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What School Vouchers Have Bought for My
Family
February 7, 2011
By Vivian Butler, Washington
[The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program was
created in 2004 to allow students from low-income
families to attend private schools. The program stopped
enrolling new students after 2008, but Congress is
considering legislation that would reopen it. This
is one participant's story.]
I worried constantly about my daughter Jerlisa when
she attended our neighborhood elementary school. I
knew that I wanted a better education for her, but
I didn't know how to make that happen. In 2005, I
took a chance and applied to the D.C. Opportunity
Scholarship Program. Little did I know how much more
than $7,500 I would be gaining.
I grew up in the District and attended D.C. public
schools. Jerlisa started off the same way. We enrolled
her at Gibbs Elementary School for kindergarten, and
as the years went by she started to fall behind. There
was so much going on around the school and in the
classroom. Every morning, I walked with her to school,
and every afternoon I waited outside the school gates
to walk her home again. She got teased for that, but
I was worried about the drug dealers, addicts and
bullies in the neighborhood. I didn't have any other
choice. I had to make sure she was safe.
When Jerlisa was in fifth grade, she became anxious
and didn't want to return to school. It was clear
to me she wasn't getting the help that she needed.
That's when I received fliers about the Opportunity
Scholarship Program. Although I didn't know everything
about the OSP, I knew I had to do something different,
even if it meant getting out of my comfort zone. When
you're a single mother on a fixed income, sometimes
simple things like filling out your name, address
or income on a form can be a scary thing to do.
I applied, and the OSP staff guided me through the
process. When I received the voucher award letter,
I was overwhelmed by the decisions I faced. For the
first time, I had the option of choosing a school
for Jerlisa. Where should I send her? What were the
most important things to consider? In the end, I chose
St. Benedict the Moor School because it had an environment
that motivated students to learn. I wouldn't have
to worry about her falling behind, and I knew she
would be safe there.
It was a huge change for Jerlisa, and sometimes she
struggled. Then, four years into the program, Jerlisa
was accepted at Archbishop Carroll High School. We
were so excited, but now I had a new worry - how would
I pay for it all? The scholarship didn't cover the
full tuition, and there also were books, uniforms
and even her lunch to consider. On top of everything,
I was taking care of my father, who was dying of cancer.
It took all the determination we could muster to
keep Jerlisa in the program. The OSP and Archbishop
Carroll staff stuck by my side, and I learned about
other resources. To stretch my dollars, I rented used
books, bought only two sets of uniforms and set up
a payment plan to cover whatever costs I could.
I'm so glad I didn't give up, because slowly but
surely Jerlisa's grades and education advanced. That
made everything worthwhile. As ninth grade ended,
I just couldn't believe how much she had learned and
grown. I said to myself: "By George, I think
she's got it now!"
Jerlisa isn't the only one who has benefited from
this experience. I, too, started to feel more confident.
Now I ask about resources and fill out scholarship
applications with ease. I found a way to buy new uniforms
for my daughter. Instead of washing uniforms every
afternoon, I use the time to help my daughter with
her homework.
And seeing Jerlisa's growth over the past six years
has inspired me to take some hard steps in my own
life. I'm now applying to programs to become a home
health-care nurse. Meanwhile, Jerlisa is deciding
where to apply for college.
These are things we never dreamed were possible before.
I am extremely proud of my daughter, and she is proud
of me. Jerlisa's scholarship has been worth so much
more than $7,500.
2011
02
05
19
12
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Black Alliance for Educational Options
888 16th Street NW | Suite 800 | Washington DC | 20006
| 202.439.2236
www.baeo.org |
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February 4, 2011
Issue 4, Volume 5
It's All About the Choices!
Hello there!
It's Friday, and that means it's newsletter time. A
few things to call your attention to: It is always wonderful
when our kiddos get national attention to help foster awareness
of their special needs. This past Friday, the
ladies on ABC's daytime talk show, 'The View,' featured
a poignant story on Rett Syndrome. According to our
friends at the Rett Girl, this is the first time Rett has
been featured nationally since the mid-1990s. In case
you missed it, we have a YouTube link to that segment in this
issue.
I would like to welcome Suzanne Herman, CCC-SLP to our growing
list of guest bloggers. We also have a new not-for-profit
organization that has started working with us to help us educate
our readers. Please thank the Batten Disease Support and Research
Association for allowing PediaStaff to share their resources
on our pages.
Enjoy!
News Items:
- Rett Syndrome on 'The View'
- Injuries Up in Pediatric Runners
- Brain Development May be Influenced by Bacteria in the
Gut
- Study Suggests Moral Reasoning a Struggle for Those with
Autism
- New Research Assess Differences Between Two Main Types
of Pediatric Stroke
- Technology News: Eye Tracking Device Aids 9-Year
Old in the Classroom
- Lancet Published Study Supports Elimination/Restricted
Diet for Kids with AD/HD
- Feel Good Story of the Week: Formerly Non-Verbal
Girl with Autism Becomes Singing Inspiration
Therapy Activities, Tips and Resources
- Product Review: Thumball for Occupational Therapy
- Resource: Video Introduction to Batten Disease
- Valentine's Day Activities for Fine Motor Skills, Literacy
and Language
Upcoming Events
- Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention
- The SPD Foundation 12th International Institute and Symposium
Articles and Blogs
- Guest Blog: When a Child Can't Get His Work Done in Class
- Guest Blog: (More) Winter Themed Books - Let it Snow,
Let it Snow, Let it Snow!
- Pediatric Therapy Corner: The Sensory Smart Classroom
- Worth Repeating: Electropalatography In The Assessment
And Treatment Of Speech Difficulties In Children With Down
Syndrome
- Also Worth Repeating: Coping with Crisis: Helping Children
With Special Needs
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
Feed
My Inbox and have any feed you like delivered
to your email inbox!
Have a great weekend and Take Care!
Heidi Kay and the PediaStaff Team
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The Career Center
The links to the right are "live"
and reflect the most recent
jobs with PediaStaff. To further narrow
your search by state use the drop down menus
on the search page to select a specific state.
If a particular search is returning no hits
it is  possible
that we do not currently have new openings
for you in that state.
To see ALL our openings click HERE
and select the checkbox for your discipline. |
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Hot
School-Based Job of the
Week |
School-Based Occupational Therapist
- Dayton, OH
Hourly Rate: $38 - $50 based
on experience
Status: Contract through June
2011, planned to extend to SY 11/12 if desired
You have many choices available to tailor this
great job to fit your needs! FULL time or part
time OT needed to contract in a school based
setting.
All mainstream caseloads K-8Excellent pay from
$38/hr (new graduate) and higher based on experience.Your
choice to work in Dayton, Cincinnati, or bothYour
choice of Full-Time 5 days/wk or Part-Time 3
to 4 days/wkFull time contract includes benefits,
healthcare coverage, etc.Minimum commitment
ASAP through June 2011, may extend to include
next school year 2011/12 making this a potential
long-term contract
Qualifications - Degree in
Occupational Therapy, NBCOT and OH license or
eligible. New graduates welcome!
Pediatric therapy is our specialty - and our
expertise is backed by excellent hourly rates
and per diem offered based upon IRS eligibility.
Additional benefits include: nationally recognized
medical insurance, 401K, generous relocation
and continuing education assistance, optional
summer pay program, optional paid leave, reimbursement
for state licensure and/or teacher certifications,
and completion bonuses.
Our management team provides 24/7-telephone
support to our therapists - you are not alone
when you are on assignment with us. In addition,
we provide Clinical Coordinators to assist our
therapists in managing their caseloads effectively.
Our Clinical Coordinators are experienced therapists
who have excelled within their profession and
are able to help you succeed. Respond now and
learn how YOU can be a part of our team! There
is never a charge to applicants and new graduates
are always encouraged to apply.
Interested in this job? Contact
PediaStaff today!..
...IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHOICES! |
Hot Mixed Setting Job of the Week |
Pediatric/School-Based Occupational
Therapist, San Antonio, TX
If Pediatric Therapy is what you are passionate
about....then this just might be your calling!
PediaStaff has a wonderful opportunity awaiting
you in the most beautiful city in Texas....San
Antonio! Our preferred client is looking to
add Occupational Therapists to their team...working
with children in schools, pediatric home care,
early childhood intervention, and an Autism
Clinic. Looking to add at least three to their
team, you can choose to work in one setting...or
a variety of all....it's YOUR choice!
San Antonio is one of the most sought-after
locations in the nation....warm weather, the
River Walk, Theme Parks, Professional Sports,
shopping, and much more. If you have a family,
San Antonio boosts some of the best schools
in Texas. If you are single....there's always
something happening!
To be considered for this position, please call
our office or visit our Website and register...then
apply for this job opportunity today! It's quick
and easy.
Interested in this job? Contact
PediaStaff today!..
...IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHOICES! |
As Seen on TV:
Rett Syndrome on the View |
Before last week, Rett Syndrome as a rare
disorder has not been featured nationally in
thirteen years. For those of you who missed
it - here is the segment on Rett Syndrome that
aired on 'The View' this past week. It is about
9 minutes long. Please watch and share the Rett
Story with others!
Watch
the Video on our Blog |
Pediatric Overuse Injuries in the
News: Injuries Up in Pediatric
Runners |
[Source: PhysOrg.com]
Researchers at the Center for Injury Research
and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide
Children's Hospital examined running-related
injuries among children and adolescents 6 to
18 years old and found that an estimated 225,344
cases were treated in U.S. emergency departments
from 1994 through 2007, for an average of more
than 16,000 each year. During the 14-year study
period, the annual number of running-related
injuries increased 34 percent.
According to the study, appearing in the February
2011 issue of Clinical Pediatrics, the majority
of running-related injuries were sprains and
strains to the lower extremities. One third
of the injuries involved a fall and more than
one half of running-related injuries occurred
at school.
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
Developmental Neurology in the News:
Brain Development May be Influenced by Bacteria
in the Gut |
[Source: PhysOrg.com]
A team of scientists from across the globe have
found that gut bacteria may influence mammalian
brain development and adult behavior. The study
is published in the scientific journal PNAS,
and is the result of an ongoing collaboration
between scientists at Karolinska Institutet
in Sweden and the Genome Institute of Singapore.
The research team compared behavior and gene
expression in two groups of mice - those raised
with normal microorganisms, and those raised
in the absence of microorganisms (or germ-free
mice). The scientists observed that adult germ-free
mice displayed different behavior from mice
with normal microbiota, suggesting that gut
bacteria may have a significant effect on the
development of the brain in mammals.
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
Autism in the News: Moral
Reasoning a Struggle for Those with Autism |
[Source: Disability Scoop]
Individuals with autism are more likely than
others to assign blame based on a situation's
negative outcome - whether or not malice was
intended - a new study
suggests.
The reason: people with autism tend to have
poor use of a skill known as "theory of
mind." This ability, which is generally
developed in children by age 5, helps establish
moral judgment by allowing a person to understand
that bad things can happen without bad intent.
In the study published Monday in the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers
presented a group of 26 adults - half with autism
and half without - a series of hypothetical
scenarios.'
Read
the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
Pediatric Stroke Research in the
News: New Study Assesses Differences
Between Hemorrhagic and Ischemic Strokes in
Children |
[Source: Health News Digest]
The first study to assess the differences between
hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke in children
finds an urgent need for more rapid identification
of stroke symptoms in children, and attributes
delays in treatment to the lack of valid pediatric
stroke recognition tools for emergency physicians
and paramedics. The study, "Acute Childhood
Arterial Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke in
the Emergency Department," is being published
online today in Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Read
the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
Technology in the
News: Eye Tracking Device Aiding
9-Year Old in the Classroom |
[Source: The Middletown Journal]
Madison third-grader Lianna Bryant received
eye tracking hardware about a year ago to help
her communicate with others, a challenge for
her because of cerebral palsy.
After a few technical issues with the device,
a Tobii C12 with CEye, Lianna started using
the software in full this school year and teachers
say she has turned an academic corner.
"I wish my own kids worked as hard as she
does," said Jenny Fink, Lianna's full-time
aide. "She is about the hardest working
student I have ever seen."
In previous years, instructors would test Lianna
by asking her to identify words they were holding
on oversized cards in front of her. She now
takes multiple-choice exams through her Tobii
that are closer to the level of her peers.
Read
the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
ADHD in the News: Lancet
Published Study Supports Elimination / Restricted
Diet for Kids with ADHD |
[Source: Reuters]
Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) should be fed a special diet
to help their carers determine whether certain
foods are making their condition worse, Dutch
scientists said on Friday.
In a study of 100 children with ADHD - one of
the world's most common child mental disorders
- scientists from Radboud University and the
ADHD Research Center in the Netherlands found
that a restricted diet led to significant improvements
in the symptoms of some ADHD sufferers.
"Dietary intervention should be considered
in all children with ADHD, provided parents
are willing to follow a diagnostic restricted
elimination diet for a five-week period, and
provided expert supervision is available,"
the scientists said in their study in The Lancet
medical journal.
Read
the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
Feel Good Story of the Week: Formerly
Non-Verbal Girl with Autism Becomes Singing
Inspiration |
[Source: Essex Chronicle (UK)]
A GIRL with autism who doctors said would never
speak has just auditioned for the hit ITV show
Britain's Got Talent. Unable to
speak until she was six, Charlotte Fieldson,
who has atypical autism, is now a confident
singer.
Late last year the inspirational 15-year-old
made it to the top three of the Chelmsford Schools
Singstar competition, sharing a stage with her
hero Olly Murs in front of 10,000 people at
the town's Christmas lights switch-on.
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
Product Review:
Thumball for Occupational Therapy |
Editor's Note: The following is the first
of two product reviews we will feature on the
Thumball. This one was written by an OT,
and the second will be from an SLP perspective.
When we first saw a Thumball two years ago at
ASHA, I thought that it looked like a very versatile
tool for pediatric therapists of all types.
Basically a smaller version of a soccer ball,
each panel features a word or phrase, graphic,
or photo. It can be used to stimulate conversation,
improve social interactions, develop communication
skills and much more.
We would like to thank Mary at Thumball
for the product samples so we might bring you
product reviews from both the Occupational Therapy
and Speech-Language Pathology points of view.
The following is a review by our friend Susan
Orloff, OTR/L.
She chose to write her review as a table - which
is sure to please our visual learners!
Read
the Review on our Blog
|
Therapy Resource of the Week: Video
on Batten Disease |
We are grateful to the Batten
Disease Support and Research Association
for permission to reprint articles and videos
from their website. The following is a wonderful
introductory video that they have on their homepage.
We will share more of their information with
you as we integrate their materials into our
site.
Watch
this Video on our Blog |
Therapy Activities of the Week: Valentine's
Day Activities for Fine Motor Skills, Literacy,
and Language |
Special Thanks to Literacy
Speaks for suggesting this week's
Therapy Activity of the Week - Valentine's Day
Crafts for Fine Motor Skills, Literacy and Language.
Activities include crafts, vocabulary, poems,
sequencing activities, coloring activities,
songs and more.
Check
out these Activities Through a Link on our Blog |
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Upcoming
Event: Texas Speech-Language-Hearing
Association Annual Convention |
Come meet the PediaStaff Team at Booth #729!
March 3-5, 2011 at the George R. Brown Convention Center
- Houston, Texas
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, Author
of My Stroke of Insight
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained and published
neuroanatomist who experienced a severe hemorrhage in the
left hemisphere of her brain in 1996. During her presentation,
Dr. Taylor will use her insight as a doctor and patient
to help practioners be more compassionate and motivating
therapists. She will discuss the obstacles present when
teaching a person with a brain trauma, and how practioners
can encourage their clients to control their own brains
and make it do what they want it to do.
Contact
us to Set up Your Personal Interview at TXSHA with our Team!
Learn
More About/Register for This Conference |
Upcoming Event: The SPD Foundation's
International Institute and Symposium |
The Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation's 12th International
Institute and Symposium will be held in Austin, TX, on March
31, April 1 & 2, 2011. Their host this year is
the University of Texas Autism Project on the campus of
the University of Texas, Austin. They have some very special
programming and hope that you will join them for their first-ever
symposium in Texas!
Featuring
- Carol Kranowitz, MA - Author of The Out-of-Sync Child,
Co-author, Growing an In-Sync Child and Editor-in-Chief,
S.I. Focus magazine
- Lucy Jane Miller, PhD, OTR - Founder & Director,
Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation and STAR (Sensory
Therapies And Research) Center; Author of Sensational
Kids: Hope and Help for Children with SPD
- Sarah A. Schoen, PhD, OTR - Assistant Director of Research,
Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation Clinical Services
Advisor, STAR (Sensory Therapies And Research) Center
Learn
More About this Symposium |
Guest Blogs This Week: PediatricOT,
The Speech House |
When a Child Can't Get His Work Done in Class
- Loren Shlaes, OTR/L
Grownups, please do some detective work
if your child {or student} is struggling in the classroom.
You may be expecting him to function under circumstances
that you would be unable to tolerate yourself.
I recently evaluated a little boy whose teacher reported
that he was unable to produce much, if any, written work
during morning writing time. He would sit quietly, not bothering
anyone, but not getting anything done, either.
The first thing I saw, when I walked into his classroom,
was that my little friend, who is a bit small for his age,
was sitting in a chair that was so low that the height of
the table came up to the top of his chest.
What's the big deal? You say. Furniture is furniture, what's
the difference?
Read
the Rest of this Guest Post on our Blog |
Winter Books: Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it
Snow! - By: Suzanne Herman, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Books are an excellent source for therapy
ideas and expanding a child's speech and language skills.
For more information on using literature in therapy go to
my blog in July.
Living in East Texas, snow is a rare and very short lived
occurrence. But that doesn't mean we can't make our own
winter fun. Grab a great winter themed book, search the
internet for resources, pull together a few items, and you
are ready for some fun speech/language therapy, pre-school
lessons, or just spending quality time with a child. On
my Facebook
Business Page I have created a WinterBooks
file under the Photos tab. I have listed a few of my favorite
books along with links (in the comments boxes) to online
resources that include everything from lesson ideas, craft
projects, art lessons, snacks, and sometimes ready to print
items.
Read
the Rest of this Guest Post on our Blog |
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Pediatric Therapy Corner: -
The Sensory Smart Classroom |
By: Christina Sparker, MOT, OTR/L and Tiffany
Sparks-Keeney, MOT, OTR/L
Reprinted with the express permission of SPD,
Sensory Processing Disorders Foundation as originally published
on their website
This article appeared in the Winter 2011 Issue of the
Sensory Processing Foundation Newsletter. You can read the
entire Winter
2011 Issue HERE and or Subscribe
to this great publication HERE!
Today's savvy teachers are aware of the importance of meeting
students' sensory needs in the classroom and even know various
strategies to address these needs. At the same time, these
teachers often have difficulty incorporating these strategies
into their every day classroom routine. In actuality, it
can be very easy to integrate sensory strategies in the
daily schedule. Examining a day in the class of one fictitious
1st grade teacher, who is dedicated to running a sensory
smart classroom for her 25 students, reveals relatively
easy ways most teachers can begin to address her students'
sensory needs in the context of the classroom.
Ms. Sorensen's classroom in a suburb outside of Seattle
is carefully crafted to address her students' sensory needs.
The walls in the classroom are purposefully uncluttered
and free of extraneous posters and pictures to help her
students avoid visual distraction. The one set of posters
prominently displayed proclaims "Ways to move my body,"
and has pictures of children demonstrating various yoga
poses and isometric exercises designed to provide deep proprioceptive
input to the child. Prominently and distinctly displayed
on the board at the front of the room is the daily schedule
in words and pictures. There are also several visual timers,
which Ms. Sorensen uses throughout the day.
Read
the Rest of this Article on our Blog |
Worth Repeating: Electropalatography
In The Assessment And Treatment Of Speech Difficulties In
Children With Down Syndrome |
[Source: Down Syndrome Online]
Abstract - Many children with Down syndrome experience significant
speech difficulties which in turn affects their speech intelligibility.
This paper describes how electropalatography, a computer-based
technique which uses visual feedback to alter speech production,
is being used at Queen Margaret University, to assess and
treat speech difficulties in a group of children and young
people with Down syndrome. Encouraging results from a single
case are reported.
Read
the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our Blog |
Also Worth Repeating: Coping
with Crisis: Helping Children With Special Needs |
[Source: National Association of School Psychologists]
When a crisis event occurs-in school, in the community
or at the national level-it can cause strong and deeply
felt reactions in adults and children, especially those
children with special needs. Many of the available crisis
response resources are appropriate for use with students
with disabilities, provided that individual consideration
is given to the child's developmental and emotional maturity.
Acts of healing such as making drawings, writing letters,
attending memorial ceremonies and sending money to relief
charities are important for all children.
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our Blog |
Sign up for Our Newsletter! |
Would you like pediatric and school-based therapy tips,
resources, articles, and news delivered to your computer
once a week? Sign up here for our newsletter!
Sign
up HERE |
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there is a link located in the footer below. However, please
note that once you've opted out, we will be unable to send
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Please Note: The views
and advice expressed in articles, videos and other pieces
published in this newsletter are not necessarily the views
and advice of PediaStaff or its employees but rather that
of the author. PediaStaff is not endorsing or implying
agreement with the views or advice contained therein, rather
presenting them for the independent analysis and information
of its readers. |
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