusical cognitive outcomes, few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been employed to assess causal effects of music lessons on child cognition and no clear pattern of results has emerged. We conducted two RCTs with preschool children investigating the cognitive effects of a brief series of music 

Child Psychology in the News:  Spanking Children Slows Cognitive Development and Increases Risk of Criminal Behavior, Expert Says 

A new book by Murray Straus, founder and co-director of the Family Research Lab and professor emeritus of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, brings together more than four decades of research that makes the definitive case against spanking, including how it slows cognitive development and increases antisocial and criminal behavior. 

Your Help Needed:  School-Based OTs and COTAs Needed for Utilization Study - (Survey Based, Takes 5-10 Minutes)  

From time to time, PediaStaff will help spread the word about an academic research study. We saw mention of this one, being conducted by Lisa Vintaloro OTR/L at Florida Atlantic University and felt it was definitely something our readers could help with!

Description of Project:   We are researching how occupational therapists see their roles and contributions to school-based practice. Do your schools use your skills and resources to their greatest advantage? Your participation will take between 5-10 minutes and will include  

ADD in the News:  The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder  

[Source:  New York Times]  

By Alan Schwarz  

After more than 50 years leading the fight to legitimize attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Keith Conners could be celebrating.  

Severely hyperactive and impulsive children, once shunned as bad seeds, are now recognized as having a real neurological problem. Doctors and parents have largely accepted drugs like Adderall and Concerta to temper the traits of classic A.D.H.D., helping youngsters succeed in school and beyond.

But Dr. Conners did not feel triumphant this fall as he addressed a group of fellow A.D.H.D. specialists in Washington. He noted that recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the diagnosis had been made in 15 percent of  

On the Lighter Side:  This Happened In Therapy!   

A good blogger friend of ours had this little 'kids say the darnedest things' gem on her Facebook page the other day, and I realized it would be a great one to send around as a meme.    So, with Loren Shlaes' permission, here it is! 

Adolescent Health in the News:  Two in Three 13-Year-Old Girls Afraid of Gaining Weight    

[Source: Science Daily]

It's All About the Choices:  And we Thank YOU for Choosing PediaStaff!  

"It's All About the Choices" and once again we would like to thank our blog and social media friends for CHOOSING to follow PediaStaff as your source for news, research, classroom/clinic ideas and articles pertinent to pediatric therapy.

But who IS PediaStaff anyway?  

We are leaders in the placement of pediatric and school-based SLPs, OTs, PTs, and School Psychologists - with a parallel commitment to share resources.  We place contract and direct hire in all pediatric / school settings and terms - including part-time, full-time and PRN. 

Here are a few ways that you can learn more about us and what we stand for:

• Search Through our Jobs
• Read our Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn Why Employers and Therapists Choose PediaStaff
• Read our Testimonials
• Download our Career Guide, our new Pediatric Clinician's Guide - Interview Like a Pro, and/or our free Essential Social Media Tools for Clinicians E-Book

To Learn More Click Through on Our Blog!

PediaStaff Therapy Placement of the Week:  SLPs Robin and John P, Husband and Wife Team!  

Congratulations to speech-language pathologist husband and wife team, John and Robin P., who both got new placements in northwest Oregon this week through PediaStaff.

Robin will support a caseload of students with significant cognitive disabilities and who are almost entirely non-verbal.   She will also be conducting  feeding evaluations and writing feeding protocols. There is some travel involved as there are 4 different school sites, which are between 5-10 miles apart.

John will be working for a different district in the region, and will serve a large and very diverse caseload of kids grades K-12.   He will be very busy and looks forward to the challenge!

Both John and Robin are longtime employees of PediaStaff.   You might have met them at ASHA.  They were our eyes and ears out in the hall at McCormack Place and were snapping photos for Instagram!  

We are so happy to have both these lovely people on our team!

App Review of the Week:  Cookie Doodle  

by Allie Landers, MS CCC-SLP

I'm always on the hunt for new apps to use in therapy. I'm usually looking for apps not specifically designed for speech and language therapy, but for apps that are fun and engaging to use as motivating means of working on language skills. One of my favorite of these apps is Cookie Doodle, especially at this time of year. The general idea of the app is that you get to make cookies. You start by adding and mixing the ingredients, then bake and decorate the cookie, and then you get to eat it. Understandably, this app is a huge hit with most kids (who doesn't like cookies?). But it's also a great tool as a clinician 

Instagram Activity of the Week:  LEGO Print Wrapping Paper  

Scent-sational Therapy Idea:  Cloves into a Tangerine

As you, know, we have been enjoying Instagram.  Today in my feed I saw this great post by Bloggy Mom, Amber Passey of the Because Babies Grow Up blog.

What a lovely activity to try with the children either just for fine motor and sensory OR for trial based speech therapy sessions.    If you don't have time to do it with your kids before they 

Pinterest Pinboard of the Week:  New Year's Themed Therapy Activities  

I know everyone is thinking about Christmas right now (and probably have one foot out the door so you can enjoy some vacation time with your loved ones), but New Year's Day is just around the corner.   The theme of the new year is perfect for goal setting and other thought provoking activities that are excellent in a therapy context.

Most of our readers are school based therapists, so the actual "New Year's Day" falls during holiday break, but there is no reason you can't celebrate the new year in therapy as soon as you return.