SimuCase Virtual Case Studies

Have you heard of SpeechPathology.com?  They have a new case study series called SimuCase, and it is awesome!!

It was originally used by students in Ohio, but they are expanding it to all SLPs to use to hone their skills.

Check out this video tour:

This site is designed to help walk you through the assessment process and really fine tune your skills.  It walks you through assessment, diagnosis, and making recommendations.   They are real cases that people have submitted.  The videos are animated, but you get to hear the actual voices and work samples of these clients.  Experts in the various areas have reviewed these cases and the scoring is based on their recommendations.

I believe this is an extremely valuable tool for students and SLPs to use.   It allows you to practice your skills and shows you what "good" versus "excellent" skills are.  SimuCase allows users to analyze which team members are necessary and which types of questions will get the point quickly without being redundant.  I would recommend this to anyone looking to further their skills.  It's definitely something I wish I had in graduate school!  Another thing I really like is that it has case studies for a wide variety of ages and disorders--it includes preschool, school age, and adults with diagnoses of language disorder, fluency disorder, TBI, dysphonia, stroke, articulation disorder, voice disorder, and developmental delay. It is extremely comprehension in the variety of the clients and in the process of gathering a case history, selecting assessments, diagnosing, and making recommendations.

Now I know the question on everyone's mind is about CEUs.  Right now, they are not offered as part of it, but they are working on it!  So definitely check back if you need CEUs because this is worth your time!  They are also planning on adding more cases over time.

If interested, you can check it out here!

What do you think?  Would you use this?

Note:  Trial access was provided for my review.  No other compensation was received.  All opinions expressed are mine. 

SLP Medical Internship Experience

When I was applying for graduate school, one of my requirements was that it was possible to have a pediatric medical placement.  I knew I wanted to work in a pediatric setting and was leaning towards pediatric medical.  So when some of my potential schools said, "No," I told them that I appreciated the offer, but I had to politely decline.  The school I chose told me there was a possibility but that it was not guaranteed.  I gladly took their offer and vowed to do everything I could to get a pediatric medical internship.

Flash forward to the fall when we were all sitting in a meeting to discuss possible internship placements. We were told they had lost several pediatric placements, so to plan on not getting one and to plan on a nursing home or rehab center with adults.  As you can probably imagine, I was devastated.

Well a few weeks later, I found out I had indeed gotten a pediatric medical placement at one of the top children's hospitals in the nation!  I was so excited!! My school had listened and given me my dream placement!!

I'm about halfway through my placement now, and I just thought I would share a few things I've learned.

1.  Outpatient versus Inpatient
We serve both outpatients and inpatients.  Generally speaking, you are either an outpatient therapist or an inpatient therapist.  Sometimes there is crossover, but most are one or the other.

2.  Specialty
Most of the therapists at the hospital have a specialty.  Maybe it's feeding/swallowing.  Maybe it's AAC.  Maybe it's developmental.  

3. Cancellations
I'm sure this goes for most places, but when the weather is bad, or a child is sick, the patient ends up cancelling.  This is fine until they cancel for 6 weeks in a row.  There is a cancellation policy in place for this reason, and it is extremely important for helping keep productivity.

4.  Productivity
As with most medical placements, the therapists have a productivity standard.  But instead of everyone having a standard of 80%, every therapist has his or her own standard.  Some have 50%; others have 60%.  These standards are also a lot lower than other places.

5. Part-Time versus Full-Time
There are both part-time and full-time therapists.  Some of the therapists work 3-4 days at the hospital and then the other days at another place.

6. Hours
Most of the therapists work long days.  My Mondays and Tuesdays are 9-10 hours long.  Other therapists work more of a standard 8:30/9 to 5 job.  For the most part, their hours are tailored to their own situation/patients.

7. Multiple Disciplines
Most of my patients are seen by all three disciplines.  Most of the time, they are seen by those disciplines separately.  Sometimes, you have to co-treat.  Working closely with the OTs and PTs is extremely important!  Have good relationships with them.

8. Soak it all In
There is so much to learn and enjoy!  I try not to take it for granted and learn as much as I possibly can!

9.  Resources
There are seemingly tons of resources available.  We have a "speech closet" as well as closets in individual treatment rooms.  Not to mention, there is a whole therapy gym full of toys and games.

10.  Unique Patients
I have seen many complex medical cases, which is one of the aspects I love the most.  No patient is the same!  They keep me on my toes and make me keep my research current.  I absolutely love it.


I could go on and on...I will be adding to the list, but I thought I would share some of my experiences so far!

What did you learn from your medical placement?

Passing the Praxis

One of the things I had been dreading ever since I picked my major in undergrad was this big test known as the Praxis.  Everyone had always told me not to worry about it.  "Do well in your classes, and you will be fine" is what they always told me.  But this is a big test, and you have to pass it.  If that doesn't freak you out, I'm not sure what will.

I took the test this past Saturday and wanted to share my experience on everything!

Basics about the Test:
-120 minutes
-120 questions
-All questions are multiple choice.
-You can mark your answers and go back and check them.
-On the computer version, you receive your score right away.
-A score of 600 is passing.

How I Prepped:
Like most, I purchased the Advanced Review of Speech-Language Pathology.  This is a great overview of most of the areas in our field.  Some of the girls in my program set up Praxis review sessions over the course of the summer and fall semesters.  I attended some of those sessions, which were extremely helpful.  One girl would summarize a chapter, make a PowerPoint, and led a discussion about the practice questions at the end of the each chapter.  This was extremely helpful, and I would highly recommend this to every single one of you who are about to take the test (or will in the next couple years).

I went through a chapter per day (roughly) towards the end.  I couldn't bring myself to make flash cards or write out notes for absolutely everything, so I underlined key words and phrases in the book.  For the theories, I wrote color-coded notes in a notebook to review the important elements of each.

I purchased a practice test from ETS. This is by far one of the best decisions I made.  Not only did it get me in the mindset of test taking, it prepared me for the types of questions on the test and how to manage my time appropriately.  Either take the ones on the flashdrive with the book, or purchase the ETS one.  I actually took the practice test before I had studied much.  I passed it, so that gave me a sense of peace about the test.  I knew I wanted some more wiggle room, but it gave me a starting point for studying and some reassurance.

I received a bunch of notes of encouragement from some of my closest friends!  These really helped encourage me throughout my studying!

The Night Before:
I thought I would be freaking out the night before the test.  Instead, I was at peace.  I knew a lot of prayers had been said on my behalf, and boy could I feel them! I finished the chapter I was studying earlier that day, paged through the last couple of chapters, and decided that if I didn't know it then, I wasn't going to know it. I put the book down, watched some TV, and went to bed.

I had also received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my dad as a way of saying, "Good luck."  I called to thank him, and he reassured me that I would do fine and that it was a minimal competency exam (meaning 600 is as good as 800).

Day of the Test:
I woke up after about 7 hours of sleep.  Considering this is what I generally had been getting and was planning on way less, I was extremely happy.  I ate a small breakfast and attempted to study.  I was starting to freak out.  My test was at 12:30pm, so I had to wait all morning.  Those hours were BRUTAL.  If you go to take the test, I highly recommend taking one in the morning.  I didn't have a choice of times when I went to sign up...

Anyway, the testing center was about 20 minutes from my apartment, so I decided to leave an hour or so early and stop and get some lunch somewhere.  Luckily, one of my friends had taken a test at that center back in August, so she told me what was around.  I knew my stomach didn't want much, since it was full of butterflies.  I also knew I needed something, or I wouldn't make it through the test.  I settled on an Uptown Salad from Potbelly because it has chicken and fruit on it.  I figured some protein and natural sugar would be a good tide-me-over until I could eat later.

I arrived at the test center about 35 minutes early (you're supposed to be there 30 minutes early).  One of my friends from my program walked out of the testing room and was smiling.  She had passed!! It was so good to see a familiar face that morning and to have the assurance that our preparation was enough for us to pass! It was a quick boost of confidence.

I went in to the testing room, took the test, and came out barely able to speak.  I had passed!! I was fighting back tears as I walked out.  The woman asked if I wanted my score written down, and I said, "No.  I know it. All that really matters is that I passed."  She congratulated me and sent me on my way.

As soon as I got in the car, the tears started coming down.  I had just passed one of the most important tests of my life.  Everything I had been working for the last 2, 6, or 19 years had been worth it.  Once I got myself together, I called my family and friends to let them know the good news!   I spent the rest of the day celebrating with friends!  

On Sunday, I finally felt tired.  My whole month of holidays, studying, etc. had come to an end.  All of the stress was gone.

In case you were wondering, my score was about 70 points higher on the real test than the practice.  Again, I hadn't studied for the practice.  That shows you how much studying can help!!

Helpful Hints:
-The usual: Arrive early. Dress comfortably.  This doesn't necessarily mean yoga pants, but that's what I did!   Whatever you're comfortable in--everyone is different!  Eat something before the test. Go to the bathroom before the test. The clock keeps counting down when you get up and leave the room.
-Study the book and your notes from both undergrad and grad school.
-Take a practice test.  Some of the questions were the exact same or very similar.
-BREATHE.
-Answer everything, but mark the ones you're not sure about.  You can go back and review them.
-Trust your instincts. If you're anything like me, your gut is usually right.

Areas to Study:
-Normal speech and language development
-Articulation and phonological disorders
-Different types of aphasia
-Theories of stuttering and stuttering treatment
-Types of standardized testing
-Different legislation and what each one mandates
-Motor speech disorders
-Hearing screenings/testing
-Bilingualism and how being multicultural influences decisions regarding speech and language


Well that was my experience. I have to say I'm glad it's over, but also that my two universities prepared me fairly well for the test.

Good luck to all of you taking it soon (or in the future)!!!  As my friends kept telling me, you're going to rock it.

Gift Guide: SLP Graduate Students and Supervisors

Every semester, I give my supervisors a small gift as a token of my appreciation for what they have done for me that semester.  They don't get paid to take me on.  I'd like to think I'm not a burden, but they still didn't HAVE to agree to take me on.  Yet, they did.  Here are some ideas I've done and more that I would love to do.

Please note: We are not allowed to give gift cards/anything to do with money. It has to be an actual gift.

For Supervisors:

1. Jewelry-  We had a supervisor whose son was about to deploy.  We found out about these Soldier to Soldier bracelets and decided to buy her one.  She loved it!  I like this kind of jewelry because it has meaning, and it was made by soldiers!

2. An iPad Case- This goes without saying, but our iPads can get beat up on if we're not careful.  Supervisors would love a new case!  Here's mine and it is super boring.  The one we got my supervisor was a nice Vera Bradley one!

3. A planner- One of my supervisors was very picky about a planner, and I knew she was going to need one within the month for the new year.  I happened to see one at the store, so I picked it up for her!

4.  I don't have a picture of it, but we had one of those pictures of letters that spell out words made with the word FAITH on it.  It had a double meaning- 1. She was very strong in her Christian faith and 2. She had a lot of faith in her students!


For Graduate Students:  These could also work for supervisors.

1. A TpT gift card- It amazes me how many students (and SLPs) don't know about TpT! It has been such a great resource for me!

2.  An iTunes gift card-- Another great option since my generation LOVES our technology!

3. Coffee/Tea/Some form of Caffeine- either do a Starbucks giftcard (or other coffee shop) or buy some K-cups if they have a Keurig!  Your student will thank you forever.  By the way, a Keurig itself is a great gift option to give to your families, if you're a grad student and don't have one already!

4. Customized Tumblers- I absolutely love these tumblers from 2MBowtique!  I bought them for my supervisors this semester.  She will even personalize them for you!

5. Badge Reels-  There are several options for these.  The one pictured below is from Badge Blooms.  There are also really cute ones from TheQuarterInchShop.

6.  Anything from Dean Trout's Little Shop of SLP!! Love all of her stuff :)

SLP Student Teaching Binder

Are you supervising an SLP graduate student clinician in the school setting? This is the product for you!! 

This product is designed to help the first few weeks of supervising go smoothly for both you and your graduate student. Fill out some of the pages together, talk about the expectations, discuss the schedule and various students, and fill in the blank sections with specific information about your school. Your graduate student will LOVE and APPRECIATE it! Help them feel adjusted as quickly as possible! 

Sections include:
-Cover Page (as seen above)

-Welcome Letter

-Contracts/Expectations-includes one filled in with some expectations and a blank one for you to write in your own.  Each of you will sign this and receive a copy. 

-All About Me-- a section for the student to fill out and give to you, includes contact information, pertinent medical information, previous clinical experiences, and goals for this experience

-School and Staff- includes important information about the school building, school staff, your information, information about the speech room, information about teachers that you work closely with, and information about other staff members. 

-Planning- includes a lesson plan template, a to-do list, and pages for future ideas

-Students and Schedules- includes caseload information, behavior management ideas, weekly schedule template, and a schedule for each day of the week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday)

-Resources- a list of websites and apps, including blank lines for you to add your favorites to

These sections just include the cover page.  You fill in the rest for your student! 

-Maps and Policies- fill this in with specifics from your school
-Common Core- fill this in with specifics from your school/practice
-Sample Goals- fill this in with a set of your goals or an IEP goal bank
-Sample Reports- fill this in with specific reports from your school, could include parent reports, IEPs, progress notes 

I have the COLOR version shown.  I also have a BLACK AND WHITE version available! Both are available in my TpT Store. 

I hope you enjoy this product and that your student finds it useful! 

Never a Dull Moment

There is never a dull moment working in a Skilled Nursing Facility....

I'm about to share some shortened versions of stories that happened recently at my placement. I SO wish I could tell them to you in person, but hopefully they'll come across funny/interesting!

1. I had a patient plan a full blown birthday party for me.  I asked him to sequence 4 steps to planning a birthday party, and 15 minutes later, he's still planning. And I mean PLANNING. Down to how the table would be set.

2. We had to break up a fist fight over a BIB at the lunch table.  You heard me, a bib.

3. I came into work to find out that a patient had "escaped" the nursing home, threw a nurse into a garbage can, and therefore was now no longer at the home.

4.  I told a patient I was rooting for the Red Sox to win the World Series and the patient goes, "Oh honey....".  Welcome to Cardinal Nation.

5.  I had two patients try and marry me off.  One was getting impatient for my boyfriend to propose. He told me he was going to call him up and give him a "talking-to."

6. Another patient had just finished telling me her life story and said, "So tell me about you."  I asked what she wanted to know, to which she replied, "Your age, your prospects for getting married, that's all."  Umm....

7. I had a therapy session all about fishing.  We spent a good 10 minutes on how to determine if this one type of fish was male or female.

8. One of my patients has a bunch of stuffed animals all over his bed. He proceeded to tell me the story behind each and every one of them. In GREAT detail.

9. I was feeding a patient in the dining room and all of a sudden she asked, "Where's my mother?  I can't find her.  She's been gone a long time."  Ok admittedly, that's really sad. But TWO workers came up and answered the question for her, playing along with it.  For example, "Oh what's her name?  I haven't seen her, but I'll keep my eye out."

10.  I witnessed "church" happening in the dining hall one day. Someone made a comment about not caring about the Cardinals, and the head nurse says, "Girl, you know the devil is dancing right now. Can I get an amen church?"  She kept going on and on. I don't even remember what she was saying. All I heard was, "Can I get an amen?" over and over and over.

I love my job.  There is never a dull moment.  That's all.

Fab Find Friday: 10/18/2013

I take my second of three midterms today. I am almost done and then I promise blogging will be back to normal!!   Because I'm busy studying for these (or taking them), I haven't been around much.  All of my time has been focused on studying.  BUT I thought I would sneak away for a little bit to blog.

Here are a few of my find this week:

1.   Shannon at Speechy Musings just developed new sentence formation packets.  Here's one of them!

2.  Jenn at Crazy Speech World posted a great new activity too--Phone a Friend!  Check out her post here.

3. Teach Speech 365 posted a linky party recently about shopping at the dollar store and using those finds for therapy!  Check it out here.

There were a lot more fab posts this week, so be sure to catch up on them on Bloglovin!

My other fab find this week was new yoga pants.  They have been a staple in my wardrobe this week while studying...Gotta be comfy!  :)

Thanks for hanging in there with me!  You're the best!

Grad School Advice: Praxis

I just registered for my Praxis exam this past week and ordered THE book to study from a few weeks ago.  I posted this pic.

YIKES is right!  That book is huge.  There is SO much in it.  It makes me nervous for the test.  Since I have NO experience with this test at all and some of you have, I reached out to you to get some advice.  Here's what you said:

"I remember it being more of an application sort of test, which was difficult to study for. The practice tests in the book were definitely helpful."- Natalie Snyders

"Download the Praxis app and study the cards. It's kind of expensive but totally worth it!"- Roxanne Petterson

"I agree...practice tests! The book was an awesome help! Even for use during my CFY...everything was in it!"- Rae's Speech Spot

"Don't worry too much. You know more than you think."- Carly Fowler

"Just take your time going through it- you know a lot more than you think you do. Take the practice tests, they're a huge help. You will think you failed as you take it, but chances are good you'll do juuuuuuust fine."- Rachel Jones

"Take the practice test that ETS offers! Some of the questions were the exact same questions that I saw on the real one."- Stephanie McNemar

"I feel like the timing is important, so I did timed practice tests to get myself in the groove of pacing."- Jenna Rayburn

"Just breathe!"- Shannon Wilkinson

"...to relax. Most of the questions are common sense. When you apply them to students or clients you know, the answers are right there."- Jannike Johnsen

"Don't expect to know everything on the test. Sometimes you've just got to take your best guess based on what you know."- Lindsey Karol

"You only need to pass. Just passing and scoring high are the same. No one asks for your score during an interview."- Patti Bohlman

"Take a deep breath."- LyndaSLP123

"You cannot learn every fact in that book...just try and tackle a bit at a time. It's more important to take practice tests than to memorize each and every fact."- Speech Time Fun

"Pass the darn thing!"- Penny Benson

"Study study study, then study more until you dream about it. Then you're ready."- Kristy Davies


THANK YOU to everyone who responded.

Do you have more advice??? Comment below--we'd love to hear it!! 

Pseudo-Stuttering Reflection

On Friday, I posted on the Facebook page that I had just completed a pseudo-stuttering assignment and that I had had quite the experience.  I also asked if any of you had to do the assignment during graduate school.  A lot of you said yes and shared your experiences.  THANK YOU for doing that! I loved hearing about it, and I'm glad you enjoyed the discussion! I wanted to share with you what my experience was with it, so I'll share my reflection that I wrote for class with you. I've taken out details for privacy purposes.  

Before The Assignment

Leading up to the time that we completed this assignment, I was not thrilled about it. I had already complete this assignment in my very first speech-language pathology class ever (intro), did not really like it then, and was not happy about having to complete it yet another time. I was feeling annoyed and was dreading having to complete it. I feel awkward doing this type of assignment and do not really know that it achieves what every professor hopes it will. I even texted my partner for the project that morning and said, “I don’t want to do this.” We honestly (mostly) put it off to the Friday before the assignment was due. Yes, we were avoiding doing it.

Face-To-Face Experiences

We finally mustered up the courage to do the assignment and told ourselves we just had to do it, even if we did not agree with the assignment. The first place we went for me to stutter was a healthcare fair with potential employers. Perhaps this was a mistake to stutter there, but I wanted to see how someone who hires health care employers would react. I anticipated they would probably be taken aback by it but would not necessarily be discriminatory, since they would be hiring SLPs who work with people who stutter. I was extremely nervous during it, since these are people I would actually want to be by. I think the one employer from a hospital that I will not name for their protection was shocked when I started stuttering with repetitions. He seemed offended that I would talk to him and would not engage in any sort of conversation. I asked him if they accepted CFs (clinical fellows), to which he responded, “Ummmm no.” It was quite rude, and he refused to continue the conversation after that. I just walked away and did not continue talking to employers. I was shocked and honestly disheartened that someone in our field could react that way!!  

A few days later, we set out to complete the rest of the assignment. We went to the coffee shop in the student center so I could order a drink. I chose a “Tall Vanilla Swirl” so that I could use repetitions on the /t/ and /v/. I also did some concomitant behaviors of eye blinking/closing and fist clenching. I again anticipated that the barista would be taken aback but would quickly adjust and continue to serve me as he would any other customer, especially since there were a lot of students behind me in line. My eyes were closed for some of it, as I mentioned above, so I did not fully see his whole reaction. My friend told me that the barista was laughing, smiling, and smirking the whole time I was ordering and he was preparing my drink. He did prepare the drink well and responded to me when I said, “Thank you.” I was disgusted that he was smirking the whole time, especially given how many people were in the room! I am not a person that stutters normally, but it did hurt my feelings. I felt that it was just a “little” thing that was different about me, but his reaction was so big! It made me want to call and talk to the manager about what had happened.

Feeling disheartened, I was really hoping my third experience for face-to-face interaction would be somewhat positive! My friend had to pick up our textbook from the library, so we decided I would ask where the printers are. At this point, it was my third interaction so I was not necessarily nervous to ask. My friend had to give me the idea of what to say, but I was not dreading it or avoiding it per se. I used repetitions and blocks here. I asked her as she was checking out the book, so it again took her aback. However, she was really nice about everything and explained exactly where the printers were. It was not any longer than she would have explained it to anyone else. I was not only feeling relieved that this part of the assignment was over, I was relieved and happy that she was not rude like the others had been!

During these experiences, I felt a little scared at first. I am a people pleaser, so I did not want them to think poorly of me. I needed some motivation from my friend to get started, but once I did, I was just feeling an overwhelming sense of “Just get this over with.” I was motivated to get it done. As I mentioned above, I felt disheartened after the first two, which made me want to quit right then. I was anticipating that everyone would react that way.

Clinical Insights

If there is one thing this assignment taught me, it was that people are way ruder than I ever thought or expected. I knew people would all have different reactions, but I certainly did not expect that someone would outright laugh and smirk at me. It does help me as a clinician to know the spectrum of reactions that could happen, and that spectrum could certainly be bigger than what I even experienced. I think it is important to address those reactions in the clinical setting and help the client understand what those are and how to cope when in those situations. Perhaps they will need different strategies or some form of internal motivation. These are strategies that the clinician will need to develop with the client.

Another big need I saw was for public education on the topic. It did not seem like a lot of the people who we encountered understood what stuttering is, how it affects the person who stutters, how to react properly to the stuttering, and now their reactions affect the person who does stutter. It was frustrating to me that they did not know how to act and were quite rude about it. I am not a person who stutters, but I was offended for the people that stutter. I cannot imagine how I would feel if I actually were a person who stutters! Education on the topic is essential.

I do not want to say that I fully understand how a person who stutters would feel. I do recognize that it was frustrating and that I was offended by the reactions I got. I do not know how it would feel if I were actually interviewing and could not get hired because of stuttering. However, I can be somewhat sympathetic and build that into my therapy plans to help my clients out.
 

Did you have to do this for grad school?  If so, what was your experience with it? 

Med SLP {app review}

As a graduate student, I am required to log my clinical hours.  My school pays for and uses software to track our hours, but it is nice to see a tracking option as an app! It's a new idea that I haven't seen before.  It's a simple, no frills app for you!

Here's the main page.  You can click on to follow them on FB, view their podcast, or click to view the ASHA standards.

When you enter the app, you are taken to a screen that lists your practicum sites on the left and your client list on the right.  The app comes with a default of "Medical Affiliation," "School Affiliation," and "University Clinic."  It also includes "Undergrad Observations," where you can enter in up to 25 hours (believe me- I tried to see if it would take 400 of them!).   You can edit the list of practicums and add your own, though!  This is important to me, so I added a few of mine. Simply click the + and type it in.

After you have your placements set up on the left side, you can begin entering in client information on the right side.  Just click the little + on that side and type in information.  You can see the default list here:

This list was not as extensive as I need it to be, so I was happy to see the other category.  When you click other, you have the option to type in the name.  I slide the button to the right to "OFF" so that it would show up as "Autism" instead of as "Other."

When you have entered your hours in, you can have the app generate a summary report.  It lists out pie charts for the practicum sites, age (adult/child), session type (treatment, evaluation, IEP meeting, other), and disorder type.

There is a bunch of settings you can play around with, too.  Here's one example:

What I like about this app:
-It is a new idea that I haven't seen before as an app
-It is a practical option for those who have to track hours
-You have the option to add your own practicum sites
-You have the option to add disorders and ages
-You can email the report to yourself or others
-Easy navigation at the bottom (Main, Logs, Settings, Reports)
-It could be used by SLPs who are out of grad school and need to track their hours for whatever reason.  For example, if you want to get your BRS-S certification, then you need to track the number of clients with dysphagia that you see.

What I would like to see in future updates:
-A more extensive disorder list.  You can add your own, but the core list is missing options such as "aphasia" and "social communication," which are two BIG areas in our field.
-A more extensive age breakdown.  You can add your own here, too, but it'd be great if it were included in the list already.  Working with Birth to 3 is very different than working with 5-10 year olds, which is very different than working with 11-18 year olds. Yet, they're all considered "Child."  Same goes for adults.
-A place to add gender
-A place to add notes- for more details about the case or about a strategy that worked or didn't work
-A way to generate a report specific to one practicum site

What do you think- is this something you could use?? 

10 Products This SLP-to-be Can't Live Without

This past year and a few months of graduate school has had some real HIGH highs and some really LOW lows.  We've all been there right?   I wanted to share with you some ways I stayed organized, on track, and SANE this year during school.  I'm sure that they will apply to real life, too!  There are some affiliate links for your convenience.

1. A PLANNER!

I know this is totally a Type-A thing to say, but I would probably be lost without my planner.  I've tried using Google Calendar by itself, and it just doesn't work.  I do use it, because it'll send me reminders for when I don't have my planner in front of me!

Here's a sneak peak into mine. Not too full yet, since school doesn't start until next week.

2.   Cleaning Wipes

I don't necessarily consider myself a germ-a-phob, but I do like to keep my hands and the surfaces that I'm working on clean.  I'm pretty sure using these has prevented me from getting sick multiple times.  Our clinic has them all over the place, but I also have my own, just in case we run out.  This is NOT a substitute for washing your hands, though.

3. Colored Pens

As you can see in my planner, I have everything color-coded.  For the most part in my planner, Blue=class, Green=fun/personal life, Pink=blog, Orange=exercise.

4. Binders

Being Type-A and all, I had to have everything organized by class.  How did I do it? Binders galore.  You should see my shelves.....It's BAD.  Except that everything is organized.

5.  A Keurig

I told myself for a long time that I would never become a coffee drinker.  I would drink water and stay awake that way.  Then finals week happened, and I needed caffeine...I caved and bought a Keurig.  I admit it was a TOTAL impulse buy for me, but it was so worth it.  I come from a family of coffee and tea drinkers anyway, so having one around while I have company is not necessarily a bad thing.

By the way- I'm still not a coffee drinker.  I have coffee with my creamer instead of creamer with my coffee, if you know what I mean.

6.  Good Books

One of the last things I usually want to do is read because we already have to read SO much for school.  However, I've learned that taking even just a few minutes at the end of the day (or at the beginning) can make a huge difference for me.   I just recently finished Gone Girl, and Cold Tangerines has always been a favorite of mine (each chapter is a quick little story with a little lesson).

7.  Head Phones

This may seem like a funny thing that I can't live without, but I really can't live without them.  I know they are terrible for your hearing, so I try and keep the volume as low as I can while I use them.  I use them while running or working out in the gym, walking to class, or when I'm at school in our student lounge.  It's not that I'm trying to be anti-social, it just helps me zone out what's happening around me and focus on the task at hand- be it running 5 miles or finishing a paper.

8. Fresh Flowers

Something about fresh flowers in the apartment just brightens it up.  I also live in a place with white walls, so it helps bring a little color in.  I don't know what it is about flowers, but they just make me happy! I discovered that Trader Joes actually sells fresh flowers for a fairly cheap price.  You can get some bouquets for $3.99, $5.99, or $9.99!! Let me tell you, the $9.99 bouquets are HUGE.  I'm so impressed.  They're always so beautiful, too!

9.  A Memory Foam Pillow

A good night's sleep is one of the most important things you can do for yourself in grad school (and the real world!).  This pillow has saved me from having really bad neck pain.  I rarely wake up with a kink in my neck or a sore back (just from my pillows).  I love it so much that I generally take it with me when I travel home, even though we have a million pillows.

10.  Meal Shakes

For some reason, my school thinks it's a good idea to schedule classes over the dinner hour.  It's quite annoying and makes it really difficult to plan meals and when to eat.  I decided that I needed a fast and easy solution for those nights.  Meal shakes have been that option for me, since they fill me up enough so that I just need a little snack when I get home from class.  It's not necessarily something I would recommend all the time, but it works for those nights.  There are a lot of different companies out there for this, so I won't post a specific picture. I personally use Shaklee.


What are some products you can't live without???