Aloha Notes: My career as a School Psychologist in Hawaii

It's not my first time out of the country but last month I was lucky enough to visit Japan. I was so excited as it's always been on my bucket list but communication was difficult to say the least. "Speak English?"  I'd smile and ask the (taxi driver, clerk, hotel employee....) Sometimes they spoke some basic words but many times they just shrugged or just "No English."...to which I'd comment foolishly to myself something like:  "Oh. Never mind. No biggie. Thank you though. I'll figure it out. " ((sigh)) I talked to myself a lot in Japan. I was that crazy American tourist--walking into men's restrooms (yes. really), smiling to the air or pantomiming to small children, or buying sour cream when I thought it was yogurt. Oops.  When I was looking for laundry detergent, I stared at rows of identical looking soaps. I couldn't read the labels and I worried that I'd pick one with bleach in it or get the fabric s...

Aloha FRIDAY! Hope everyone is hanging in there. I know the end of the school year can be hectic to say the least. Right now, we have a lot of transition meetings (elementary to middle school, middle school to high school, high school to....the unknown) and I thought I'd share this amazing career development resource that is aimed to assist students with disabilities after high school. TRANSITIONING AFTER HIGH SCHOOL   It is almost May. Can you believe it? How did this school year fly by so quickly? Well, unless you've been under a rock,  you've probably already noticed the new section at Longs or Foodland dedicated primarily for "Class of 2011 " gifts. Transitioning any high school student to the adult world of community college, university, or committing to a career field can be scary (to say the least... ) But there is hope for professionals or parents who want a resource for students with disabilities. Check it out:  Charting the Course:  S...