At the recent ASHA convention, I was proud to be a featured panelist on a Learning Lab session and volunteer on the Social Medial Learning Center booth.  At both venues, we talked about why it is imperative that SLPs understand and embrace the world of social media that is taking our profession by storm.  Whether you want to interact daily or prefer to sit back and and listen, social media has become an invaluable resource for communicating with colleagues and staying on top of recent research and trends.

Our booth and panel were both quite popular and our visitors expressed an interest in learning more that they could take home with them to digest at their leisure.  We anticipated that this would be the case, so several of us “#SLPeeps,” together with Heidi Kay at PediaStaff, co-authored and produced a simple e-book that we would like to share with you as a blog hop.

Part 3: #SLPEEPS On Twitter

By: Tara Roehl, M.S. CCC-SLP & Megan Panatier, M.S. CCC-SLP

Everyday there are SLPs and AUDs sharing information, resources and supporting one another in their daily professional (and even personal) lives. The participants are located around the world, and are a fount of information that anyone can tap into on a daily basis. Read on to learn more about this group and how you can become a part of this learning community!

What is Twitter?

Twitter is a text based, microblogging service of 140 characters (texts, links, pictures, etc.) messages called “tweets.” Twitter a continuous stream of on-going conversations where “jumping in” is actually expected and conversations of SLP topics (and not only SLP or AUD based topics, bacon seems to come up a lot) happen daily! Remember, Twitter is a public, space so everything one tweets is available for the public to read.

Why should I care?

Twitter is a simple social media tool, a timeline of text messages which allows you to interact 24 hours a day with other people all across the globe. Never feel alone again! Twitter offers moral support, interaction, friendships, research and links! You may be asking “But what do people get out of it?” and the answer is A LOT! SLPeeps (what we call SLPs on Twitter) and AUDpeeps (AUDs on Twitter) are able to interact with colleagues, even if isolated.

Ok so you’ve convinced me what do I do?

• Go to www.twitter.com
• Sign up for an account by choosing a handle. Handles are what come after the @ such as @ashaweb or @avocadotech or @pediastaff. It’s how others identify you – just like a username!

How Do I Get Connected To Others?

• Begin by following conversations using “hashtags.” A “hashtag” is a way for someone

to give a “subject” to their tweet – to say that it applies to a certain topic or grouping of people. If you find common hashtags used by people who share professions and interests with you, you can begin to follow them specifically! Start reading through tweets with the following hashtags by typing them into the “Search” box on twitter – don’t leave out the # symbol!

• #SLPeeps – SLPs on Twitter, discussing SLP related information
• #SLPChat – A focused topic of discussion for a pre-determined time and date to join in (See section four of this guidebook for details on #SLPChat)
• #AUDpeeps – AUDs on Twitter, discussing AUD related information
• #SLPbloggers  – SLPs who blog and share blogging resources
• #ASHA12 – The official hashtag of the ASHA 2012 Convention @ashaconv

How Do I Join the Conversation?

Your first step to joining the conversation is to introduce yourself. Feel free to send out a min-introduction and include the #SLPeeps or #AUDpeeps hashtag. People will begin replying and welcoming you to the world of Twitter. Replies help you converse with others and meet them. Use the @ symbol, followed by a username, to reply to one or all of the participants (and optionally use a # to specify topics). If you want to follow someone specifically and see all of their tweets, be sure to “follow” them by clicking on their user name and then clicking the “Follow” button!  If you would like to have a private conversation with someone, you can send a Direct Message, or DM. They must be

How Do I Join the Conversation (CONT’D)?

following you back in order to have a private message the public cannot read. Did you see a tweet you really liked or one you think more people should read or see? ReTweets (RTs) are a way of passing it along. Each tweet you RT will be shared with everyone who follows you. You also have the option of sharing Modified Tweets (MTs). These are when you modify a RT from someone else. Now that you have some basic Twitter tools, let’s tweet, SLPeeps!

Some Helpful Resources:

• Introducing Social Media for professional learning  @SLPTanya
• SLPChat is a Twitter based study group  @SLPChat
• Connecting with my SLPeeps on Twitter  @ASHAweb
• How Twitter, SLPeeps, and Personal Learning Networks Have Helped Make Me a Better Clinician   @pediastaff
• SLPeeps group on Facebook  @SLPeeps

Continue Reading Through Our Blog Hop:

Part 4:  Online discussion Group:  #SLPChat

Part 5:  Other Social Media Platforms

A Letter from a Founding Member of the #SLPeeps

Discovering Social Media:  Growth Starts Here

Part 1:  Using Pinterest

Part 2:  Embracing Blogs

At the recent ASHA convention, I was proud to be a featured panelist on a Learning Lab session and volunteer on the Social Medial Learning Center booth.  At both venues, we talked about why it is imperative that SLPs understand and embrace the world of social media that is taking our profession by storm.  Whether you want to interact daily or prefer to sit back and and listen, social media has become an invaluable resource for communicating with colleagues and staying on top of recent research and trends.

Our booth and panel were both quite popular and our visitors expressed an interest in learning more that they could take home with them to digest at their leisure.  We anticipated that this would be the case, so several of us “#SLPeeps,” together with Heidi Kay at PediaStaff, co-authored and produced a simple e-book that we would like to share with you as a blog hop.

Part 1: Using Pinterest

By: Tara Roehl, M.S. CCC-SLP

What if I told you that I had found a resource with unlimited activities, games and crafts for use in your therapy? What if I said this resource could also connect you to some of the latest research, creative SLPs like yourself and even additional resource libraries? Too good to be true, right? Let me put the cherry on top – it’s FREE! Let me introduce you to the wonderful world of Pinterest.

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a website for sharing visual links to resources. It is like having unlimited access to a library of bulletin boards, where people have “pinned” their favorite crafts, activities, free resources, blogs, research and more. And you are allowed to come and copy anything you like!

But I Already Have My “Go-To” Resources…

Many of our current resources have come from other professionals, trainings, magazines, books and more. All of these are wonderful, but limited. Many of us aren’t able to go to trainings or even interact with a variety of professionals on a regular basis. Magazines come out once a month, and don’t always have what we’re looking for in every issue. Books cost money, take up space, get borrowed and the contents aren’t always 100% what we need.

Despite this, many SLPs have created fantastic collections of ideas they have gathered over time. These may be kept in a binder, in a file, on their computer, etc. But how often have you ended up somewhere and not had access to your ideas? Maybe you have 20 minutes to stop at the store NOW, but you left the recipe/materials list back at home. Perhaps you are at a different school today, the resources are in the other car, or they are still sitting on the kitchen table where you set them down last night.

So How Can Pinterest Help?

• Cost:  Many of the resources on Pinterest are free. These include demonstrations, directions and printables for you to access as needed.
• Access:  Pinterest is a web-based service, which mean as long as you have internet you have access to new or saved resource and materials. This means from any computer, your smart phone and even your tablet device!
• Amount:  New content is added daily, so you never run out of new resources to browse, search for, and add to your growing collections
• Organization:  Pinterest has a versatile framework that allows users to organize “pins” in ways that make sense for them as an individual – save them by topic, theme, type, etc.

Logistics: How Does It Work?

Finding Resources:

• Custom Searches:  Pinterest provides a search box for searching the millions of pins for what you need/want. This is great when you have something in mind for an upcoming session or a particular handout/item you need. Try varying your search terms to include different combinations of words, abbreviations, etc. For example, try searching for “articulation cards” as well as “artic cards” and “speech sound cards.”
• Categories:  Pinterest also allows people to add a “category” to their personal boards. This then categorizes their pins that go onto those boards. A drop down menu at the top of the Pinterest screen provides you with a listing of the categories. From there you can “browse.” This is great when you aren’t looking for anything specific, but instead are just looking for fun ideas and inspiration in general. Try looking in the “DIY” and “Kids” sections!

• Following:  A great way to find materials is to find others Pinterest users who have created boards with items of interest to you and “follow” them. This will then place their latest pins onto your “home screen.” If you find some great “pinners” you will never run out of new inspiration to browse and “pin” yourself!

Pins vs Boards:

• A “Pin” is a visual image representing a link to an outside website with information of interest. People create “pins” from websites and resources they come upon. You can then “re-pin” these items onto your own “Boards” for later use. Think of it like putting a Polaroid image of an item up onto your custom bulletin board!
• A “Board” is a collection of “pins”, organized at the discretion of the Board’s owner. You can “re-pin” from someone else’s board, “follow” a Board to see what new items have been “pinned” and create your own “Boards” to save your favorite “pins!”

Getting Started

Sign Up:  You do not need to create an account to search through the resources available on Pinterest. However, if you want to begin creating your own Boards, Re-pinning materials and following others, it is necessary to create an account. It is a free and easy process, using either your log-ins for Facebook/Twitter or your e-mail address. It takes just a few minutes!

Begin Following Boards:  Find some users whose boards have items of interest to you and begin following them. These can then lead you to other users and their boards (think of it as the proverbial “rabbit trail”). Some suggestions:

Begin Following Boards

• PediaStaff
  • Their boards are created for a variety of professionals and topics including: SLPs, OTs, Psychologists, PTs, auditory processing, articulation, language, literacy, pragmatics, neonatal, hearing science. All of their boards are clearly organized for easy browsing, follow one or follow them all! They even have a board dedicated to SLPs, OTs, Psychologists and PTs who have Pinterest accounts! This is a great place to start exploring!
• ASHA
  • Their boards are strictly professional development information including: materials from publications, ideas for therapy, job opportunities, and videos
• Tara Roehl
  • My boards show a variety of interests, both professional and personal. You can use this as an example of how to merge your two areas of life into one large library. If you are interested in my therapy based boards, check out “Kraftivities 4 Kids” and “Speech Science.” But feel free to browse them all

Continue Reading Through Our Blog Hop:

Part 2:  Embracing Blogs

Part 3:  #SLPeeps on Twitter

Part 4:  Online discussion Group:  #SLPChat

Part 5:  Other Social Media Platforms

A Letter from a Founding Member of the #SLPeeps

Discovering Social Media:  Growth Starts Here  (http://slpecho.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/essential-social-media-tools/  )

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Thoughts?

- Tara, SpeechyKeenSLP

Apps

Download the Google Drive App onto your device. This will allow you to access your schedule quickly and even add to it when needed! It does require web access, so take that into consideration. If you aren’t going to have internet access during the convention (perhaps on your tablet or laptop), be sure to download your schedule. You can download you schedule when you do have internet as an Excel File, OpenDocument File and PDF. There are a few other formats as well, but they are less common.

Apps: iPhone, iPad, Android

Posters

As I mentioned above, my schedule is NOT complete. But that is because the ASHA on-line scheduler went down a few nights ago – so hopefully I’ll be done soon! All that is left are the Poster sessions that interest me. I am adding another column on the far right side of my tables for my posters. I like having the option to stop in a see a few posters between sessions, as well as when my brain has reached capacity and I can’t sit in another talk. There are quite a few good ones listed – so be sure to check them out!

Social Events

Be sure to check out many of the Social Events happening during ASHA. An aspect people often forget at conventions is the networking potential. Some people network to find jobs and opportunities, others network for the social aspects. You will be at a convention full of people who have a passion similar to yours – seize the opportunity! The Twitter groups of SLPs (#slpeeps) and AUDs (#AUDpeeps) have many meet-ups planned and anyone is welcome to join! Stop by the  PediaStaff Social Media Learning Center Featuring the #SLPeeps. There you can learn about the groups and find out more abut the meet-ups happening throughout the whole convention and how to connect with other SLPs and AUDs during and after the convention.

My Schedule

Here is my ASHA12_schedule. My most “must-see” talk is  on Executive Functioning by Sarah Ward,Thursday at 6:30pm. What are your must-see talks?

-Tara, Speechy Keen SLP

If you want to add your name to the listing of an already “pinned” hotel:

1. Be sure you are logged in to Google
2. Click the red “edit” button on the top left of the screen
3. Click the existing hotel pin
4. Type your twitter handle into the description box!

View #SLPeeps at #ASHA12 in a larger map

Two Key Elements:

mAh - A measure of a battery’s total capacity. The higher the number (ex. 600 mAh, 1,500 mAh) the more charge a battery can hold and usually, the longer a battery will last under a certain load. [source]

Amps - A measure of electric current flow. One ampere (amp) will flow when one volt is applied across a resistance of one ohm. [source]

As it turns out, my iGo only puts out ~ half an amp through the USB ports. For newer phones, this is NOT enough to actually charge. Many of the newer phones require at least 1 amp to actually charge. So this year, I knew I wanted to purchase one that had enough amps for my current phone, and hopefully any newer phone I get in the next year or two. I also knew I wanted it to last a LONG time… so I went searching for something with at least 1 amp and a lot of mAh. Here at the best of what I found (click the pictures to go to the Amazon page):

New Trent
IMP120D iCarrier
12,000 mAh
2Amp/1Amp Dual Ports

Anker® Astro3
10000mAh
2Amp or 1Amp Each Ports

Incredicharge I-8800
Power Bank
8800 mAh
2.1Amp/1Amp Ports

PowerGen Mobile
Juice Pack
8400mAh
2Amp/.6Amp Ports

After much consideration, I decided “go big or go home”. So I purchased the New Trent and LOVE it. I took it last weekend to Disneyland with me and it kept my cell and my hubby’s cells charged all day long (and he was taking a LOT of business calls that day!). It’s got a bit of weight to it, about 10 ounces. But if you are going to have that much battery power, you have to be ready for a bit of heft. It really isn’t bad and is compact enough to drop into my purse. The only other downside is it is ANOTHER charging cord to carry around, while the iGo had the plug built in. More for me to lose *smile*

Amazon lists it’s charging power as Apple iPad 2: >120% battery life - Apple iphone 5:> 600% battery life  - Smartphones (andriod): >600% battery life. I believe it! This baby is charged up and ready to come along to ASHA ’12!

Will you be bringing an external battery to stay charged up and connected at ASHA? Which one do you like?

- Tara, Speechy Keen SLP

DISCLAIMER: Each of those pictures DO have my Associates ID attached to it – if this makes you uncomfortable they are VERY easy to find by independently searching for each one by name!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Executive Functioning:  Strategies to Keep Your Child Organized and Yourself Sane                  

Do you have a child or student who struggles with impulse control, getting started on homework/projects, organization of their things and/or knowing when their behavior is getting out of control?  Do you hear yourself repeating “please just start working on____” or “that is not a clean bedroom/backpack/desk!” or even   “What do you mean you lost___?”   You know they are smart, but does the child or student often appear to be “lazy” or “lacking motivation”?   They may be struggling with Executive Functioning, a higher order brain process that may not be developed in many individuals including, but not limited to, those with Asperger’s, High Functioning Autism, ADHD and OCD diagnoses.  But don’t be discouraged!  Come learn what to look for, why these individuals do the things they do and how you can help them!  This FREE Seminar will explain the science behind Executive Functioning skills and will introduce practical concepts and techniques to help your child or student to be successful across environments.

WHEN:  Thursday, November 29^th 2012                                             

TIME:     7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.  - Charis Table Room

WHERE:   Home Church 1799 Winchester Blvd Campbell, CA 95008

About the Speaker:  Tara Roehl is a nationally certified Speech Language Pathologist.  She owns and operates a private practice clinic focusing on the social/pragmatic and executive functioning needs of students with ADHD, High Functioning Autism, Aspergers and related disorders.  At the same time, Tara runs a Special Needs Program at her church to improve the inclusion of individuals with special needs and their families into the religious community.

Earlier in her career, Tara worked as a speech therapist in the public school systems in Illinois and California.   Most recently, she worked as the lead speech therapist on the Autism diagnostic team for a Bay Area public preschool. While in this role, she designed and launched the district’s ”Speech/Social Group” program for children with speech delays and /or High Functioning Autism diagnoses.  In recent years, Tara has extended her practice by working with individuals with disabilities outside of the United States, including developing long distance remote speech therapy approaches with individuals in Rwanda and the Philippines. Tara holds a Bachelors of Science and Masters of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
_____________________________________________________________________________
A flyer can be downloaded here:

Executive Functioning[22]

- Tara Roehl

Below you will find a Chirpstory of my “notes” from the conference. I tweeted everything I could today, there isn’t a single note written on the powerpoint! I hope you find this helpful – I know it was an extremely helpful conference for me! Below the Chirpstory I have posted the references he provided us today, as well as information about a new reference coming soon!

*Please excuse spelling errors – I was typing quickly as it was a VERY fast paced conference!

Resources:

Informational Books – “Compliance Tools”

• The EMR book is also sold through the ASHA Bookstore(pick it up at #ASHA12!)

Speaker’s HIPAA & HITECH Blog

Cross Country Education (organized the conference – in case you are interested in attending one!)

Coming Soon: HIPAA/HITECH for the SLP and AUD

• Not out yet, but the speaker has asked me to be an editor for the publication. So I will be receiving an advanced copy to read and, when given permission, will be able to review to you in case you are interested in an SLPs perspective before purchasing it! I’ll update the blog as I receive more information on this!

How confusing is HIPAA/HITECH to you? What do you still have questions about?

- Tara, Speechy Keen SLP

What Is It?

Executive Functioning Skills are theorized to be based in the frontal lobe, acting as part of the executive system. It is a higher order process that involves connecting past experiences to present novel experiences to control and regulate one’s abilities and behaviors. This allows one to anticipate outcomes and adapt to changing situations in order to manage oneself and one’s resources to complete a task and/or achieve a goal.

What Skills Are Considered A Part of “Executive Functioning”?

A few areas (with brief description) that are impacted by difficulties in the area of EF:

• Inhibition – ability to control impulsivity and stop one’s inappropriate behaviors (Actions and thoughts) at the appropriate time
• Shift the ability to switch focus between tasks fluidly
• Emotional Control: controlling emotional reactions based on the reality of a situation
• Initiation the ability to begin actions in regards to activities or tasks
• Working memory retaining information while doing something with it. For example: remembering details to complete a task
• Planning/Organization the ability to plan and organize tasks related to projects (current and future)
• Organization of Materials: the ability to “see and create” order related to the individual’s areas of domain. Examples: desk, room, backpack
• Self-Monitoring – the ability to evaluate and monitore one’s own manage time and attention

Who Does It Impact?

Anyone, and at times it feels like everyone! I have had many parents listen to me explain the “what we did and why” of a lesson, only to say “wow, I could have used this lesson too!” Often students with poor EF skills (but strong capabilities for their development!) are intellectually gifted. This means they are often labeled as “lazy” or “lacking motivation”. These terms can be VERY frustrating to parents, who know their child is fully capable, but they just can’t demonstrate their IQ because of their poor EF skills. Poor EF skills also translate into a client’s social behaviors, sometimes resulting in “poor social skills” and/or difficulty using social skills/concepts that have been taught to them. EF difficulties are often observed in clients labeled with Asperger’s, High Functioning Autism, ADHD, ADD and OCD, but are in no way limited to these diagnosis.

What does it look like?

• This is the student who is unprepared when they get to class – they can’t find their homework papers, a pencil or quite literally ANYTHING inside their backpack.
• This is the student who cannot control his impulses to touch other’s thing, throw something randomly, speak out of turn, or even lash our verbally and/or physically at perceived injustices.
• This student has extreme difficulty getting started on a task – whether working independently or in a group setting. Once started they MAY be able to continue and finish, but not always.
• They begin a project without all of the materials needed and lack the understanding of how their own unpreparedness has created their predicament (often blaming adults or others for the situation).
• They cannot follow a series of instructions to complete a task. They may forget important steps, become convinced they are incapable of completing the task, or both.
• They cannot predict how much time it will take to complete a task, cannot monitor the amount of time it is taking them currently, or change their speed to complete a task relative to the speed of those around him.
• This student may become stuck on one-way to perceive an idea or task, making problem solving and shifting between ideas very difficult for them without significant help and scaffolding.

Over the next few months I will begin posting explainations of what I have learned from the gurus of EF and how I have adapted their geniuses to become an entricle part of my daily therapy sessions.

What would you MOST like to learn about EF over the next few months?

-          Tara Roehl, Speechy Keen SLP