Thorough and Coordinated Core Evaluations Pay Off...

Feb 22, 2014 by

Thorough and Coordinated Core Evaluations Pay Off

**I learned so much about coordinating evaluations during this time period and I continue to follow the protocols set we set up with every team I work with.  When you are thorough, coordinated and prepared you go to the table with confidence and a plan for the student that actually has a chance of working. Several years ago I started a new job in s school district that was rumored to have some problems in their special education department.  I was able to confirm the rumors almost immediately.  While going through the caseload files I noticed that there were a high number of students who had gone out for their speech and language evaluation.  Comparing dates I noticed that the outside speech and language evaluations were either part of the initial request or requested...

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Play skills are even more important than you think...

Feb 19, 2014 by

Play skills are even more important than you think

Several years ago I wrote an article on the importance of play. My slant on the article was more about the importance of learning (or lack of learning) social skills, initiation of interactions and negotiation during play. This week I noted a topic hitting the educational sites on the internet about kids doing better when they get more exercise. The articles were based on a Canadian study called “School-Based Health Promotion and Physical Activity During and After School Hours” that was published in Pediatrics Journal. Now the study itself isn’t that eye opening. It basically states that the school initiatives to promote better health in Canada has worked to get kids moving both in and out of school. All I can say is that it is just too bad that time and money is...

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NSSLHA at Assumption College Raising Awareness around Noise Induced Hearing Loss...

Feb 5, 2014 by

NSSLHA at Assumption College Raising Awareness around Noise Induced Hearing Loss

This semester I have begun my journey in an Introduction to Audiology course. We have learned about a variety of forms of hearing loss and there is one that really stands out to me. This is Noise Induced Hearing Loss. This has become much more relevant with the increased use of ear buds. As many of you know, May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. At Assumption College, there is an annual spring concert in the beginning of May. The NSSLHA chapter at Assumption College has taken on the responsibility of spreading awareness of noise induced hearing loss around campus. We provide ear plugs for students and suggest that they wear them to the upcoming concert. This has become an important event for us on campus. It is important that people know the damage...

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Otterbox is still the way to go…When using electronics with kids...

Feb 5, 2014 by

Otterbox is still the way to go…When using electronics with kids

Back in July I wrote an article on Protecting Your Electronics.  I strongly suggested an Otterbox case for iPads, when working with children.  I’ve used this case for almost a year and other than it being a little big and bulky, I am still very pleased with it. A couple of weeks ago needed to contact Otterbox customer service because the stand up holder inside the removable top broke.  I was still able to use it but it wouldn’t always stay in place.  I believe I broke it not one of my students.  I filled out a form on line and provided them with a picture of the broken piece.  Within a week or so I had a new top for my iPad Otterbox case. The procedure was simple, Otterbox kept in contact with...

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Q Global follow up

Jan 18, 2014 by

Q Global follow up

Last week I spoke with one of the tech people from Pearson involved with designing the Q Global scoring system.  She contacted me in response to the letter I sent a few weeks back.  I got the impression that her team is dedicated in making Q Global work for Speech Language Pathologists.  We had a nice long chat and went over all of my concerns plus a few other concerns that other SLPs mentioned to me as a result of my initial post. The biggest points I mentioned were that we really just want scores not necessarily a whole report and the fact that we word very piecemeal and might need some scores before we finish testing.  We might not want to give the whole CELF or we often use other tests in combination...

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A Fun Little App

Jan 18, 2014 by

A Fun Little App

I created this using an app call Cloudart.  My students had a lot of fun with it this week.  I used it to work on categories, word retrieval and articulation.  I purchased it for 99 cents through the iTunes store.  This app is quick enough to use in a half hour session, even if the kids did some of the typing.  It’s a fun little creative outlet for those of us who aren’t too creative.  You can type in words or download a web sit like I did here.  This is what appeared after I downloaded The School Speech Therapist into the app.  In therapy the kids loved it and Cloudart will be something  I keep on my iPad. This one will be staying on my...

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Q-global scoring and the CELF-5...

Jan 2, 2014 by

Q-global scoring and the CELF-5

While I am fairly pleased with the changes to the CELF 5, I’ve found the Q-global scoring system to be very inflexible around the way Speech Language Pathologists work.  I expressed my concerns to Pearson a few weeks ago and they suggested I follow up with a letter.  Below is a copy of the letter I sent to ClinicalCustomerSupport@Pearson.com. I would like to hear from other SLP’s who share my concerns or have other concerns with Q-global.  If you feel the same way, please take the time to follow up with your own letter to Pearson.  If you would like a copy of my letter to use as a template, please email me at theschoolspeechtherapist@gmail.com.     January 2, 2014 Dear Pearson,      A few weeks ago I contacted customer service to express...

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Teacher leaves teaching to fight common core...

Nov 24, 2013 by

This is a link to an article on Diane Ravich’s blog. http://dianeravitch.net/2013/11/14/teacher-meg-norriss-to-her-students-i-love-you-and-believe-in-you/ I hope the powers that be start...

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CELF 5: First Impression

Oct 19, 2013 by

CELF 5: First Impression

The other day I was given a copy of the new CELF 5. As someone who has given the CELF since it was created, I was excited to hear a new update was in the works and even more excited when I found out in September that my administrators had purchased one for every school. As I pulled the components out of the box and laid them along my dining room table, the main items that interested me were the protocol sheets. I assumed I could get an initial impression about the test just by perusing the protocol sheets. I also flipped through the stimulus books and noted some minor changes but a lot of familiar pictures. My first impression is that they made some nice changes and adjusting to the changes will not...

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Applying to Grad School for Speech Language Pathology: How Do I Get My Application to Stand Out?...

Aug 30, 2013 by

Applying to Grad School for Speech Language Pathology: How Do I Get My Application to Stand Out?

By Guest Blogger Kayla Perry The thought of applying to graduate school is stressful not only to me, but to many of my fellow soon-to-be graduating peers. When I first decided on a major, the average GPA requirement for Speech Language Pathology graduate programs in the New England area was 3.2, which I thought was definitely achievable. As I enter my senior year of undergrad, the average GPA that graduate schools in New England are looking for is now 3.8. My current GPA is a 3.6, not the worst, but not the best either. A lower GPA also means that I must do well on my grad school entrance exams. This is a concern for me because I don’t have the best track record taking standardized tests. I up to the challenge and with...

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Middle School Nerves

Aug 20, 2013 by

It’s that time of year again, school here in the northeast is getting ready to start.  For some kids the start of a new middle school experience is exciting and for others it can be a very nervous time.  If you’ve ever smelled a group of school full of 6th grade students during the first few days of school you’d realize this.  My advice to parents is to be supportive, ask a few probing questions, not too many.  Make sure you ask about any concerns they might have expecially around school work and peer relationships.  However, keep in mind middle schoolers are also worried about simple things like, being able to open a locker and knowing where to go. A few years ago, I reviewed the book A Smart Girl’s Guide to Starting Middle...

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The Practical SLP: Middle School...

Jul 27, 2013 by

The Practical SLP: Middle School

Back in 2007, when I was taking a computer course and needed to put some teacher training together I chose to write about the roles and responsibilities of the School Speech Language Pathologist.  It was a nice introduction for the teachers and for those who paid attention, I think they learned something about our field.  This was just before RTI, core curriculum and the new teacher evaluation process took over.  Reflecting on what I wrote 6 years ago, our job hasn’t changed that much…..it’s just been added to.  So take a look, please note the word “Practical” in the title.  At the time when all these changes were looming I thought it was appropriate (and still do).  The Practical SLP powerpoint 2007 copy Teresa...

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Protecting your electronics.

Jul 20, 2013 by

Protecting your electronics.

When I purchased my iPad, I knew I wanted to use it in therapy.  I also knew I did not want to have to worry about it breaking, being dropped or just plain mishandled.  Walking out of the Apple Store, I walked right over to the cart in the mall that installed Ghost Armor.  For those of you who don’t know Ghost Armor is a plastic sheet that is applied to the screen of your phone or iPad.  I’ve used Ghost Armor on my phone for years and never experienced a cracked or scratched screen.  Ghost Armor has to be cured under a black light for a few moments but they will usually do it while you wait. For the first few days I used my iPad without a case, then with a simple...

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SLP’s tell me everything you do!...

Jul 10, 2013 by

I want to put together list of all the duties we as slp’s perform in the public school setting. Below is a list that I quickly put together (please excuse the format i am working on an ipad). I am sure i’ve forgotten a task or two. Please add any paperwork duties I might have overlooked. If you do something unique to your setting I want to hear about that. If you are required to perform other duties not related to slp mention those. Comment below or email me at theschoolspeechtherapist@gmail.com. Thanks in advance for your input. I am hoping to add time the duties take in order to help explain workload vs caseload. Assessment Direct service Consult Classroom service Paperwork-listed below Daily notes IEP (full or partial responsibilities) Evaluations (amount varies depending on...

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Share the highlights of your year...

Jun 23, 2013 by

Share the highlights of your year

Well another year is almost over here in the Northeast.  Many schools are out but because of snow, religious holidays and professional days, one of my districts is in till June 28th.  I haven’t been in school this late since 1974, when I was a student in Detroit Public Schools the year of the strike.  Back then I was brainwashed (not by my parents) to believe it was the teachers fault but now I realize it was much more complicated than that.  That’s a story for another time.  Anyway, come July that didn’t matter, I was a kid and had to go back to school after the 4th of July holiday.  We weren’t a happy bunch and I doubt we got much done. I expect this late last week of school will be fairly...

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Article Review: How Well Can Children Recognize Speech Features in Spectrograms? Comparisons by Age and Hearing Status...

Jun 12, 2013 by

Article Review: How Well Can Children Recognize Speech Features in Spectrograms? Comparisons by Age and Hearing Status

Article Review By Guest Blogger Kayla Perry Title of Article How Well Can Children Recognize Speech Features in Spectrograms? Comparisons by Age and Hearing Status Author:  David J. Ertmer  Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN Synopsis:  Real-time spectrographic displays (SDs) have been used in speech training for more than 30 years with adults and children who have severe and profound hearing impairments. Despite positive outcomes from treatment studies, concerns remain that the complex and abstract nature of spectrograms may make these speech trainingaids unsuitable for use with children. This investigation examined how well children with normal hearing sensitivity and children with impaired hearing can recognize spectrographic cues for vowels and consonants, and the ages at which these visual cues are distinguished. Sixty children (30 with normal hearing sensitivity, 30 with hearing impairments) in 3 age groups (6–7, 8–9, and 10–11 years) were familiarized with the spectrographiccharacteristics...

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Speech Language Pathology Humor……..A linguistic dissection of 7 annoying teenage sounds...

Jun 6, 2013 by

I will be the first one to admit most Speech Language Pathology Humor is pretty lame.  However, I came across this article and short video and got a huge laugh out of it.  Some day when I have time I’ll have to write an article on the humorous side of our profession. We all know the way our field is going we all need a good laugh. A linguistic dissection of 7 annoying teenage...

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The SLP and Grad School Admission: How can I look impressive?...

May 8, 2013 by

The SLP and Grad School Admission: How can I look impressive?

I have had a lot of response to my article The SLP and Grad School Admission.  Does anyone know what SLP graduate schools are looking for in candidates.  I’ve had several perspective grad school candidates ask what they can do to make their applications/resumes stand out.  I would love to hear from anyone with this experience, knowledge or suggestions.  You can either comment here or email The School Speech Therapist at theschoolspeechtherapist@gmail.com Thanks...

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The SLP and Grad School Admission...

Apr 30, 2013 by

The SLP and Grad School Admission

*****Sorry it has been so long since my last submission.  What can I say it’s been one assessment after another.  Thought I saw the light at the end of the tunnel but the tunnel got several assessments longer last week.  Take a look at my article, is this something you’ve heard about? A friend’s daughter is an undergraduate student in speech language pathology, finishing her junior year.  Yesterday she mentioned that none of the seniors in her daughters program got into grad school.  I was rather surprised at that statistic.  Of coursed she probed be about working as a speech language pathology assistant while waiting to get into grad school.  I explained to her how assistants worked and how they were paid around here. I think this situation should be a little concerning to...

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Policies and Disclaimer

Mar 2, 2013 by

The School Speech Therapist Policies and Disclaimer This blog is a professional/personal website written, edited, produced, maintained, and funded by a licensed speech-language pathologist. The opinions expressed on this website are that of the authors’ and not of the authors’ employer. For questions about this blog, please contact the author via Individualized Treatment Information and materials published on this website are not meant to replace speech and language therapy. They are meant to share professional information and opinion in the area of speech-language pathology with parents, teachers, and professionals. In addition, the information presented on this website is general and should not be interpreted or used as advice for a specific person with a communication disorder. The School Speech Therapist and its author or guest authors do not guarantee that a person’s speech and...

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