Out of the more than 1,000 schools using PresenceLearning online speech therapy, 10 school districts were recently awarded the PresenceLearning Award of Excellence. These districts were selected based on the percentage of students who improved one level or more in spoken language production and spoken language comprehension on the Functional Communication Measures (FCMs) scales during the 2013-14 school year.
The impressive progress these students made would not be possible without the support, expertise and dedication of our online speech-language pathologists (SLPs). This blog series profiles the very talented people who helped these districts achieve such high success rates.
In this Q & A, we chat with Lisa Crouse, our SLP who works with students from Medford School District in Medford, OR.
“Lisa has a wonderful style with her kiddos and is very well respected by the Medford staff. I always get positive feedback about her!” – Gila Cohen-Shaw, Lisa’s Lead Clinician
Q: How long have you been working with PresenceLearning?
A: I began working with PresenceLearning at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. This is my third year working with the amazing Medford School District team.
Q: Share a story about a student you’ve worked with online who has touched you in some way.
A: I have been working with an elementary school student for the past two years. Last year, the student was difficult to engage. This year he is usually all smiles and is excited to try new activities. At a recent IEP meeting, his mother shared with the team that her child loves coming to work with me on the computer each week. This student also told his mother that he learns a lot. Getting that kind of feedback from parents is so encouraging and rewarding!
Q: The school you worked with in 2013-14 achieved better results than nearly 1,000 others. Why do you think there has been so much success at that school?
A: The team I work with at Medford is wonderful! The collaboration and communication we have with each other via email, phone calls and through the platform has been key to our success. At one of my sites, I have had the amazing opportunity to work with the same on-site SLP for all three years I have been with PresenceLearning. This has allowed us to build a great relationship that allows for efficient communication about student needs. I also feel as though I have established a strong rapport with each of my students. This connection makes them feel special and increases their willingness to give it their all when we work together.
Q: How has the PresenceLearning community benefited you as an SLP?
A: I truly feel like we are a team. Even though we are separated by many miles, I always feel supported by my Senior Clinical Consultant, Teri and the Lead SLP for Medford School District, Gila. Every question is answered and every concern is addressed quickly and professionally. Being connected to so many amazing PresenceLearning SLPs with diverse backgrounds and experience has been beneficial. Everyone is willing to share their expertise, which benefits us all.
Lisa, thank you so much for all that you do!
