There are many reasons why districts and schools may feel they need more therapists on staff – seasonal spikes, unfilled vacancies, maternity/paternity leave or other factors all contribute to a district’s ability to manage caseloads and serve students. Every week, CASE Weekly Update polls subscribers, many of whom are CASE members, on various special education issues and this poll asked subscribers which of the following positions were top hiring priorities for the 2016-17 school year:
- Special education teachers
- School psychologists
- Speech-language pathologists
- Occupational therapists
- Physical therapists
- Administrative staff (including coordinators, etc.)
- Other – specify
Results revealed respondents were most worried about filling the following positions this year:
- Special educations teachers – 56%
- Speech-language pathologists – 25%
- School psychologists – 13%
- Bilingual speech-language pathologists and interpreters – 6%
PresenceLearning’s network of experienced and credentialed clinicians consists of speech-language pathologists, school psychologists, occupational therapists, and school social workers – including bilingual therapists. These clinicians conduct services remotely via our real-time, secure videoconferencing platform, which includes activities and progress tracking tools all in one place. This therapy modality allows districts to overcome the obstacles of geography and time in order to connect students with the clinical professionals they need to support their success and progress against IEP goals – and help to ease bursting caseloads for your onsite staff.
If your district is concerned about staffing gaps this spring (or already looking at staffing highly qualified therapists for next school year), now may be the time for you to explore a teletherapy pilot program with PresenceLearning. Click here to learn how more about how online therapy works, or here to get in touch about pilot pricing.
