June 29, 2018
Issue 26, Volume 11
It's All About the Choices!     
          
Greetings and Happy Friday!

Please enjoy our weekly newsletter!

News Items:  
  • School District Pays $1.3 Million To Settle Landmark Special Ed Case
  • Autism Blood Test - One Step Closer
  • Brain Tingling Sensation 'ASMR' May Benefit Health
  • How Music Lessons Can Improve Language Skills
  • Wii Training for Children with Cerebral Palsy
  • Despite A Revamped Focus On Real-Life Skills, 'Home Ec' Classes Fade Away
PediaStaff News and Hot Jobs 
  • Pediatric Hospital Psychology Department Manager - Washington, DC
  • Pediatric Physical Therapist - PT - Huntington, WV
  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst - Woodbridge, VA
Therapy Activities, Tips and Resources
  • Star Pool Noodle Activities
  • Easy Paper Plate Watermelon Craft
  • 24 Conversation Starters for Talking With Your Tween About Their Day
  • Ice Cream Theme Activities for Summer Fun 
Articles and Special Features 
  • Pediatric Tx Corner: How to Facilitate Play Skills in Children with Autism
  • Autism Corner: Is It Time to Give Up on a Single Diagnostic Label for Autism?
  • SLP Corner: Rest In Peace, Koko the Gorilla
  • School Psych Corner: Why Children Aren't Behaving, And What You Can Do About It
  • ABA Corner: The Role of Caregiver Involvement in ABA Therapy
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 Blogtrottr and have our blog posts delivered right to your email.

Have a great weekend and Take Care!

Heidi Kay and the PediaStaff Team
8

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Recent Occupational Therapist and COTA Jobs 

School District Pays $1.3 Million To Settle Landmark Special Ed Case
[Source:Disability Scoop]

The Douglas County School District outside Denver has paid $1.32 million to settle a long-running special education case brought by a couple who sought reimbursement from the district for their son's education at a private school for students with autism.

The payment, made to the law firm representing the couple in May, represents the last chapter in a landmark special education case known as Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. ] 

Read the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our Blog
Autism Blood Test - One Step Closer
[Source: Medical News Today]

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of conditions that impact the way in which an individual interacts with the world.

Though every case is different, symptoms can include repetitive behaviors, tics, anxiety, and learning difficulties.

There are many questions about ASD that are still unanswered.

Read the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our Blog
Brain Tingling Sensation 'ASMR' May Benefit Health
[Source: Medical News Today]

ASMR is an Internet phenomenon. Over recent years, websites such as Reddit and YouTube have seen millions of ASMR videos posted.

Such websites have also witnessed thousands of testimonials from people talking about the relaxing, static-like feeling that they get from specific stimuli, ranging from the sound of whispering to that of crumpling paper.

Reportedly, the sensation starts in the crown of the head and spreads throughout the body.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog
How Music Lessons Can Improve Language Skills
[Source: Science Daily]

Many studies have shown that musical training can enhance language skills. However, it was unknown whether music lessons improve general cognitive ability, leading to better language proficiency, or if the effect of music is more specific to language processing.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog
Wii Training for Children with Cerebral Palsy
[Source: Your Therapy Source]

Are you familiar with the Nintendo Wii?  The Wii is a commercially available interactive computer game consisting of fun activities that provide immediate feedback and progress the user to more advanced levels.  The WiiFit also comes with a balance board to challenge postural control and balance while measuring success.  Using Wii training for children with cerebral palsy may increase motivational level, engagement and practice time.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog
Despite A Revamped Focus On Real-Life Skills, 'Home Ec' Classes Fade Away
[Source:  Mind Shift]

"Sometimes we take for granted that kids know how to wash dishes," says Susan Turgeson, president of the Association of Teacher Educators for family and consumer sciences. "I never thought I was going to have to explain, step by step, how to put the drain plug in, the amount of soap to be used."

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog
Peds Hospital Psych Department Manager - Washington, DC  
We are seeking a Pediatric Hospital Psychology Department Manager for a children's specialty hospital in Washington, DC, that provides services to children from infancy through age 21 in inpatient and outpatient settings. This family-centered medical facility provides a variety of therapy services to meet the child's needs.

Learn About / Apply for This Job on our Blog
Pediatric PT: Huntington, WV
Are you looking for a pediatric physical therapist position that will allow you to gain experience in more than one setting? Wouldn't it be great if your employer would be willing to help you with tuition reimbursement? Would you like to work with a talented multi-modality team so you can learn from other therapists?

If so, you have found the perfect job. We are searching for a full-time or part-time physical therapist for a pediatric practice located in Huntington, WV.  This successful therapy center has a long history in the community, a family-friendly work environment, a strong salary, and a great benefits package - 16 paid holidays, life insurance, long-term disability, short-term disability, tuition reimbursement, annual leave days/sick days, and continuing education reimbursement. Relocation assistance is available.


Learn About / Apply for This Job on our Blog
Pediatric Hospital Psychology Department Manager - Washington, DC
We are seeking a Pediatric Hospital Psychology Department Manager for a children's specialty hospital in Washington, DC, that provides services to children from infancy through age 21 in inpatient and outpatient settings. This family-centered medical facility provides a variety of therapy services to meet the child's needs.

Learn About / Apply for This Job on our Blog
Board Certified Behavior Analyst -  Woodbridge, VA  
Looking for more job flexibility? We have a wonderful, full-time opportunity for a Pediatric Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in Woodbridge VA. We are looking for a clinician with a clinical background in Applied Behavior Analysis to provide services in homes.

Learn About / Apply for This Job on our Blog
Star Pool Noodle Activities
[Source: Teaching Mama]

The other day I was walking around Target and I spotted a blue star pool noodle. I had to add it to my cart because I knew we could use it in lots of ways. We ended up doing quite a few fun activities with it and I'm excited to share them with you today!

Since I wanted to have star pool noodle pieces, I decided to use a serrated knife to cut them. They were about 1 inch thick.

Read More Through a Link on our Blog
Easy Paper Plate Watermelon Craft
We love making easy crafts that don't take too long, but are still really fun to make! Plus, this would make the perfect paper plate craft when learning about the letter Ww. You don't need a lot of supplies and they look so cute hung up.

Read the Rest of this Through our Blog
24 Conversation Starters for Talking With Tweens About Their Day
Editor's Note:  We love these.  I am sure Christie wrote these with moody pre-teens in mind, but I think they are great for kids of all ages!

[Source: Childhood 101]

When she was younger our 10-year-old was a chatterbox, eager to share the stories of her day. Nowadays, she would rather get lost in the quiet pages of a good book than talk to me after a busy day at school, and so I bide my time until she is ready to tell me how 

Read the Rest of this Post Through a Link on our Blog
Ice Cream Theme Activities for Summer Fun
[Source: Pre-K Pages]

Who doesn't love ice cream? Well, I'm sure there are those who do not. But an ice cream theme can be a great focus for summer...or anytime...in a preschool classroom. These ice cream activities will help your preschoolers explore and discover all kinds of fun concepts. Enjoy these ideas for science,  dramatic play, art, and much more.

Read More About These Activities Through our Blog
Peds Tx Corner: How to Facilitate Play Skills in Children with Autism
[Source: Your Therapy Source]

Playtime helps all children develop communication, social, cognitive, and motor skills.  For children with autism, difficulties with language, social skills, and motor skills may be present.  In addition, pretend play skills can be delayed.  Parents, teachers, and therapists need to learn how to facilitate play skills in children with autism. Peer-mediated intervention can be used to promote child engagement and learning.


Autism Corner:   Is It Time to Give Up on a Single Diagnostic Label for Autism
[Source: Scientific American]

Five years ago, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) established autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as an umbrella term when it published the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), the primary guide to taxonomy in psychiatry. In creating this single diagnostic category, the APA also removed the subgroup called Asperger syndrome that had been in place since 1994.


SLP Corner:  Rest In Peace, Koko the Gorilla
Editor's Note:   We are very sad to hear of Koko's passing.  She taught us so very much about language, learning, grief --- and love.  Did YOU learn about her in SLP Grad School??

[Source: Time Magazine]

by Jeffrey Kluger

Koko the gorilla earned her pronouns a long, long time ago. It is one of humanity's great vanities that we withhold pronouns from most animals - or at least we withhold the good ones. Homo sapiens get the dignity of a "he" or a "she." We fob off other species with an "it." We speak of the woman who walked down the street, and the dog that accompanied her.

Read the Rest of This Article on our Blog

School Psych Corner:   Why Children Aren't Behaving, And What You Can Do About It
[Source: Mindshift]

Childhood - and parenting - have radically changed in the past few decades, to the point where far more children today struggle to manage their behavior.

That's the argument Katherine Reynolds Lewis makes in her new parenting book, The Good News About Bad Behavior.
ABA Corner: The Role of Caregiver Involvement in ABA Therapy
[Source; Behavioral Health Center of Excellence]

While sometimes researchers can argue over the "best" treatment modality or strategy used in early intervention programs for children who fall on the autism spectrum, there is one thing upon which all researchers can agree:

Parents possess the powerful ability to make a positive difference in their children's lives.
Although each autism treatment program looks different, they all rely on parental involvement (National Institute of Mental Health, 2004).

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

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