Avoiding Job Scams During the Summer Hiring Season:

Summer is one of the busiest times of the year for school-based hiring. Districts are trying to fill vacancies before the first day of school, and professionals are looking for the right opportunity before the new school year begins.

For SLPs, OTs, PTs, school nurses, school psychologists, special education teachers, and other related service providers, this can be an exciting time. New school year. New opportunity. New setting. New team.

But it is also a time when job scams can appear more convincing.

When hiring moves quickly, scammers move quickly too. That is why school-based professionals need to slow down, ask questions, and verify before sharing personal information or accepting an offer.

A real job opportunity should come from a real organization with a professional hiring process. You should be able to confirm the company, the school district or placement site, the job responsibilities, pay structure, supervision expectations, schedule, start date, licensure requirements, and onboarding process.

Be cautious if someone offers you a position without an interview, asks for banking information too early, pressures you to make an immediate decision, uses a suspicious email address, or says they will send you money to buy equipment. These are warning signs that the opportunity may not be legitimate.

Before accepting a school-based position, confirm who you are actually working for. Is it a school district, staffing agency, teletherapy company, contractor, or another organization? Make sure you understand whether the role is W-2, 1099, full-time, part-time, in-person, virtual, or hybrid.

You should also ask for the offer in writing. The written offer should clearly explain pay, schedule, location, role, benefits if applicable, required documentation, licensure requirements, background check procedures, and who will supervise or support you.

Your license, time, personal information, and professional reputation matter. A good opportunity will not disappear just because you asked for clarity.

At Liricare, we believe school-based professionals deserve safer, more transparent ways to connect with opportunities. Whether you are an SLP, OT, PT, school nurse, school psychologist, special education teacher, or school administrator, it is important to protect yourself while searching for the right fit.

Before you commit, take time to verify the opportunity, confirm the contact, review the offer, and ask questions.

Do not let excitement override verification.

Liricare is built to help school-based professionals connect, get seen, and explore opportunities with greater confidence.

Protect the provider.
Support the school.
Strengthen student services.

Your Summer Adventure Awaits!

Special education teams need quick access to the most important IEP information without digging through the full document every time support is needed.

That is why we created the Liricare / Data King IEP At-a-Glance Editable Forms

These one-page tools are designed for:

Special Education Teachers
Speech-Language Pathologists
Occupational Therapists
Physical Therapists

Each form helps organize key student information, IEP goals, accommodations, service needs, progress monitoring notes, provider responsibilities, communication reminders, and follow-up actions in one simple editable format.

This is a must-have tool because strong IEP implementation depends on clarity. When staff can quickly see what a student needs, how services should be delivered, and what must be tracked, the team is better prepared to support the student and stay aligned.

No more hunting through pages of an IEP during a busy school day.
No more guessing who needs what support.
No more losing track of important service details.

We are offering free editable versions.

Comment below with the version you want:

Special Education Teacher
SLP
OT
PT
ALL

Your Liricare profile is more than a page.

It is your professional first impression.

Whether you are an SLP, OT, PT, special education teacher, nurse, school psychologist, school administrator, or related service provider, a complete profile helps schools, agencies, and professional connections better understand who you are and what you offer.

Here are 5 quick steps to improve your Liricare profile landing page today:

Step 1: Get verified.
Verification helps build trust and lets others know your profile is active and credible.

Step 2: Add a professional picture.
People connect with people. A clear photo helps your profile feel more personal and professional.

Step 3: Strengthen your About section.
Use this space to briefly share your experience, specialty areas, populations served, certifications, and the type of opportunities or professional connections you are open to.

Step 4: Update your role and service details.
Make sure your profile clearly shows whether you are an SLP, OT, PT, special education teacher, nurse, school psychologist, administrator, therapist assistant, or other school-based professional.

Step 5: Keep your profile current.
Add updated availability, licensure information, work preferences, virtual or in-person options, and any new skills or experience.

A strong profile makes it easier for the right people to find you, understand your background, and connect with you for meaningful opportunities.

Take five minutes today and update your Liricare profile.

Summer school and ESY are not the same thing, and that difference matters.

For school administrators and special education teams, this is one of those topics that can create confusion quickly if staff, families, and IEP teams are not speaking the same language.

Summer school is usually a general education program focused on enrichment, remediation, credit recovery, or course completion.

ESY, or Extended School Year, is an individualized special education decision made by the IEP team based on student need. It is connected to FAPE, critical skill maintenance, regression and recoupment, related services, and the student’s unique IEP goals.

A student may attend summer school, qualify for ESY, qualify for both, or qualify for neither.

That is why districts should plan early, review data carefully, document decisions clearly, and communicate expectations with families before summer programming begins.

For administrators, the key reminders are simple:

Use data.
Protect services.
Plan early.

At Liricare, we understand how important staffing and service delivery are during both the regular school year and extended school year. When districts need support with special education teachers, SLPs, OTs, PTs, nurses, school psychologists, or related service providers, early planning makes all the difference.

This visual is a quick reminder for school leaders and special education teams preparing for summer services and the upcoming school year.

This tip sheet introduces and provides an overview of the 13 disability categories that students may be eligible for an individualized education program (IEP) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

This tip sheet defines speech or language impairment under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and shares strategies for success.

Strategies & Tips: How Special Education Teachers and Speech Therapists Can Work Together to Close Out the School Year

Work and life balance

Wishing our entire Liricare community a meaningful Memorial Day. 🇺🇸

Today, we honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Their dedication reminds us of what it means to truly show up for others.

To every SLP, OT, PT, special education teacher, psychologist, and therapist here: that same spirit of service lives in your work every day. The children, families, and individuals you support are lucky to have you.

Take time today to rest and recharge. Thank you for all that you do. 🤍

Focus!

Happy (belated) National Speech-Language Pathologist Day!

May 18th was a day dedicated to celebrating one of the most impactful professions in healthcare, and the Liricare team wants to extend our warmest wishes to every SLP in our community.

Your work goes far beyond therapy sessions. You restore confidence, rebuild connections, and open doors that once felt closed. Every milestone your clients reach is a testament to the skill and heart you pour into this profession.

Thank you for all that you do, today and every day!

Happy SLP Appreciation Day!

See how school-based speech-language pathologists provide preventative support to improve students’ communication and literacy skills.

😞

Monday Mindset:

The school year is almost at the finish line, but for SLPs, OTs, PTs, special education teachers, and school administrators, this is not the time to coast.

This is the time to close the year with data, dignity, and direction.

The end of the year is not just about finishing paperwork. It is about protecting student progress, documenting services, reviewing IEP implementation, preparing families for summer, and setting the next team up for success.

For SLPs, this may mean making sure communication goals, service logs, progress notes, and recommendations are clear.

For OTs and PTs, this may mean documenting functional progress, equipment needs, accessibility concerns, and carryover strategies.

For special education teachers, this may mean updating progress reports, reviewing accommodations, organizing student records, and making sure IEP teams have the information they need.

For school administrators, this may mean looking at staffing patterns, compliance timelines, service delivery gaps, parent concerns, and what needs to improve before next school year begins.

The final weeks of school reveal the strength of the system.

Do we have the data?
Are services documented?
Are families informed?
Are staff supported?
Are students prepared for the next step?

Liricare is here to support the professionals doing this important work. Whether you are a therapist, special education teacher, related service provider, or school leader, your role matters.

Finish strong. Document well. Communicate clearly. Lead with purpose.

Autism support should not feel like searching for a needle in a digital haystack.

Families, educators, therapists, and school teams need trusted resources they can find quickly, understand clearly, and use with confidence. That is why this Autism Website Resource List is such a valuable tool.

This resource brings together a wide range of autism-related supports, including parent guidance, early childhood resources, evidence-based practices, communication supports, behavior strategies, safety resources, multilingual family resources, professional development, transition supports, and school-based special education connections.

For parents, it can help reduce the confusion after a diagnosis.

For teachers, it can support stronger classroom planning.

For therapists, it can connect services to evidence-based practices.

For school leaders, it can help teams build better support systems for students with autism.

This is the kind of resource that belongs in every special education toolbox.

Check it out and share it with a family, teacher, therapist, or school team that could use a reliable starting point.

Because when the right resources are easier to find, support becomes easier to provide.

How to Work in the U.S. As a Foreign-Educated Speech Pathologist:
https://www.uslanguageservices.com/guides-resources/how-to-work-in-the-us-as-a-foreign-educated-speech-pathologist/

https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/2026-slp-schools-family-support-Kurian/full/