Hello Live: Continuing Education for Speech & Language Professionals

It's tedious, boring, and a lot of work, but it is one of the essential components of an HR person's job. Record-keeping. Having organized documents can make it easier to do your job as an HR professional, such as evaluating claims and verifying information. But have we mentioned it's a lot of work? Legally, there are requirements that employers must keep accurate, up-to-date, and secure records. But who's keeping these records? Who's responsible? And can you find all the records and reports that you need when you need them? Our HR and legal experts are here to guide you through this daunting task. The dynamic duo of digital records, Tom Jones and Kyle Pardo, are back and they're going to do what many have thought impossible: Make paperwork pop.

Gen Z is in the workplace! Who are they? How are they different from millennials? And why has everyone forgotten Gen X? Dudes, will no one gag me with a spoon? This week, we have our own Gen Z'er is in the spotlight, along with her Millennial counterparts. Jen Moff, our VP of training, Jillian Derby, our senior marketing director, and Kallee McGraw our events support specialist spill the tea on what makes this generation tick and what your company should be thinking about when it comes to attracting, retaining, and fostering relationships across generations at work.

It is one of the hardest parts of the HR job: terminations. Having a disruptive employee working can have a negative impact of the productivity and efficiency of others. The manner in which a termination is handled can impact the morale of the entire workplace and must be handled carefully, while being respectful of the out-going employee's experience.Today, Terry Cook, our Senior Vice President of Employer Services, and Tom Jones, our very own attorney specializing in labor and employment matters, join Pete Wright to share what you need to know about handling terminations well.

Mindfulness has become a workplace buzzword, but what is it? Can you learn it? How do you practice it? Jen Moff and Kathleen Worthington join Pete Wright to delve into what HR and workplaces need to know about mindfulness, its benefits, and why you should care.What is mindfulness? Jen and Kathleen each explore what it means to be in your body versus living in your head. Mindfulness is an experience of being, versus doing, living and working curiously. If you're having trouble wrapping your head around the concept, listen on because the data is in: the benefits of mindfulness in the organization is compelling to be sure. Whether you're looking for a personal mindfulness practice or a way to further establish a culture of mindfulness across your organization, Jen and Kathleen have just the right guidance for you and your HR office!

We're gearing up for the summer months and with the change in seasons comes a change in staffing for many of our organizations. Seasonal workers bring changing processes and may invite a younger demographic into your world. What do you need to know about hiring young people? Will you impacted by child labor or Massachusetts Blue Laws? How will you navigate conversations around productivity and dress codes? Finally, are you ready to meet OHSA's new heat standards? Today, Terry Cook, Senior Vice President of Employer Services, and Tom Jones, our very own attorney specializing in labor and employment matters, join Pete Wright to talk about what workplaces face in the summer months and the compliance concerns you need to keep in mind before you hit the beach.

We're used to employees taking time off for vacation or having a baby. But in addition to the many other things we've learned from our experience with the pandemic, we now know there are many, many new reasons for taking time away from work. Caring for family members, childcare closures, or maybe members of your team needing a mental health break due to burnout are all calls for time away. Even more complicated, our Massachusetts employers are also still adjusting to Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML). If all of it is confusing to you, you're not alone. This week, Tom Jones and Mary McNally join Pete Wright to break down LOAs and answer some of the most common questions we get from employers.

Recruiting competition is peaking as we navigate the hiring environment now that the pandemic restrictions are lifting around us. The world is going back to work. But things are not the same as they were; job seekers are more selective than ever and getting them in the door is forcing hiring managers to rethink, regroup, and retool their processes.Today, Terry Cook, our Senior Vice President of Employer Services, and Tom Jones, our attorney specializing in labor and employment matters, join Pete Wright to talk about what employers and managers are doing to recruit, retain, and appeal to job seekers in the era of the Great Resignation.

According to Nielsen, the 2022 Academy Awards celebration was seen by 16.6 million viewers around the world. That's 16.6 million people watching as Will Smith slapped Chris Rock across the face on stage. It was emotional and horrifying and, to us, it was a dramatic example of violence in the workplace.According to the National Safety Council, workplace assaults resulted in 20,050 injuries and illnesses involving days away from work and 392 fatalities in 2020 alone. That's more than 20,000 incidents of fear, and rage, and trauma that impact not only the people directly involved, but those around them — friends, co-workers, table-mates. Whether your workplace is a small office or the massive Oscar stage, it's critical that you know what to do if an incident occurs in your workplace. Today, Tom Jones, AIM HR Solutions attorney specializing in labor and employment matters, and Jen Moff, our VP of training, join Pete Wright to talk about workplace violence and how you can help your teams prepare, respond, and recover from incidents at work.

This week we're talking all about Matt Lauer. And Harvey Weinstein. And Clarence Thomas. And Andrew Cuomo. And the list goes on, and on, and on. Truth be told, while we're not going to be talking about any of those individuals specifically, we're talking about all of them. Sexual harassment and discrimination have been long-standing issues in the workplace. But media attention and the bold voices of victims has changed the tide of the discussion. Today, Terry Cook, our Senior Vice President of Employer Services, and Tom Jones, our attorney specializing in labor and employment matters, join Pete Wright to talk about what employers and managers need to know about sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

Welcome to Human Solutions, a show that simplifies HR for people who love HR. Each week, we'll showcase a bite-sized conversation dedicated to helping you get your arms around an HR challenge. Who are we? From talent management, training, and compliance to compensation analysis and onsite services, AIM HR Solutions is committed to meeting you and your organizations where you are. The people on this show have decades of experience developing solutions for the issues you're facing right now. This show is their chance to share.Welcome to Human Solutions: Simplifying HR for People who Love HR from AIM HR Solutions on TruStory FM. We've got a great team gearing up to share their experience with your great team and we can't wait to introduce them to you, beginning in April 2022.

Don't miss this Q&A! Becca and I have a great little chat about promoting independence, using high-, low-, and no-tech AAC when cooking, and how great it is when your kids can make their own food.

Are you a clinician looking for something new and fun to spice up your therapy? Or maybe you're a parent on the hunt for ways to incorporate your child's speech and language goals into your everyday life? Join Gravity Bread's Becca Eisenberg for this fun podcast all about how to use cooking and eating to address communication goals for children of all ages and abilities. She'll address ways to address specific communication goals, support sensory exploration, promote independence, and encourage interaction in one of the most natural settings there is!

This month we talk to Bob Stewart, Superintendent of the Gladstone School District in Gladstone, OR. He is a Past President of the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators and it was a pleasure speaking with him. Also, full disclosure, I am a sitting school board member in Gladstone, so I know Bob personally.

This month we talk to John Carver, Superintendent of the Howard-Winneshiek Community School District in Northeast Iowa and participant in the first-ever National Connected Superintendents Summit at the White House in November 2014. This was an exciting interview! After all, how often do I get to glean insights from one of the top superintendents in the country? It only took this 15 minute conversation for me to hang up and reflect, 'How are we getting it so wrong everywhere else when they are getting it so right in Iowa?!'

Once you've listened to Heidi's formal talk, take a listen to our little conversation about our unique window on the wide world of IEP goals and how I don't know the difference between The Pottery Barn Rule and the Girl Scout motto.

Are you looking for strategies to connect your language assessment results to IEP goals? Do you ever wonder how other clinicians do it and what best practices are? Join Heidi Peters, MA, CCC-SLP as she shares guidelines and tips to help you improve what you've been doing so that you can easily write great goals that are measurable, realistic, and functional for your students. In this podcast, she addresses what 6 steps you should be following from assessment to goal, 4 things you should never do when writing goals, and results from a recent survey she did asking other SLPs for their input into this topic. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post for her great handout to accompany the podcast.

This month we talk to Dallas Myers, Director of Student Services for Fremont County School District #25 in Riverton, Wyoming.

Kimberly was also gracious enough to hang out after her podcast to chat with me a little bit more about this fun population. Listen in on our informal Q&A session to hear us gab about the challenges and rewards of working in Life Skills classrooms. And, as promised, you can find all of her resources below the audio link. I can attest, there are some great ones on her list. Have one to add? Share it with us and we'll put it on there!

Are the dynamics of serving kids in Life Skills classroom overwhelming to you? Are you ready to turn the challenges of addressing the needs of this population into the greatest adventure of your school year? Join Kimberly Wilkerson as she shares guidelines and tips for navigating the multiple facets of serving kids and collaborating with staff in Life Skills classrooms. In this podcast, she addresses best practice service models, specific treatment considerations, resource possibilities, and of course - why and how working with these students can become the most fun and creative hour of your week! Plus, check out the resource links she's shared below!

This month we talk to Eric Richards, Student Services Coordinator within Salem-Keizer School District, Salem, Oregon. Eric has worked in education for years at both the district and state level within the department of education in Oregon. He is a close partner of The Hello Foundation due to his tremendous commitment to do the very best possible for students with special needs.

Sharon Soliday joins Kelly Bawden for a Q & A session on her talk, “Social Skills After the Age of 18: A Case-Study of a 32 Year Old Woman with Autism Wanting to Date.”

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a young woman high-functioning ASD who is trying to navigate the online dating scene? Are you curious about what foundational social skills younger children with ASD might need as they move into adulthood? Join THF-owner Sharon Soliday as she shares a case-study detailing her private practice work with a remarkable 32-year old woman with autism. Sharon will share some of their more memorable sessions together, a few lessons she herself had to learn along the way, and her take on the skills SLPs can and should target with young adults in this population.

This month we talk to Davey Hough, Special Ed Director for the Region 4 Developmental Pre-School System for the State of Wyoming. Davey has worked in education for many years and currently oversees 3 diverse locations all with different needs. Wyoming Region 4 Children’s Learning Center Stats Total Enrollment: 600 Families Population Served: Early Childhood/Preschool Age Interesting Tidbit: Region 4 Children's Learning Center (CLC) serves all families in Teton and Sublette counties in Northwestern Wyoming. This podcast is part of our new series, Admins Connect, which highlights the experiences and opinions of a strategic cohort of educational administrators. Learning an outside perspective is valuable and The Hello Foundation is committed to building connections between administrators to promote our core value of Putting Kids First. Each 15 minute conversation captures an administrator's answers to 5 questions.Things look different when you're at the top, and by asking each guest the same 5 questions we'll be weaving a rich, textured, and interesting narrative about decisions from the strategic desk. Thanks for sitting down with us, Davey, and for your commitment to kids!

Wendy Gunter joins Kelly Bawden for a Q & A session on her talk, “Help! I Have to Write a Feeding Protocol!”

Does assessing dysphagia in the schools scare you a little bit? Does creating a feeding protocol for a student seem overwhelming and impossible? Join Wendy Gunter as she shares the steps you need to take to assess dysphagia for a student and complete a safe feeding protocol. She will discuss the history and ethics of managing dysphagia in the schools, and will give you concrete steps for working with your team and developing a plan. Wendy references the ASHA Code of Ethics (http://www.asha.org/code-of-ethics/), the ASHA Professional Issues Statement on the Roles and Responsibilities of the SLP in Schools (http://www.asha.org/policy/PI2010-00317/), and the ASHA Pediatric Dysphagia Portal http://www.asha.org/Practice-Portal/Clinical-Topics/Pediatric-Dysphagia/. This is one of her favorite topics, so she encourages you to contact her with your questions and concerns you have!

We're excited to share our new podcast series, Admins Connect, which will highlight the experiences and opinions of a strategic cohort of educational administrators. Learning an outside perspective is valuable and The Hello Foundation is committed to building connections between administrators to promote our core value of Putting Kids First. Each 15 minute conversation captures an administrator's answers to 5 questions.Things look different when you're at the top, and by asking each guest the same 5 questions we'll be weaving a rich, textured, and interesting narrative about decisions from the strategic desk. This month we talk to Nancy Byers, Executive Director of Special Education, Yakima School District in Yakima, Washington. Nancy has worked in education for many years and brings the perspective of a long-time administrator committed to ongoing learning. Yakima District Stats: Total Enrollment: 15,627 Interesting Tidbit: Largest Latino-majority district in the state; second largest district in Eastern Washington SLP Model: a combination of employees and the Hello There! model from The Hello Foundation Thank you for your commitment to kids, Nancy!

Sara Ecker joins Kelly Bawden for a Q & A session on her talk, "5 strategies and resources for school age students who stutter."

Are you nervous about doing therapy with a child who stutters? Do you wish you had a few more basics to your stuttering arsenal of therapy ideas? Join Sara Ecker as she gives her top 5 strategies and resources for school age students who stutter. In this podcast, she will discuss the importance of speech sound awareness on the speech machine, how to use a speech hierarchy, how to reduce avoidance behaviors, resources for targeting feelings and attitudes and what the stutter says about the speech machine with a prescription for different kinds of stuttering moments.

This week on Hello Live, Frank Bender provided a general overview of the special education evaluation process for culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Listen in as Frank joins Kelly Bawden for a Q & A session on how to best serve this population.

Grappling with the complexities of evaluating ELL students for SPED services? How do you evaluate a bilingual student when you are a monolingual English-speaking clinician? This podcast will provide a general overview of the special education evaluation process for culturally and linguistically diverse student populations. This process aligns with both federal and state statues and research-based best practice principles. Don’t miss the Q & A discussion following the podcast presentation that provides additional context and insight to many questions. Listen all the way through for instructions on how to document your free CEUs.

This week on Hello Live, Jenny Peddicord, M.S., CCC-SLP, introduced us to the concept of the Virtual Fieldtrip. Listen in as Jenny joins Kelly Bawden for a brief question and answer session on the tools best suited for virtual field trips with kids!

Looking for a way to expand young horizons? With tablets and streaming video services you can take your kids to wonderful new places in your community and beyond. This week on Hello Live, Jenny Peddicord, M.S., CCC-SLP, introduces the concept of the Virtual Fieldtrip and shares the tools and technology she's used to make it a success in her work with kids!

Are you struggling with improving service delivery in the schools? Sharon Soliday and the SLPs of Portland Public Schools were also, and the impact was felt far outside the speech room! This week on the show, Sharon dissects the 3:1 model and offers examples of how supporting students well means supporting classroom teachers well, too. Most importantly, she outlines how this model was put into effect and the successes they had.