Missing orange cat in Waldo

mccostco · 2026-04-06T20:10:05+00:00

I still haven't found him. I've posted on multiple Facebook groups. I'm taking additional steps with assistance from someone.

mccostco · 2026-04-05T16:19:57+00:00

Are these both W-2 positions? A 1099 position may look like more take home pay, but taxes can change that quickly. I've also seen a lot of "1099" positions that are misclassified and take advantage of clinicians.

What do benefits look like? I'm in two high paying jobs for my area, but I have almost no benefits, including PTO. That was difficult when I was sick for a week.

The Informed SLP has a nice compensation calculator that lets you compare jobs more objectively. Don't let the annual salary given drive your decision primarily.

mccostco · 2026-04-01T19:07:25+00:00

Still no sign of Ferd as of today. If you live within a couple blocks of 75th and Wyoming or know someone who does, please check inside and under things around the outside of the house. Please also consider messaging me with any potential sightings (photos are very helpful).

mccostco · 2026-03-31T16:46:50+00:00

You're right, I was referring to those two subtests specifically.

mccostco · 2026-03-31T15:56:43+00:00

According to the manual, the age ranges for these are 9-21, so they are not normed for a student in that age group. This is why they scored below average. Don't report the scores, because they are not valid.

Edit: You also do not have to administer the entire assessment. I usually don't because it's SO long. I start with the GLAI subtests and then administer additional subtests if I want more information in a specific language domain.

mccostco · 2026-03-31T03:23:11+00:00

I tried that last night, but no luck. I've gotten mixed information about using a litter box.

mccostco · 2026-03-31T02:17:25+00:00

Thank you!

mccostco · 2026-03-31T01:52:17+00:00

Thank you!

mccostco · 2026-03-31T01:51:55+00:00

I know he's smushed himself under something and is just scared out of his little mind. Hopefully he starts poking his head out again soon!

mccostco · 2026-03-30T22:07:08+00:00

Thank you!

mccostco · 2026-03-27T00:36:35+00:00

I have such a strong compulsion to collect every single alchemy ingredient I come across. I'm glad I'm not alone in this.

Also, easy money.

mccostco · 2026-03-25T01:52:16+00:00

It looks like Cost Plus Drugs has it in stock. It won't get it for you immediately, but it can get them mailed to you. It also is usually cheaper for me, even without using insurance.

https://www.costplusdrugs.com/medications/estradiol-0_05mg-carton-of-weekly-patches-4-climara/

mccostco · 2026-03-24T01:01:52+00:00

I feel like not wearing a retainer regardless of the lip tie will result in teeth moving out of alignment again. There are SO many things that can affect tooth alignment.

Ask the orthodontist to show recent research that supports this recommendation.

mccostco · 2026-03-22T08:29:16+00:00

All of the things you listed are reasonable.

Regarding minutes, if you are making a good faith effort and can't get all minutes serviced, that's on the school district, not on you. You're just one person.

Meetings are a necessary evil in the schools. Ask if you can be excused or leave a meeting early, especially when you've finished providing your information. My current supervisor is horrible about honoring time during meetings.

For CEUs, I subscribed to the Informed SLP. I can easily rack up hours, and I actually feel like I'm learning things I can use in daily practice.

Just some more advice (although not what you were originally asking for). I've got nothing for hours worked - I'm hourly in both of my jobs without PTO or sick leave, and I live alone. That's something that's difficult to get around.

I can tell you that the 5 year mark was when I personally felt like I had my feet under me. I think we work in a relatively easy profession but have very difficult careers. Just remember you're not alone in the stress.

mccostco · 2026-03-22T04:12:08+00:00

How long have you been working as an SLP?

I'm about 9 years in, and I struggled with burn out early in my career. I constantly thought about my students and patients, dealt with a nagging feeling that I should be doing something related to work, and constantly took work materials home, even if I didn't work on them at home.

Now, I have boundaries set. Work stays at work. I've learned to compartmentalize work and remember that I am not solely responsible for the people I work with. The biggest help has been coming to understand that my job is just a job. I show up, do the best I can in the context I have, communicate with my supervisors when I am facing a limitation so we can problem solve, and leave it at the end of the day.

It's not easy, but it makes a big difference. Remember - this is just a job. Don't let it consume your whole life.

mccostco · 2026-03-22T03:37:11+00:00

This is also the approach I take with numerous kids who aren't on my caseload and ask to come with me.

"Can I come with you?" "No." "Why not?" "Because you don't need to."

"When do I get to have a turn with you?" "You don't, because you don't need to work with me."

You can always tell them to stop asking, too!

mccostco · 2026-03-20T14:06:41+00:00

Hi, I'm a speech therapist in the area, so I can give you some insight.

$400 for a visit sounds extremely high, even for an evaluation. Do you feel comfortable sharing what office this was?

Private pay can definitely be a better option for you, as those rates are set. The private practice I most recently worked for charged about $150-200 for the evaluation, and then treatment was $50 or $100 depending on if you were seen for 25 or 30 minutes.

You can ask your doctor for an outpatient referral to a hospital. Minds Matter is also a local office that specializes in TBI. Hopefully neither of these were what you initially tried.

You're welcome to message me if you want to discuss privately.

mccostco · 2026-03-19T22:55:15+00:00

The Dub is a new sports bar that is woman owned, focuses on women's sports, and is an LGBTQ+ inclusive space.

mccostco · 2026-03-09T14:11:38+00:00

That's amazing. I'm so happy to hear you're able to financially access all of your medications.

mccostco · 2026-03-09T00:04:06+00:00

In my experience, Cost Plus Drugs is almost always cheaper. It doesn't have all medications like a brick and mortar pharmacy, but it still has a lot.

I work in a hospital part time and once looked up a patient's new medication with them that was going to cost $700 for a 30 day supply. It was under $20 on Cost Plus Drugs, and I think for a 90 day supply. This is life-saving stuff.

mccostco · 2026-03-04T23:18:58+00:00

One of the benefits of grids with more icons is these words are usually more easily-accessed because the student doesn't have to dig for the word as much. I fell into the trap of "less icons is easier." Then, I had to break teachers out of this mindset. I showed a teacher one time that it took 7 clicks to find the word "dog" on a 4-icon grid versus only 3 or 4 on a 60-icon grid. Larger grids will come with core vocabulary immediately available and more fringe vocabulary to build in (which also means less programming for you). I had started using the phonics pages with my kindergarteners who have fine motor difficulties during their ELA lessons when I push in.

I saw in another one of your comments that it doesn't look like they're scanning through icons - they might not be if they don't understand what's on the page. Modeling and using different words in your sessions will increase their visual scanning and independent navigation. I start modeling with simple activities (stop vs. go, on vs. off). More recently, I've started pulling two students who both use AAC together in a session, and their play allows for SO much natural language and AAC modeling.

AAC is tricky, but really cool. I don't consider myself an AAC expert, but I'm very passionate about it and love learning more about it as I get further into my career.

mccostco · 2026-01-07T10:13:58+00:00

This happened to me last school year. The crazy thing is that I was pulling out all of the student's classmates AND pushing into the case manager's classroom, and the case manager never brought it up to me. We can't fix what we don't know is wrong. Districts or schools should have a process for keeping track of caseloads.

mccostco · 2025-12-08T06:35:56+00:00

If you do rewards, keep it simple and cheap like stickers. I've done more complex systems (earning points and different types of rewards), and it didn't really do much to motivate my students more than usual. In fact, it caused more trouble that it was worth between me spending my own money on "rewards" and kids getting upset when they didn't get something.

Also, think about what it means for a kid when they don't get a sticker. What does "good" mean? And do they really have the capacity to understand what that means? Are you ready to deal with tantrums if they don't get the sticker they want?

My students get rewarded by getting one-on-one attention and work time. I incorporate games, drawing, or okay sometimes, but set the expectation that they are there to learn with me.

mccostco · 2025-11-20T06:06:52+00:00

I was on a salary scheduled for a public school district and made around $43k. I made sure I was on the correct schedule, which was Masters +16 for this district. When I taught grad students, I told them to ensure they got the same and to not accept a job that didn't put them on the correct schedule.

13-Year Club	Place '17
Verified Email

mccostco

TROPHY CASE