Here’s a look at popular misconceptions about contract work:

• “I won’t get paid on a regular basis.” As a contract therapist with Cobb Pediatric, you will receive a paycheck every two weeks.

• “If the kids are absent I won’t get paid.” If you report for work when and where you are expected to work, you will be paid the maximum for that day, regardless of student absences. Therapists in schools attend to many other tasks outside of actual therapy sessions. If a student is absent or participating in a school-related activity, you’ll be able to fulfill other requirements of your job.

• “Contract companies do not offer benefits.” Cobb Pediatric offers a full benefits package, including medical/dental insurance, life insurance, short-term disability, liability insurance, and much more. In fact, you can tailor your own package to fit your needs.

• “I won’t get paid over the summer.” Cobb Pediatric offers a 12-month option that allows for you to receive paychecks all year long.

• “I will get the worst caseloads.” Contract agencies fill any and all vacancies counties may have. Counties first place therapists directly and then contract. Your placement truly depends on a county’s vacancy needs, not what the caseload looks like.

Here’s the good news: contracting with an agency to work in schools is actually a great option for graduates. In fact, therapy contract work is a rapidly growing field. If you hear differing opinions, talk to a recruiter to find out the facts before making a final decision about your first job.

The post Debunking Myths about School-Based Contract Work appeared first on Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services.

That’s why a good mentor is vital to your first year as a therapist. Having someone to walk with you can help you build confidence in yourself and in your therapy services.

As you begin your job search, be certain to make inquiries about your CF supervisor or mentor. Keep in mind that effective mentors are:

• Available: They answer your phone calls and emails and meet with you as schedules allow.
• Instructive: They explain new processes and procedures you may not yet know, such as IEP writings, meetings, and district-specific procedures.
• Patient: They allow you to make mistakes so you can learn from them.
• Encouraging: They provide positive feedback and constructive criticism in a healthy manner.

The first time you meet with your new mentor, take time to delineate everyone’s expectations. This is one of the best ways to ensure a smooth CF or first year. You’ll want to discuss:

• Duties and responsibilities you feel comfortable doing independently
• Tasks in which you may need more support
• Communication preferences: in-person meetings, emails, phone calls, or a combination

Open discussion between you and your mentor helps avoid many of the pitfalls associated with false expectations. And regular communication is imperative.

Of course, the number one key to a successful mentor relationship is to remain receptive to feedback and guidance throughout this important year. You’ll gain pertinent insight, learn new ways of tackling tasks, and start strong in your therapy career.

The post Grad School to Workplace: A Good Mentor is Crucial for Success appeared first on Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services.

Many therapists find that the advantages of serving therapy in school-based services fit well with their desired lifestyles. These benefits include:

• 10-month contract. Therapists have the summer off to rest, relax, and/or travel. 
• Attractive salary or rate. Given that therapists are required to work only 10 months out of the year, the pay scale is appealing.
• School holidays. There are many built-in holidays throughout the school year. Consider one week off for winter and spring breaks, Thanksgiving breaks, and other holidays sprinkled throughout the school year calendar. 
• 7.5 hour workday. Therapists with children at home appreciate the chance to be home at a decent hour to have time with their families.
• Teacher workdays. Therapists are able to report to work, complete paperwork, and bill for days that are set aside in the school calendar for workdays.
• Training and professional development opportunities. School-based therapists can participate in county-wide training courses and workshops to earn education credits that count toward their ASHA and state licensure renewals.

Therapists can compare school-based services to working in medical environments, such as hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, or other medical settings. Those working in medical settings can expect some of the following:

• Fast-paced settings. Hospitals and skilled nursing facilities are very busy places.
• Longer workdays. Workdays in medical settings can run well into the evenings. Therapists may also be required to stay beyond their set hours and work on weekends and holidays.
• Fewer days off. Medical-based positions are year round and do not provide the frequency of breaks that school-based positions do.
• High productivity levels. Therapists can be subject to very strict and elevated productivity levels, which rarely account for time spent on activities not directly related to therapy but critical to patient care. These include consulting with family members, medical staff, and other therapy disciplines; completing documentation; etc.
• Varied caseloads. Medical settings provide a variety of caseload opportunities; however, they also have their own hurdles. For example, patients may vary from day to day, making it difficult to build rapport with patients and their families. 
• Increased health risks. Patients in hospitals and nursing homes are very medically involved, so therapists working in these settings are at increased risk for exposure to highly contagious and infectious diseases. Universal safety precautions are paramount when working in a medical facility.

Speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy are very rewarding careers that offer opportunities to work in a variety of settings. Each environment comes with its own array of advantages and challenges. As important as compensation and benefits, therapists should also consider which work setting best suits their individual personality, lifestyle prerequisites, and professional goals. 

The post The Advantages of Serving Therapy in School-Based Services appeared first on Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services.

• Make it fun! Invite the child to help create his chart to make it a more rewarding experience.
• Keep expectations realistic! Choose five attainable goals you’d like to child to work toward. More than five can be overwhelming.
• Be specific with your expectations! Use precise wording for goals. Instead of writing “be good,” write “follow directions” or “take turns.”
• Reward good behavior! Review the completed chart with the child. Make sure she understands what she needs to do to earn a reward.
• Be consistent! Position the chart in a prominent location and use it regularly.

The post Positive Reinforcement Helps Manage Behavior appeared first on Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services.

• Develop a list of questions to bring with you to ask before the interview ends. This way, you won’t forget to cover any crucial points.
• Dress professionally for all interviews regardless of the company dress code.
• Bring a current resume with you even if you sent one prior to the interview.
• Allow plenty of travel time to get to the interview location. And make sure you arrive early.
• Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake. Maintain eye contact and stay focused and engaged with the topics at hand.
• Take notes during the interview.
• Be honest about your skill level. However, express any willingness on your part to learn new skills with the proper support.
• Use specific examples when answering questions, but do your best to be concise.

• Chewing gum
• Lying
• Smelling like smoke
• Wearing jeans or dressing casually
• Wearing strong perfume or aftershave
• Not muting your phone or – even worse – answering your phone during the interview
• Maligning previous employers or college professors (or anyone, for that matter)
• Bringing other people along to your interview

The post Interview Success: Preparation Is the Key to the Process appeared first on Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services.

The responsibilities of being a speech therapist for children

The post The Role of an Effective Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist appeared first on Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services.

A competitive total compensation package: Research several pediatric therapy staffing companies to find out what they are like. Ask about their culture to determine if you will be a good fit. Ask about their total compensation package, pay, and benefits. Compare all facets of the pay and benefits to other settings and other positions to determine if it meets your objectives. Consider asking the following questions: What is the pediatric therapy staffing company’s policy on benefits? When do they start? How much is covered? The list could go on and on – just make sure you have an outline prepared for your next interview that covers applicable questions for your particular situation. Job flexibility: If you’re apt to move to or work in different counties or states, you’ll need a pediatric therapy position that gives you a high level of flexibility, giving you the ability to customize the job as you see fit. You have the option to choose your geographical location, making it easier to switch from school to school in different regions around the country. The second part of job flexibility involves being able to customize the amount of time you want to work, as some speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists are looking for full-time work and others may only be able to work on a part-time basis. The third part of job flexibility is choosing which sector of the population you want to work with. For example, some want a school therapy job with a traditional caseload, some prefer caseloads with children who have more moderate to severe needs, some prefer elementary age children, and others prefer middle or high school age children. The options are numerous. The ability to change and evolve: Life is always changing and so should your job! Talk with the interviewer at the next pediatric therapy staffing company you go to – he or she should be able to talk candidly about the pediatric therapy company’s ability to adapt and grow with all the changes in a person’s life. A graduate fresh out of college is entirely different from a parent ten years down the road; however, the individuals in both scenarios should desire challenges, learning new techniques, and ultimately, fulfillment.

Reality Check: Potential Red Flags

The therapy staffing company asks you to sign a document giving them the sole right to represent you. In the end, this action will effectively prohibit you from pursuing other employment opportunities. The company encourages you to be categorized as an independent contractor or subcontractor instead of an employee. The company may have a hidden agenda here and may be using this as an excuse to pay less tax to the government. This ploy, covered under the guise of a high hourly pay rate, passes the majority of the tax burden from the therapy staffing company onto you. As a result, you must use that additional pay to cover Social Security and Medicare taxes that the therapy staffing company would have covered had you been classified as an employee. In addition, as an independent contractor, it is questionable whether you are covered under the therapy staffing company’s professional liability, workers compensation, and unemployment insurances. The company attempts to partially compensate you with a tax-free housing allowance when you live and work in the same general area. While such an allowance is normal and legal in travel therapy jobs, tax-free housing allowances for people that live and work in the same general area are typically not allowed by the IRS. This tax-free housing allowance is another ploy by unethical therapy staffing companies to lower their own tax bill, but it is presented as something positive to you. If IRS guidelines are not properly followed and an audit is performed, both you and the company will be held liable for back taxes and potential penalties on the tax-free housing amount. The company advertises that it has Early Intervention work available for school-based therapy jobs during summer months or when school is not in session. Oftentimes, the work is not available in your area and may have already been promised to dozens of other therapists. Many therapy staffing companies may have legitimate opportunities for Early Intervention work during the summer, but it’s important to ask specific questions and not accept generic responses like, “Yes, we do Early Intervention.”

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions

About the Author

The post What to Look for in a Pediatric Therapy Staffing Company appeared first on Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services.

More Benefits of Pediatric Speech Language Pathology

The post Why Speech Therapy Jobs Impact Our Future appeared first on Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services.

An occupational therapist knows how to:

• observe a student engaging in an activity and provide strategies to facilitate the student’s full participation;
• reduce barriers that limit student participation within the school environment;
• use assistive technology to support student success;
• help identify long-term goals for appropriate post-school outcomes;
• help plan relevant instructional activities for ongoing implementation in the classroom

• students to improve their performance in a variety of learning environments (e.g., playgrounds, classrooms, lunchrooms, bathrooms) and optimize their performance with adaptations/accommodations;
• parents to help them support their children’s learning and participation in school;
• educators and other school support staff to plan and develop activities and environments that include all students;
• paraeducators to support child success and promote safety within the school environment (e.g., physical and behavioral assistance needs) and
• administrators to provide training for students, staff, and parents, as well as to recommend equipment for schools and ways to modify existing buildings and curriculum to allow access for all.

The post Occupational Therapy for Children: What you Need to Know appeared first on Cobb Pediatric Therapy Services.

• First and foremost, a pediatric therapist should be fully knowledgeable in all areas of his or her position, well-versed in the latest pediatric therapy techniques and tools, and have a drive to learn more.
• A pediatric therapist should also possess the following characteristics: motivated, caring, creative, driven, eager, thorough, and positive. Having a therapist with these characteristics translates to a positive learning environment for the children.
• And while the qualities of a successful pediatric therapist cannot be fully summed up, he or she should be a consummate professional. You’ll be interacting with students, teachers, parents, and other staff, so having a tactful, yet polite demeanor is essential.

Blending Pediatric Therapy Techniques with Love

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