August 26,, 2016

Issue 34, Volume 9
It's All About the Choices!     
          
Please enjoy our weekly newsletter
 
News Items:
  • Induced Labor May Not Up Risk of Autism
  • Mother Tongue Shapes Infant's First Cries
  • Do ADHD Meds Boost Substance Abuse Risk? 
  • Babies' Spatial Reasoning Skills Predict Math Ability at Age 4
  • Feds Move To End Segregated Schools For Kids With Disabilities 
  • Millions Headed To States For Special Ed Training
PediaStaff News and Hot Jobs 
  • Hot Job - BCBA Lewiston, Texas
  • Hot Job! Licensed Social Worker - Rockford, IL
  • Hot Job: School-Based SLP - Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Therapy Activities, Tips and Resources
  • Montessori Inspired Frog Activities
  • 10 Free Back to School Printables and Forms for School Based Therapists
  • Hand Games for Motor and Cognitive Skills
  • Pinterest Pinboard of the Week: Back to School
Articles and Special Features 
  • OT Corner: Five Evidence Based Factors That Affect Handwriting Speed
  • SLP Corner: Core Vocabulary - Speech Therapy for Individuals Who Are Non-Verbal
  • School Nurse Corner: Miami Schools Take Steps To Protect Returning Students From Zika   
  • Pediatric Therapy Corner: Self-Help
  • School Psych Corner: Judgment Call: Maturity, Emotions and the Teenage Brain 
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
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Induced Labor May Not Up Risk of Autism
[Source: Psych Central]

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of permanent developmental disabilities characterized by impairments in social interaction and language development, and repetitive behaviors. ASD is estimated to affect roughly one in 90 children in the United States.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog
Mother Tongue Shapes Infant's First Cries
[Source: Psych Central]

Newborn babies whose parents speak a tonal language cry in higher melodic patterns compared to newborns whose parents speak non-tonal languages, according to a new German study published in the journals Speech, Language and Hearing and Journal of Voice.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog
Do ADHD Meds Boost Substance Abuse Risk?
Editor's Note:   This article ran on our blog last week, but we linked to it incorrectly.   Here it is again.

(HealthDay)-Parents often worry that their children who take stimulants to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at higher risk for substance abuse later.

Now, a surprising new study finds that risk was actually lower when medicines such as Ritalin and Adderall were started earlier and taken longer.

"Most notably, the risk of substance use in adolescents who had been treated at an earlier age and for a longer duration with stimulant ADHD medications was the same as for the general population of 

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog
Babies' Spatial Reasoning Skills Predict Math Ability at Age 4
[Source: Psych Central]

Spatial reasoning skills during infancy may predict math ability at age four, according to a new study published in the journal Psychological Science. The findings may help explain why some people embrace math while others fear and avoid it.

"Our results suggest that it's not just a matter of smarter infants becoming smarter four-year-olds," said researcher Stella Lourenco, a psychologist at Emory University. "Instead, we believe that we've honed in on something specific about early spatial reasoning and math ability."

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog 
Feds Move To End Segregated Schools For Kids With Disabilities
[Source: Disability Scoop]
 
For at least six months, state and federal officials swapped proposals and counter-proposals on what to do about Georgia's unique system of so-called psychoeducational schools.
 
But neither side budged on the key issue: whether Georgia could continue segregating children with behavioral and emotional disabilities.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog
Millions Headed To States For Special Ed Training
[Source: Disability Scoop]

The U.S. Department of Education is shelling out millions in funding to help recruit and train teachers and administrators serving children with disabilities.
 
The federal agency said this week that it's sending $7 million to seven states to enhance preparation and professional development focused on early intervention, special education and transition services.
Grants ranging from about $530,000 to nearly $1.5 million are headed to state education departments in Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina and Oregon.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog
Hot Job of the Week:  BCBA Lewiston, Texas
A wonderful opportunity exists for a candidate seeking a full time position with an established therapy group in the northwestern suburbs of Dallas, TX.   This is a dynamic suburban community with quality schools, safe neighborhoods, family-friendly recreation options and the most retail square footage per capita in the region.  We are looking for an exceptional clinician with a clinical background in Applied Behavior Analysis to provide BCBA supervision to ABA cases.

Learn About / Apply for This Job on our Blog 
PediaStaff is seeking a Licensed Social Worker to work with a therapeutic day school with children on the spectrum. This position is full time or 32.5 hours per week with a caseload of approximately 25-30 students.  This school is located in the Rockford, IL area, and the position is for the upcoming SY 2016/2017.  They are looking to hire someone as soon as possible.  Please call or email for more information.

Learn About / Apply for This Job on our Blog
We have a need for a full-time contract SLP in Michigan's Upper Peninsula for the 2016-2017 school year.  Your caseload would range from PreK-12.  Typical needs include articulation, phonology, receptive and expressive language, social/pragmatic communication related to autism, fluency and assistive technology for communication.

Learn About / Apply for This Job on our Blog
Pediatric Tx Activities: Froggie Activities
Editor's Note:  This post was written for Leap Year activities, but any time is good for froggies, right??

[Source:  Living Montessori Now]

It's Leap Year - and that's a great excuse for a February 29 celebration and some frog activities! I've written posts before about having some  calendar fun . While there aren't a lot of Montessori posts specifically about Leap Year, there are some great Montessori-inspired activities that work perfectly for Leap Year.

Download These Activities Through a Link on our Blog
[Source: Your Therapy Source]

Well folks, the time has officially come for back to school again!  Every year that goes by I feel like the summer goes faster and faster.  When school does start back up again, I do find it much easier to have a routine and to try and stay ahead of the curve.  In reality though, being organized and prepared are not some of my strengths.  Being creative and flying by the seat of my pants are definitely my 
 
Download These Great Freebies Through a Link on our Blog
Motor & Cognitive Skills:   Hand Games from the Inspired Treehouse
[Source: The Inspired Treehouse]

Today, we are taking things up a notch and adding a bit of concentration to the traditional hand clapping games.   The following four challenges require focus and sequencing and they still pack the motor punch that our last batch of games did.
 
Learn More About These Great Games Through a Link on our Blog
Pinterest Pinboard of the Week: Back to School
It is Back to School Time!  Looking for some great therapy activities, snacks and ideas?
Check out our Back to School Pinterest board.     We have about 180 pins ranging from "I Spy" activities, apps for back to school, getting to know you games and more.
 
OT Corner: Evidence Based Factors That Affect Handwriting Speed
[Source:  Your Therapy Source]

Written output performance in the classroom is associated with handwriting speed.  If the child can not write with an appropriate speed it can be difficult to manage classroom assignments in a timely manner throughout the school day and during homework.
 
When trying to determine why a student may have slow handwriting speed you can start with these 5 evidence based factors that can affect handwriting speed:


SLP Corner: Core Vocabulary - Speech Tx for Non-Verbal Clients
[Source:  Bilinguistics]
 
Today I want for all of us to start thinking about our students and clients who are non-verbal.  How do we do speech therapy for individuals who are non-verbal?  I will be the first to say that the letters AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) overwhelm me.  AAC is an umbrella term that includes all of the communication methods used to support or replace speech or writing for those with impairments in the production or comprehension of spoken or written language.  Recent years have brought much attention to the use of electronic devices to support the communication needs of our students and clients.


School Nurse Corner:  Miami Schools Take Steps To Protect Students From Zika

[Source:  NPR.org]
 
Students returned to school on Monday in Miami amid a new concern: the threat of Zika. Nine schools in Miami-Dade County are in or near a zone where nearly a month ago health officials confirmed that mosquitoes are spreading the virus.

One of them, Jose de Diego Middle School, is in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood, an area known for its restaurants, cafes and street art. It's also home to middle-class and low-income families, many newly arrived from Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti.


Pediatric Therapy Corner: Self-Help
[Source: Starfish Therapies]

This past week we looked at Self-Help skills during our developmental playgroups.  Here is a brief overview of some of the things discussed.  We will provide more detail in coming weeks!
Birth- 4 months:
  • Express the need for food by crying
  • Signal the need for diaper changes
  • Express pleasure when placed in warm water (bathing)

School Psych Corner: Maturity, Emotions and the Teenage Brain
[Source: School Psychologist Files]

By Guest Blogger:  Amy Williams

Working day in and day out with a primarily teenage crowd can be a bit of a daunting task. Throughout the school system there are countless positions, situations, and jobs, which call for an understanding between an adult (usually an authority figure) and a teenage pupil.

Communicating with teenagers as an adult can sometimes require a combination of patience and know-how. While there is no one trick for this, there is certainly a required understanding of what sets us apart not only emotionally, but also biologically from the younger populace. Maturity does not simply come from experiences; it can happen over time as well.


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