The Night Before the Last Day

I'm not sure how I became so sappy but I can be honest that I have been this way always.  Sorry in advance.

It's 10:00 on the night before the last day of school. Wahoo!  We (as teachers) have been counting down the days until tomorrow since somewhere in March.  The kids have been itching to be done, the 4th and 5th graders are testing the limits with daily bathing and how to mask the smells, the rooms are emptying and everything has an excited flair.  Then I sit down and think. Ten years ago I was graduating.  Ten.  I don't remember much beside my whole family was there, it was Wisconsin and it was outside.  But that was the day that all this was possible.  Yes it is true my first baby will be done with first grade tomorrow and he will be 34 days away from turning 7.  Yes it's true that my second baby will be home with us for almost all of the summer and I swear she is waiting to start walking until we are done with school, but that is not why I'm all sappy and what not.

I started my career in a medical setting, a place where parents brought me their children and asked me to help them.  I worked long hours every day of the week year round.  I had 10 "vacation" days but if you were sick you lost a vacation day.  I saw those kids for years, until they were ready for discharge or they moved schedules changed, but it was a kid here or there.  Then I entered the Early Intervention system.  I drove out to kids home's and daycare's, I spend an hour with them sharing my toys with them and them sharing their toys with me, then they turned three.  The day before they turned three was the last day I could "see" the kids.  It was hard, I had to give over the cute little babies to the schools and had to walk away, just after I started making progress, a break through, the first words, the first play, some times the first hug.  Then I joined the schools.  It wasn't my dream job at the time, but it was a job, with kids, and I was home before dinner and bed time.  Then it happened for the first time.  The 5th graders went on to 6th grade, the just left.

The second year I was a bit more ready for it.  I kept reminding myself, that it would happen at the end of the year, but that was the first year I had students on my caseload that were moving on to the next grade.  It's a weird sort of goodbye.  To my students it's just the end of one chapter and in 12 weeks the start of a new one.  Most of my students were not fully aware of the change that would happen for them but we knew.  They weren't going to be elementary kids anymore.  They were to be Jr. High kids and in three years High Schoolers.  That year I witnessed my first 5th grade parade where they line up all the 5th graders and they walk them through the school one last time.  They give a wave to all the kids and staff and they are the first ones to leave the building on the last day of school. I knew, maybe, 2 kids at that school but let me tell you I went through about 100 tissues.  Maybe it was the fact that the next year MY baby would be starting kindergarten and I knew he would be a 5th grader before I knew it, and the graduating and who knows what else.  Maybe it was me just being a sap.  Whatever it was I quickly learned AVOID THE LAST DAY!

The third year I lucked out.  I had a baby early May meaning I conveniently missed the last day.  Elijah went off to school as a kinder and came home a first grader.  No tears were shed, and I was a sleep deprived new mother hormonal mess.  This year, not so lucky.  I lose 7 kids off of my caseload to 6th grade.  Most of these kids I have seen for 4 years, some more.  I have seen these kids come leaps and bounds.  Just thinking of the last day makes me cry.  The kids are not making it any easier for me. Take a kid that has difficulty expressing and understanding emotions, mix in a language disorder and a huge change you end up with many 5th graders unable to express themselves beside crying or yelling.  It's hard to work through these emotions when I all I want to do is curl up on the bean bags and cry next to them.

Therefore, if you need me tomorrow, bring a box of tissues because I don't do well with goodbyes.  After the kids leave you might need to come drag me out of my office and put me in the sun.  Change is hard for me and next year will be different.  I will be in a different school, have new kids on my caseload, and be traveling between two schools.  Too bad things can't stay the same, I have the same down but I much change, I must adapt and next year I will be in the same spot dreading the change, and upset about the 5th graders leaving.  

IEPs take 2

An IEP is the shortened name of Individulizes Education Plan. Each child 3-21 in a school that receives services, speech/ occupational/ physical therapy/ modifications on tests, blah blah blah.  What most people don't understand about IEPs is the amount of time and effort that goes into each one. I will let you peak at the process of IEPs.  

Like I said, all students on my caseload have to have an IEP.  Every year the IEP needs to be reviewed with goals to be addressed over the next school year and results of the last year reviewed.  Every three years a child needs to be reassessed with a more intense review of current level of performance.  For a non-review year I would gather the data from the past year write a report (45 minutes or so), meet with teachers, aids, and other services (30-90 minutes) discussing overall progress for the past year.  We also discuss the most appropriate goals for the up coming year and the best placement for them.   For those three year reviews, you have to add in testing time, scoring of the test, analyzing the test, meeting with others doing testing to discuss their results, a more intense report explaining the testing and scores.  That adds about an hour onto whole process.   

That is just the physical process.  What doesn't get added into the IEP time is the time I spend laying awake thinking of goals, letting test scores sink in and processing. I think about these kids in the shower, making dinner, in bed when I should be sleeping, in my dreams and in the car.  

As professionals we put out heart and soul into these kids lives to give them the most help to let them succed with the least amount of support.  We get together as a team and recommend from our hearts.  We don't sit around and pick our favorite kid and give them everything while the rest we try to screw over. I sometimes felt while in private practice parents viewed the IEP as a time of us against them.  We really are on the kids side, but due to policies we might not be able  do what we fully want, but guess what, you can't do it in all in the private practice either.  There are limitations there too, but those are not viewed as horrible.  We are professionals, we do know what we are talking about and for my caseload of 26-28 by the end of IEP season I will be surprised if I can still function.  

IEPs

Well I had a great post... Then I hit the stupid undo button and lost it all.... You've got to be kidding me.  I'm not in the beat mood this week and my explanation was just deleted.  How do you think that makes me feel? Awesome.

I don't have the time or the patients to explain why guess I'll try again tomorrow.  Grrr.   

Close call

One of the best things about working in the schools is the theme days they have.  I really think that they are more for the teachers especially the pajama days.  Today I thought was one of those days.  I'm in my yoga pants and show up to school.  However, I was there fairly early today and didn't see anyone.  Then all of a sudden in see two teachers, not in their pjs...uh oh.  Did I read the e-mail wrong, was it really next Monday?  Small panic attack followed by quick math of leaving, changing, and getting back to work.  I whip out my computer and check my email.  All good, it was today.  Tomorrow at my other school it is pj day too.  Score!

Kids are Funny

I love kids and I think that is ultimately why I love my job.  One of the biggest reasons I love kids is because it is the best way to explore how we learn about the world.  Now that I am old I take a lot of my knowledge for granted.  Like learning jokes, I don't remember actually "learning" jokes, yet some how I know them.  Elijah today as we were driving pipes up from the back, "Mom, did you know chickens can cross the road?" Real sure that was supposed to behow a why does the chicken cross the road but that was the best he could do because he already knew his answer was to be run over by a car.  

I also enjoy listening to children trying to figure out pregnancy.  Like when I was pregnate, there were many questions about the baby and how it would get out..."Will it hurt? Will there be blood? Does it come out your belly button? How did it get in there?" But the best one came today while we were looking at a picture of a mother in a hospital bed next to a baby and the new dad.  My little friend told me, "the dad is happy because the mom just burped the baby out of her stomach." I was laughing so hard I kept the white board and the picture and shared it with all my co-workers.  If only it was as simple as a burp.  I would have 3 or 4 now for sure. 

Apps

It is no secret that I am not the most tech savy person but ever since the bond between my tablet and therapy was made I love finding ways to make it useful.  I have a handful of apps that I use for teaching but I also have a ton of apps as reinforcers.  In a 15/ 20/ 30/ 45 minutes session having quick reinforcer is nice.  Back in the olden days, you know, before tablets, bubbles were the number one choice of most therapists, board games were a second, and piece earning were the third.  All of them worked the same way... You do X number of sentences/sounds/target behaviors you get bubbles/ a turn/ pieces of the puzzle or track.  

Since moving to then school my session times are shorter but the need for reinforcement is greater.  Therefore, finding an app that will give me a quick brake for my friends is needed.  I now have a few favorites here they are:

Most Toca Boca apps make my list but specifically Toca monsters or Toca kitchen.  Simple start point pick food, cook food, cut food. Followed by a simple end point food has been eaten by the monster or the person.  To make it even better, most of my friends think the monsters look like Monsters Inc monsters.  

My second favorite is the Lego game.  I actually think it is just called Lego and to make it even better it was just upgraded.  The old version let you drive you car over the landscape, collecting coins to earn different choices, until you get the end where you "build" a 3 part trophy.  In the upgrade they made it more 3D but still fun.  Elijah could play this game for hours if allowed, but again it has a nice start and a nice end.  Love it.z

Sometimes I Forget

When I work I sometimes forget why these kids need me.  I forget with language disorders things that we learn so quickly takes months or years to learn for these guys.  It's not until I start a basic unit on the Olympics and break out vocab such as team, coach, competition, and country to a group of older elementary students.  Once I realize the level of difficulty with these words it becomes an instant word game for me.  

Team becomes class

Coach becomes teacher

Competition becomes games

Country becomes... Okay I got nothing it stayed country. 

This is why I love my job.  There was know prep for that one.  After 15 minutes of going over those words I don't think they sunk in.  For the next 6 weeks we will work on those words several times a week and I will view success if one or more of them adds at least one new vocab word.  

For the next few weeks I have plans for team building activities to encourage working together not competing against each other.  We are also going to encourage cheering each other.  We are going to make personal flags that show personal likes, hold "practice" on our Olympic events, and hold competitions.  Our competitions will be basic relay races, family feud type activities for what makes a good listener and good friend, as well as singles events but I haven't thought of those yet.  

Oh I'm so excited for the next few weeks!!!

What Does Your Mom Do?

In the past few years I have made some changes in my job.  I went from working in the private setting getting most of my clients with private insurance between the ages of 3 and 7, to working in the homes with clients between birth (realistically 18 months) to 3 years, to working in the public school setting with the Autism program.  During all that one thing still was the same I am still a speech path.  In my current job I work with visual cues, visual schedules, and visual everything.

As a mom, my little child has grown to an almost 5 year old and is a great child.  Don't get me wrong I love my child but let's face it. He is an only child and being so most of our lives revolve around him. If we say let's play a game, he gets to pick the game. If we ask for suggestions for dinner and he gives us a good one, we cook it. However, now he has figured it out and will whine/cry/be utterly obnoxious.  I was at my wits end, lots of yelling at my child and sending him away because I was so frustrated with him asking and asking and asking the same question with the answer not changing.

What did I do you ask? Oh you know, I meshed my first occupation with my second occupation and created this: 

Seeing as most of our issues revolve around technology that's what we are working for.  He has to earn 10 "stickers" for iPad and 20 "stickers" for extra tv time.  Some ways to earn stickers are independent tasks like the getting dressed, brushing teeth, and feeding the dog. Where others are adult directed like working on our reading, and cleaning up. Yet there are still others that are randomly given such as no whining, and no timeouts.  

This chart was a simple make (other than the laminator not working), I also found the stickers that have been sent to us in the mail, I laminated it all and put velcro one the board.  I also attached the side strip with velcro so that can change as he gets better at these and gets older.  We will see how it goes tomorrow, but I already know it will work.  

How did the first day go?

How did the first day back at school go? You know after 2 weeks and 2.5 days off school? Oh about just like this...

Yeah between all the teachers upset that they couldn't take mid-day naps and the kids who still went sure how they got to school today it was quiet and delightful. I was proud of myself for not falling asleep between meetings or while at my desk. I even remembered that it was Wednesday and I went to my second job. However, with that being said, I am sleepy and I think my bed is calling my name.  

I confess...

I said I wasn't going to do it but here it is! 

Yeah you see that right feels like -42. I have, however, come to the conclusion that after -5 it all feels the same, COLD!  I walked the dog both yesterday and today and yeah cold is cold, painful, and breath taking.  I am very thankful for my warm home and faithful heater.

I also have to confess that on this semi snow day I sent my child to daycare so I could actually get work done.  That being said I should probably stop blogging and start working!

I also let my dog poop in the street and didn't clean it up, I'm not planning on showering today, and I'm loving my peace and quiet!

Stay warm!

Life Change

Alright there is a bit of a reason why I have fallen silent for awhile.  One of which was due to that old saying think before you speak, and don't put ANYTHING on the Internet that you might regret later. 

The back story... In October, right after BJ's surgery I was requested to change my hours to increase my productivity.  After doing so, my productivity did not increase as much as I wanted to.  Then in the middle of January I was asked, wait told, I was being moved to pay per visit, changing my hours significantly but also changing my income and my benefits. 

Therefore, the reason why I have not been posting is due to me trying to find a second, maybe even a third.  But it wasn't even that easy, I had to get all my paper work together because I let my birth to three license practically expire.  I also have been getting ready to test for my Illinois education license that would allow me to work in the schools.

It is hard for me to adjust to my new schedule and find myself sitting around before work.  As I get better I am able to get more done or at least feel more productive.  But as soon as I start with my second job it will be a bit different and I will have to readjust again. 

Changes

Things in my life have indicated a change may be coming.  Don't all hold your breath at once, no I am not pregnant.  As I'm sure we have all experienced in some way or another the economy has affected us all.  It first started with BJ losing his job in in October of 2009, insurance deductibles sky rocketing and the unemployment rate increasing.  However, just because you have a job the limited number of jobs and finances in other business are probably affecting you too.  Well being in a job that is primarily funded by health insurance we too are experiencing difficulties.  Through discussion with almost all of my co-workers, I have decided to get my school certification and possibly take on contract work in the school district.  This means though that I have to take a test.  Yes a test.  I haven't done that in almost 7 years.  I don't even think I can remember how to work those old fashion scan tron things.  Or even how to sharpen a #2 pencil.  My biggest fear though is actually taking the test on things that I might not remember.

Wish me luck.

First day of School

Children are not the only ones starting school this week.  I had a grad student start with me today making me the teacher for the next 10 weeks.  BOO.  I love taking students, it is really an eye opener and lets me know what I need to freshen up on and makes me be an even better therapist.  I have to set good examples, however, I am a fly by the seat of my pants sort of therapist that plans a session after it has already begun.  Now I will need to do so before I start and have all of my materials gathered and organized.  Plus we also started another full time SLP today which means I have to share all of my materials and my space.  Wish me luck.  The next 2-3 weeks will be difficult, the last 2-3 of my 10 weeks will be a piece of cake. 

Food is supposed to go where?

After 6 feeding kids today, I am starting to think I have it all wrong.  The first one taught me that when you smash peas step on them then walk on the carpet, the shells stay there but the insides disappear.  That's real cool.  But I thought it was supposed to go in you mouth.  Guess I got it wrong.  My second one taught me that carrots should be used as Frisbees. Again, I thought they were for eating.  My third kid told me honey wasn't for eating and in the process his cheese exploded all over the room.  My fourth kid only wanted chocolate pudding, the fifth was just super cute, the sixth was a new one and sitting isn't really in his vocab.  We did everything on the run.  It was interesting.  I'm sticky now. 

If only...

If only there was a video camera in my therapy room I could have my own sitcom.  Yesterday I had a kid burp in my face, then tell me he he burped, and it came from his mouth.  I practically peed I was laughing so hard.  Today I was sitting in my room at my table and working with a kid.  Every 3-5 minutes I would give him a break and he would talk though the world's most annoying mega phone.  During those moments my kiddo is completely unaware of me.  I spend those moments getting ready for the next 3-5 minutes of therapy.  During one of the breaks I am looking down and when I look up I see a spider hanging from the ceiling inches from my face.  I jumped so high, let out a yelp and practically fell out of the child chair I was sitting in.  After I gained my composure I look over to my kiddo who didn't even realize what had just happened.  I then had to kill the darn thing and continue on with my therapy session. 

Ahh...If only...

Quick note from an SLP

What does an SLP do?  or You do THAT?  Are the two things I hear the most when I talk to people about my job.  The other thing I hear a lot too is "what can you do with a newborn?"  Let me tell you.  Strictly talking about pediatrics, although most of what I do can also be done with adults, just in different ways.

Speech- Yeah that goes without saying.  A Speech-Language Pathologist works on speech.  But what is speech.  It's the way you say things.  So for all you people out there that couldn't say your "s" or "r" or any other sound in the English language I was the one you saw.

Language- Yup another give away.  But did you know there are two kinds of language?  The understanding what is said to you, and the formulating and using language.  Little kids I get to teach to talk, older kids add more words together, and even older kids make challenging sentences.

Feeding- I teach kids to eat.  Can you do it with your mouth?? Then it's my area.  I teach chewing, I help swallowing and I help all those picky eaters increase the food they eat.  This part of my job is not neat and tidy, but very very messy.  Babies get to learn how to eat from a bottle and all that fun stuff.

Voice- Low breath support, quiet talking, vocal abuse, I can help them all.  However, bad habits are bad to break and this gets tricky when the kids have difficulty following directions.

Fluency- Other wise know as stuttering.  Can't cure it but sure can help it.

I'm sure we do more, but it's almost 10:00 and my brain stops working around 9:00.  Tomorrow is more eating, more, talking, and more playing.

Bringing work home

I try my hardest to not bring work home.  However, every once in a while, I needed to.  Last night was one of those nights.  I ended up spending about an hour and a half writing up an evaluation, then I saved it and went to bed.  Today I went to open it up and realized I had saved it in the Template.  The template that I had spent over 2-3 hours creating, I ended up deleting almost all of it.  Today, I had to then spend an additional 45 minutes recreating my old template.  WASTE OF TIME!!! This is why I shouldn't have taken work home with me.  Note to self...Don't bring home work, keep it at work.

Rule of 3

Have you ever heard of the rule of 3.  Well maybe it's not 3, maybe it's just a general principle.  I think I first heard of this when I was watching American Pie (I know great movie).  For those of you that haven't seen it or don't know what I am talking about, here is the general principal.  Generally when you ask a man how many "partners" he has had, he typically multiplies the real number by 3 to give you the final answer.  When you ask a woman the same question she typically divides her real number by 3 to give you her final answer.  The reason I started to think about this is because I also think it pertains to some children's parents when asked about carry-over and homework.  However, it doesn't go male/female, instead it kind of goes spoiled children, not spoiled children. 

For example, you have Susie Q. who was referred by their doctor to get therapy, however, parents are not really sure they "agree" with the need.  They won't do their homework, but heaven forbid they actually tell that to the therapist.  Instead, every week when you ask how they did with therapy the take the # of times they really did their homework and multiply it by 3 maybe 4.  These parents put on a really GREAT show initially.  They say they are on board but after 6 months you are not seeing any progress.  However, you also get the parents that are truly on board and when you ask them how they are doing with their homework at home, and they always down play it.   (Typically they divide by 3.)  However, these are the kids that after 3 months they are ready for discharge and you can't really figure out why.  Then it dawns on you.  The parents that say, well we are not getting as much practice in as we should, are still doing more than double the practice the ones that say they are but really are not. 

Just goes to show you practice makes perfect.  It also gets you out of therapy quickly as well.

That feels weird

I graduated from Grad school in May of 2006.  I created my resume and got a job.  I worked there for 4 years, then switched jobs without doing much of an interview or handing in a new resume or doing much else.  Now 6 months into my job I am going to do a course review for a feeding course and need to give them my resume so I officially review the course.  But let me tell you, it is difficult to update your resume when you are not wanting a new job.  Interesting. 

On a side note.  Little man is sick with something and I pray that we can make it through the night and I can get him into the doctor tomorrow.  If we are up again at 1:00 am like we were last night, we might be visiting the ER. 

Brain fart= Word vomit

Do you ever have those moments in your life where you wish you could erase but you can't so your only choice is to move forward and try to make a smooth recovery.  Had that moment today.  Now every time it pops in my head I start laughing so hard I start crying.  Already writing this far I have started laughing 3 times.  It's a good one today.  Let me set the scene for you. 

I just finished 3 back to back kid therapy sessions and kid number 4 was waiting in the waiting room.  I poked my head around the corner and in my nice kid voice said, "Johnny, I'll be right back."  I then proceeded to walk into the office to file a chart and my note.  In the office was our office manager, my boss and my bosses boss.  They were all talking and I didn't want to interrupt to say hi to my bosses boss.  Then out of the blue my bosses boss says, "Hello Kelly."  My response, get ready for it, in my best nice kid voice responded, "Hello Mister, Mister Rick."  At that moment I wanted to grab all my words, shove them back in my mouth and start over.  I knew I was in trouble as soon as Mister left my lips.  Mister really?  Really?  Then to add the kid voice on top of that?  What the heck!  Who does that.  Who talks to their boss in a kid voice and calls him Mister.  WHO DOES THAT?  Oh right me.

The rest of the day any time I saw the office manager she would say, "Hello Mister."  Yeah it is going to be a while before I live that one down.  At least we all get a great laugh at it.  Laughing raises your spirits.  HAHA