Blog - PediaStaff

Poverty's Most Insidious Damage is to a Child's Brain

July 21, 2015

News, Newsletter, OT, School Psych

[Source: Science Daily] An alarming 22 percent of U.S. children live in poverty, which can have long-lasting negative consequences on brain development, emotional health and academic achievement. A new study, published July 20 in JAMA Pediatrics, provides even more compelling evidence that…...

July 21, 2015

[Source: Medical XPress] Infants can use their expectations about the world to rapidly shape their developing brains, researchers have found. A series of experiments with infants ages 5 to 7 months has shown that portions of babies’ brains responsible for visual processing…...

July 21, 2015

24 July 2015, Newsletter, SLP

[Source: Bilinguistics] The internet abounds with tips and tricks for speech therapy following directions ideas. Fun-fun activities can be downloaded from sites like Pinterest to focus on how to improve the way a student follows directions. From a speech pathology perspective we also need…...

July 21, 2015

24 July 2015, Cerebral Palsy, News, Newsletter

[Source: the journal Physical Therapy via Your Therapy Source] Physical Therapy published research on 80 children with cerebral palsy (ages 2-6 years old, GMFCS Levels II-III) to examine what skills help to determine independent walking to help guide physical therapy decision-making. One…...

July 20, 2015

Fine Motor Skills, Newsletter, OT, Tip or Resource

[Source: Childhood 101] Following the popularity of our printable animal themed Lego mosaics, I started working on a second set – this time CIRCUS themed! These mosaics are fun for primary/elementary school aged children, as they really are more challenging then you…...

July 20, 2015

24 July 2015, SLP, Stuttering

[Source: Medical News Today] Fly fishing isn’t just a hobby for Tim Sesink, it’s a passion. And it comes through in his voice when talking about the complex set of variables–water speed, temperature and wind–that come into play when letting a cast…...

July 20, 2015

17 July 2015, Newsletter, OT, School Psych, SLP, Tip or Resource

[Source: Inner Child Fun] Puppet crafts and activities are a great way to foster creativity for kids (or the kid-in-you). Many types of puppets can be made using common household items. Once the kids are finished creating their puppets, invite them to put…...

July 15, 2015

17 July 2015, Article, Newsletter, School Nurse

[Source: Confident Voices in Healthcare] Chances are, if you have been a nurse for more than six months you have been exposed to bullying or disruptive behavior. Research shows that more than 82% of nurses have been a target of bullying or…...

July 15, 2015

17 July 2015, Newsletter, School Psychologist

Congratulations to Lucy B., School Psychologist, who is returning to PediaStaff for a second year with a different school district in the greater Olympia area! Talk to PediaStaff about positions in this or other special education / therapy disciplines!! ...

July 15, 2015

17 July 2015, News, Newsletter

[Source: Disability Scoop] Thanks to a plea from a teen with cerebral palsy seeking shoes he could put on his feet independently, Nike is introducing sneakers designed specifically for people with disabilities. Matthew Walzer, then 16, wrote an open letter to Nike…...