CBS Therapy

  Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent disorders of childhood. The CDC estimates that between 3 and 7% of school-aged children have ADHD. Characterized by inattention, impulsivity and/or hyperactivity, ADHD impacts many areas of a child’s life. This includes social participation with peers and relationships with adults, academics, executive functioning skills like organization and time management, and more. Pediatricians may recommend medication and/or a variety of non-pharmaceutical interventions. Nonpharmacological Interventions Behavior modification:  This intervention involves using behavioral strategies in everyday routines to provide structure, reward positive behavior, and communicate expectations. Examples of behavior modification may include: A token system. Use of a communication app between home and school. The use of a written or visual routine. These methods effectively improve academic and social performance and are even mo...

Now more than ever, children with special needs benefit from effective collaboration by their interdisciplinary providers. On a given IEP team, a child may have special education, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy , physical therapy, applied behavior analysis, and more. In many cases, several of these practitioners may see the child only one time per week. So, what about the rest of the time when the specialists are not in? It is our responsibility to collaborate to provide the child with as much carryover as possible. Schedule designated times for collaboration: It is not uncommon for teachers and therapists to have an impromptu quick chat in the hallway.  While this gives professionals a moment to touch base, it simply does not offer the time, needed preparation, or quality of a pre-planned meeting.  Periodically-scheduled verbal meetings are the evidenced-based standard (Huang et al., 2011). Have an agenda: Be sure to recommend a brief agenda for your aforem...

  Anxiety disorders occur on a spectrum and can impact children in a variety of ways. Some children may deal with low levels of apprehension, while other children develop severe and intense anxiety. While students with anxiety will benefit from the following recommendations, consider implementing them in larger groups such as classrooms or group therapy. In these groups, they practice  telespeech therapy  and occupational therapy. This promotes an inclusive environment from which all learners can benefit. Use structure:  Incorporate daily and weekly routines to help children learn what to expect. Post schedules in a visible area. This is especially important for older children who have rotating or complex schedules. If there are any upcoming changes in routines (such as a substitute or a fire drill), give children advance notice whenever possible. Provide a ‘just right’ challenge:  Allow students to learn and grow while building their self-confidence. Grade your...

  Children with ASD often qualify for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a Section 504 plan.  Each of these programs promotes support for students to access their learning environment. Anyone on the IEP team can suggest accommodations:  Teachers, behavior analysts,  Speech Language Pathologist , occupational therapists, and even parents and administrators.  Each student should have accommodations in place to best support their unique needs.  Common adaptations fall into the cognitive, sensory, behavioral, emotional, and communication domains. Cognitive Pre-teaching.  This involves giving children a heads-up before diving into a lesson or new routine.  You can use this accommodation to pre-teach an upcoming fire drill, a new teacher joining the classroom, or novel lesson concepts. Provide short, concise directions.  Clear directions that are understandable to the student can give a child a successful start and reduce confusion. Visuals ...

So, you have just graduated as a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP), congratulations! The next steps in your career development are passing the Praxis exam and beginning your clinical fellowship(CF). A clinical fellowship provides you with supervised clinical experience in a setting where you can learn and grow your SLP skills, under the supervision of a seasoned SLP. A clinical fellowship is a post-graduate program designed for SLPs who have recently earned their Master’s degree but who have not yet met all the requirements to obtain a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC). Completing a clinical fellowship is a requirement for obtaining a CCC. Why Pursue a Clinical Fellowship? First off it is a requirement to obtain your Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC). Completing a clinical fellowship offers many benefits. There has been an increase in clinical fellowship jobs in RI along with a rise in salaries. The CF provides new SLP with the opportunity to apply the knowledge they hav...

Discover what a clinical fellowship is and how it can enhance your Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) career. Learn more about the benefits and requirements of this essential post-graduate program at  CBS Therapy .