Whether you’ve already made the jump back into grown-up clothes or you’re squeezing the last drops out of that sweet, sweet flip-flop life, there’s no denying that back to school is upon us. I think most of us who work in the schools greet this time with a mix of emotions. There can be a… (read more)
I am always trying to think of ways to improve my clinical skills, but summer is a time for me to recharge and, well, check out. As Kira mentioned in her blog earlier this month, engaging in non-work activities is invigorating – it inspires creative thinking and energy that will fuel our productivity when we are back… (read more)
Ahhhh…. summer! Extra time to check off my unfinished spring tasks? Nope, not for me! Taking the time to engage my mind in new and different ways pays off when I return to work rested and inspired. As I look back on other summertime posts I have written (here, here, or here), my message has been surprisingly consistent: explicitly… (read more)
Sarah wrote a great blog post on how to ace a job interview and listed “Where do you see yourself in 5 years” as one of the most dreaded interview questions. I’ve been thinking about that question since I read her post and wondering how I’d answer it. She offers some great tips, suggesting that… (read more)
I remember my first SLP job interviews as a new graduate. I remember I was nervous. How can you not be nervous? I also remember feeling prepared. I felt ready. Luckily, my graduate school professors prepared our class for this transition. They reminded us that SLPs are needed everywhere. They reminded us that our program… (read more)
The Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research just published some very interesting research into the use of speech-recognition technology to assess a child’s vocal development. In an article titled Automated Assessment of Child Vocalization Development Using LENA, the authors explain that they set out to use an automated speech recognition (ASR) system to predict a child’s level… (read more)
The Kennedy School gymnasium was transformed into a playful carnival Friday night to celebrate the successful conclusion of another Hello school year. A spinning wheel of prizes, photo station, giant jenga, cornhole, and a fun menu (complete with delicious centerpieces!) made set the scene. But the best part, as always, was the opportunity to get together with… (read more)
Today we host a guest blog by Sarah Dunaway, an SLP completing her Clinical Fellowship year at the Wheatley School, a self-contained public school in Multnomah ESD that serves students ages 6-21 with significant needs. She is thrilled to be working on functional language and emerging social skills with her favorite population, students who are significantly… (read more)
![](<p>This spring, we thought it would be fun to do a professional development event focused on our unique <a href="http://thehellofoundation.com/schools/services/">Hello There model</a>, and explore how it works in different settings. Hello There, for those of you who don’t already know, is our hybrid service model that combines telepractice and in-person services for students throughout the West. </p>
<p>Three THF’ers shared their experiences with Hello There – <a href="http://thehellofoundation.com/schools/our-people/">Sara Ecker</a>, who uses mostly teletherapy in remote Alaska; <a href="http://thehellofoundation.com/schools/our-people/">Lucinda Bowman</a>, who supervises multiple assistants in rural Montana; and <a href="http://thehellofoundation.com/schools/our-people/">Kira Wright</a>, who works with a licensed SLPA in Harney Co., Oregon. </p>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-14671" src="http://thehellofoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/sara-presenting.gif" alt="" width="275" height="490"></p>
<p>My key takeaways from the night:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Teletherapy and hybrid services do work.</strong> Clinicians who are flexible, and comfortable with supervision and technology have seen great success. It helps to have a sense of adventure as well!</li>
<li><strong>Get to know the culture of the community that you serve.</strong> Lucinda told stories of learning how to milk a cow in Montana, and Sara went for a ride on her friend’s “snow-go” (snowmobile) in Kotzebue, Alaska. These experiences allowed them to better understand the students they serve and help them earn the trust of their communities. </li>
<li><strong>No two districts are the same,</strong> so service models will differ depending on the needs of each district. The Hello There model allows clinicians to tailor services to fit each school that they serve, and that means that there are more options to meet students’ needs.</li>
</ul>
<p>[ngg_images source="galleries" container_ids="18" sortorder="326,328,323,325,324,327" display_type="photocrati-nextgen_basic_slideshow" gallery_width="600" gallery_height="400" cycle_effect="wipe" cycle_interval="6" show_thumbnail_link="1" order_by="sortorder" order_direction="ASC" returns="included" maximum_entity_count="500"]We also used this opportunity to put <a href="http://www.thehellofoundation.com/tag/give/">our core value of Give</a> into action! We encouraged everyone to bring a new board book or preschool game to kick off a toy and book drive for the <a href="https://irco.org/">Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization</a>. This is one of our favorite local organizations and we are happy to support them in any way we can (especially when we can help local kiddos <a href="http://thehellofoundation.com/schools/press-play/">Press Play</a> with new toys!).</p>
<p><img class="alignleft wp-image-14662" src="http://thehellofoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IRCO-books.jpg" alt="Many Faces of Hello There" width="326" height="326"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-14663" src="http://thehellofoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IRCO-toys-1.jpg" alt="Hello There PD" width="296" height="331"></p>
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This spring, we thought it would be fun to do a professional development event focused on our unique Hello There model, and explore how it works in different settings. Hello There, for those of you who don’t already know, is our hybrid service model that combines telepractice and in-person services for students throughout the West. … (read more)
Congratulations to the entire Hello Family! We have once again been awarded the When Work Works award by the Society for Human Resource Management in recognition of our flexible workplace practices and beliefs. This means that, for the second year in a row, we rank in the top 20% of all companies nationwide for making work… (read more)