December 22, 2017
It's All About the Choices!     
          
Greetings and Merry Christmas!
Please enjoy our newsletter!
 
News Items:
 
  • Ed Department Seeks Delay Of IDEA Rule
  • Pre-K Program Can Boost Kids' Self-Regulation Skills
  • Real Art Therapy More Effective Overall Than Coloring Books for Improved Mental Health
  • Direct Amygdala Stimulation Can Enhance Human Memory
  • Autism Speaks Unveils New Scientific Agenda
  • Mild Obsessive-Compulsive Signs in Kids Tied to Cerebral Differences

PediaStaff News and Hot Jobs 
  • Hot, New Early Intevention Physical Therapist, Baytown, TX
  • Hot, New Job: School-Based SLP - Oak Forest, IL
  • Hot, New Job! School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist - Burgaw, NC
Therapy Activities, Tips and Resources
  • Book Review: Yoga for Speech-Language Development
  • Prone Position: 14 Fun Activities for Kids
  • Holiday Letter Sounds Bag
  • Fake Snow Writing Tray Pre-Handwriting Activity
Articles and Special Features 
  • School Psych Corner: How To Get Students Talking About Their Own Social-Emotional Learning
  • OT Corner: Why Opening Presents Can Cause Tantrums for Kids With Learning and Attention Issues
  • Autism Corner: Making Children on the Spectrum Feel Competant
  • SLP Corner: Christmas / Holiday Lights Scavenger Hunt
  • PT Corner: Operation Alignment
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

The Career Center

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Recent Occupational Therapist and COTA Jobs 

Ed Department Seeks Delay Of IDEA Rule
[Source: Disability Scoop]

The Trump administration wants to delay implementation of an Obama-era regulation designed to ensure that kids from certain backgrounds aren't unnecessarily placed in special education.
In a Federal Register  notice, the U.S. Department of Education is seeking comment on a plan to delay enforcement of what's known as the "significant disproportionality" rule for two years.

Read the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our Blog
Pre-K Program Can Boost Kids' Self-Regulation Skills
[Source:  Psych Central]

A new study shows that pre-kindergarten children who participate in a short, daily intervention designed to improve self-regulation skills improve not only these types of skills but also early academic skills.

Self-regulation skills are those that help a child pay attention, follow directions, stay on task and persist through difficulty. These skills are vital to a child's success in kindergarten and beyond.

Read the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our Blog
Art Therapy More Effective Than Coloring Books for Mental Health
[Source:  Psych Central]

A new study shows that although the extremely popular adult coloring books can reduce stress, they are not nearly as effective for mental health as engaging in true art  therapy. The findings show that participants who created their own art in a therapist-assisted open studio experienced heightened creativity, more positive mood and feelings of empowerment, whereas those who worked on coloring alone did not improve in these areas.
 
Direct Amygdala Stimulation Can Enhance Human Memory
[Source:  Medical X-Press]

Direct electrical stimulation of the human amygdala, a region of the brain known to regulate memory and emotional behaviors, can enhance next-day recognition of images when applied immediately after the images are viewed, neuroscientists have found.

The results are scheduled for publication in PNAS.

The findings are the first example of electrical brain stimulation in humans giving a time-specific boost to memory lasting more than a few minutes, the scientists say. Patients' recognition only

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog
Autism Speaks Unveils New Scientific Agenda
[Source: Disability Scoop]

year after dropping references to a cure from its mission statement, the nation's largest autism advocacy group is charting a new course with a bold rewrite of its scientific priorities.
Autism Speaks released an updated three-year  strategic plan for science this week that includes a two-pronged approach.

The organization is looking to further biological research aimed at developing personalized therapies. At the same time, the plan recognizes that people with autism need immediate solutions to address co-occurring conditions like epilepsy, sleep issues, gastrointestinal troubles and mental health concerns, as well as evidence-based programs to support the transition to adulthood and aging in general.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog
Mild Obsessive-Compulsive Signs in Kids Tied to Cerebral Differences
[Source:  Psych Central]

Children with mild obsessive-compulsive symptoms exhibit distinct anatomical differences in the cerebrum, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and the Institute of Global Health of Barcelona (ISGlobal).

The findings, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, may positively impact the development of prevention strategies for long-term mental health disorders.

Read the Rest of this Article Through a Link our Blog
Would you like to work for an established rehab center who offer early childhood intervention services?  We are working on the East side of  Houston/Harris County and have an immediate opening for a physical therapist to work in the early childhood program. You'll have flexibility and  the ability to plan your caseload and scheduling.  Full time therapists have the option of working 4-10s or 5-8s.  Mandatory staff meetings are held twice a month on Fridays. Mileage reimbursement is offered separately from salary. iPhone and tablet provided for electronic documentation.

Learn About / Apply for This Job on our Blog
We have an immediate need for a full time Speech-Language Pathologist position available in the Oak Forest, IL area!

*  Start is January 8, 2017 thru June 8, 2018
*  Hours:  7:37 - 2:35/30 minute unpaid lunch
*  CCCs preferred but not required/CFs welcome to apply
*  Full time
*  Communication Development Program
*  6-8 students
*  co-teaching classroom/one teacher and one SLP
*  32.5 hours/wk

Learn About / Apply for This Job on our Blog
Excellent contract Speech-Language Pathologist opportunity for the remainder of this 2017/18 school year in quaint coastal location in North Carolina. Nestled northwest of Wilmington is a small town that possesses many charms. The town is known for its friendly people and picturesque surroundings while providing convenient access to Wilmington's urban center including ILM International Airport and the University of North Carolina.

Learn About / Apply for This Job on our Blog
[Source:  Omazing Kids]

Combining years of experience as certified speech-language pathologists and as qualified yoga teachers, the authors of this pioneering book explain how yoga can be used to aid speech-language development in children up to age 12.

The book includes a range of yoga-based exercises for improving pre-linguistic communication, vocabulary development and motor planning for speech. The text is enriched by illustrations of children in each yoga pose, so no prior experience of yoga is necessary to help children carry out each activity. The book also provides information on using this approach with children with neurodevelopmental and intellectual disabilities, including ADHD and autism.

Read the Rest of this Book Review Through a Link on our Blog
Prone Position: 14 Fun Activities for Kids
[Source:  The Inspired Treehouse]

Tummy Time isn't just for babies!  It can be just as beneficial for older kids, too!
Recently, we have come across several kids who just don't have the muscle endurance to stay on their bellies and play!  Why?  These are the kiddos that spent very little time on their tummies as babies and, often, didn't even crawl!

Holiday Letter Sounds Bag
[Source:  Pre-K Pages]
December with preschoolers can be a little hectic and filled with a high-level energy. Excitement is in the air and harnessing that feeling to get some learning done during the day can be a challenge.

Here is an activity that capitalizes on the excitement of opening gifts, plus it builds in some phonological awareness practice.

Learn More Through a Link on our Blog
Fake Snow Writing Tray Pre-Handwriting Activity
Fake snow is so simple to make and provides a rich sensory experience for kids. This fake snow writing tray is perfect for the winter as kids can practice some of their pre-handwriting skills all while engaging the senses.

Read More Through a Link on Our Blog
School Psych Corner:  How To Get Students Talking About Social-Emotional Learning
[Source: Getting Smart]

Getting students talking about their learning is a valuable strategy across all disciplines, and social-emotional learning is no different. Students learn more as they explain concepts to others, and they reshape and solidify their own thinking when listening to their peers. When students have opportunities to talk about social-emotional learning, they learn the language needed to express social-emotional nuances, and are better able to 

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

OT Corner:  Opening Presents : Kids With Learning & Attention Issues
[Source: Understood.org]

Getting presents is usually a highlight of the holiday season. But for some kids with learning and attention issues, gift exchanges can lead to meltdowns or tantrums.  Why?

The excitement, chaos and lack of routine of the holidays set the stage. If your family has had to travel, your child might feel out of place in unfamiliar surroundings and around people he may not know well. Plus, he's got the pressure of always having to "be good."

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

Autism Corner: Making Children on the Spectrum Feel Competant
Editor's Note:   This article was written for parents, but would be a great resource to share with the parents and guardians of your kiddos with autism.

[Source:  My Aspergers Child]

A young person with Asperger's (AS) or High-Functioning Autism (HFA) often feels powerless and inadequate. He tends to be a passive learner and needs to be totally involved in activities to make him an active learner. You can encourage hands-on activities (e.g., cleaning, cooking, shopping, and running errands, etc.) to show your "special needs" child that he is competent and can make things happen. These learning activities have the added benefit of resulting in visible, tangible products that are valued by the entire family.

Read the Rest of This Article on our Blog

SLP Corner: Christmas / Holiday Lights Scavenger Hunt
Tradition! It's part of what makes the holidays so special. For many of us, getting in the spirit entails taking out the lights and displays and festively decorating our homes while playing Christmas carols and sipping eggnog.

Or, it involves, frantically dragging out the decorations and quickly tossing on lights in the bitter cold swearing that next year you'll be more organized like your neighbor, George.
With the addition of our beautiful baby boy (our rainbow, our blessing), the holidays have been more hectic than usual.

PT Corner: Operation Alignment
[Source:  Dinosaur Physical Therapy ]

Working with children of all ages, as Pediatric Physical Therapists we always need to keep in mind the fundamental components of alignment, weight bearing and balance. Here are some tips and tricks to achieve success throughout development!

Visual Cues - Provide helpful optical information to the child, while promoting awareness of lower extremity alignment.

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

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