Week in Review - March 18, 2011

WEEK IN REVIEW

New NASET Publications and Articles of Interest in Special Education and Disabilities That Were Reported This Week

March 18, 2011 - Vol 7, Issue 10

 

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In This Issue
New This Week on NASET
NASET Appears as a Clue on JEOPARDY
Creativity Has a Connection with ADHD
Majority of Children with Disabilities in Africa are Out of School
Young Scholars: Nurturing Hidden Gifts
A Drug to Help Brain Heal Itself
Clothing for Children with Autism Presents Challenges
In Kansas, Cuts to Services for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities Opposed
TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK
FEMA to Include Disability Advocates in Emergency Planning
New Hampshire Lawmaker Advocates Eugenics
ADA: New Rules on Services Animals in Effect as of March 15, 2011
FDA Panel to Examine Anesthesia Risks in Surgeries for Kids
In Nevada, Concerns That...Budget Cuts Will End Autism Treatment Programs

Dear NASET Members:

Welcome toNASET'sWEEK in REVIEWHere, we provide you with the latest publications fromNASETto read and or download, as well as some of the most interesting articles that have happened this week in the field of special education. We hope you enjoy this publication.  Feel free to send us articles for this publication or let us know your thoughts about the WEEK in REVIEW atnews@naset.org. Have a great weekend.
 
Sincerely,


NASETNews Team

 

NASET Sponsor - Mayer-Johnson

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New This Week on NASET

Discipline of Students in Special Education Series


Reporting Crimes

Do IDEA's discipline procedures allow school systems to report crimes that are committed by children with disabilities? IDEA makes clear that schools are not prohibited from reporting a crime committed by a child with a disability to appropriate authorities. Similarly, the law does not prevent State law enforcement and judicial authorities from exercising their responsibilities. The agency reporting the crime must ensure that copies of the special education and disciplinary records are transmitted for consideration by the appropriate authorities-however, only to the extent that the transmission is permitted by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law that protects the privacy of children's education records. The focus of this issue of NASET's Discipline of Students in Special Education Series, takes a brief look at the section of IDEA's disciplinary procedures called "referral to and action by law enforcement and judicial authorities.

To read or download this issue - Click here  (login required)
______________________________________________________

Genetics in Special Education Series

Genetic components presented in this issue:
  • WAGR
  • Poland Anomoly

    To read or download this issue - Click here  (login required)

NASET Appears as a Clue on JEOPARDY

On Weds., March 9, 2011, weren't we surprised to be watching Jeopardy when, under the category of "Teaching", the clue read:  [Naset is the "National Association of" these "Teachers", who may work with the gifted as well as the disabled.]  The correct answer was, of course, "special education".  Unfortunately, Jeopardy is syndicated so we can't download the episode or send you a clip from hulu or abc.com. To see how it appeared against other clues and categories, click here

Creativity Has a Connection with ADHD 

A new study by the researchers have found out that those people who have attention deficit hyper therapy disorder have more creativity within themselves as compared to others. "For the same reason that ADHD might create problems, like distraction, it can also allow an openness to new ideas", said Holly White, assistant professor of cognitive psychology at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida and co-author of the paper. Researchers claim that they do not pay attention to their surroundings much and thus they can think and find out innovative creativity from inside. To read more, click here

Did You Know That.....

This week (March 15, 2011), new federal guidelines tightened the definition of service animals to just dogs and in some cases miniature horses.

Majority of Children with Disabilities in Africa are Out of School

Estimates by the 93Education for Alls" (EFAs) Global Monitoring Report 2007 indicates that the majority of children with disabilities in Africa do not attend school. The report indicates that of the 72 million primary aged children worldwide who are out of school, one third have disabilities. Speaking at the 32nd Anniversary celebration of the Savelugu School for the Deaf in the Savelugu Nanton District of the Northern Region, Mr Bukari Mohammed, an Official at the Special Education Division of the Ghana Education Service, said the EFA Global Report stated that the marginalized and children with disabilities remained the main groups being widely excluded from quality education. The day was set aside by the School Management Committee and Parents/Teachers Association (PTA) to recognize pupils of the school who had excelled in their fields of endeavor and also demonstrate to people that disability is not inability. To read more, click here

 

Young Scholars: Nurturing Hidden Gifts

At the beginning of a Richardson Elementary class, a dozen students recite a creed: "I believe in myself and my ability to try my hardest at all times."The students are part of an innovative program in District 622, "Young Scholars," designed to get more poor and minority students enrolled in gifted-and-talented and Advanced Placement classes. North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale school administrators recognized three years ago that their gifted-and-talented classes were disproportionately white. Fewer minority students were taking the required entrance exam and, of those who did, few were passing. To read more, click here

 

A Drug to Help Brain Heal Itself

A drug usually in the headlines when top athletes are found out as substance cheats could soon be helping people to recover from a traumatic brain injury. Australian scientists are part of a global effort looking at whether erythropoietin - otherwise known as EPO - can boost the brain's recently discovered ability heal itself. The dogma 10 years ago was that the brain was "absolutely unable to generate new neurones ... if they got lost they could never be replaced", explains Associate Professor Cristina Morganti-Kossmann from the National Trauma Research Institute (NTRI) at Melbourne's The Alfred Hospital. "But it has been shown there is a very small number of new neurones that are generated continuously, even in adult life," she says. To read more, click here

Did You Know That.....

The Department of Justice (DOJ) now states that a service animal must be "individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability."

 

Clothing for Children with Autism Presents Challenges

Early one morning, "Rudy" was heading over to his general education classroom after eating breakfast. The boy was a quiet child, well liked by all the children in his third-grade class. Rudy knew how to behave and really tried hard at academics, especially math. In fact, math was his favorite subject, the one in which he could to keep up with his class. The sentence problems sometimes posed a challenge, but he generally was able to do the multiplication and division questions in class. Rudy was on an IEP (individual education plan) for most of his academics. The IEP included several modifications for math, such as no more than three questions on a test, the right to use a calculator to check his answer, and oral reading for any word questions. It was obvious that Rudy's general education teacher had a soft spot for him, and her gentleness had helped Rudy fit in well with the other children. One day, Rudy came to school wearing his brand new tennis shoes. Normally, the boy had Velcro shoes that made them easy to put on. He was very excited to show his friends his new shoes, with their long laces. Typical of most children wearing laced shoes, his eventually came undone. Rudy tried hard to tie them, but it was impossible. To read more, click here

 

In Kansas, Cuts to Services for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities Opposed

Stephen Lee loves wrestling, babies and playing basketball in Special Olympics. It takes seven or eight people to provide the around-the-clock care he requires at the group home in which he now resides. If cuts proposed by Gov. Brownback are approved by the Kansas Legislature, Stephen's retired mother is likely to have to take care of him essentially by herself. "It's becoming extremely difficult" for her and her husband to take care of their 33-year-old son when he comes home for visits, said Mary Jo Lee, who uses a cane to walk. As much as she adores her son, "it's getting to the point where I dread having him come home for weekends," she said, tears filling her eyes. To read more, click here

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Guess the answer to this week's trivia question and we'll recognize you in next week's Week in Review.
 
Congratulations to:  

Yvonne Allan, MaryLouise Torre,Shan Ring, Heather Driggs, Marilyn Haile, Lois Nembhard, Chris Kiefer, Corin Bahr, Julia Godfrey, Linda Tilson, Christie Miller, Terri Trent, Patricia A. Williams, Jessica Ulmer, Tabitha Garrett, Debbie Innerarity, Ellen Brewi, & Mike Kieran who all knew that a

ccording to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the leading cause (35.2%) of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the United States is "FALLS".
 

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:

 
What U.S. President originally signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
 
If you know the answer, send an email to contactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, March 21, 2011 at 12:00 p.m.

 

 

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FEMA to Include Disability Advocates in Emergency Planning

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is joining forces with a disability rights group in an effort to better serve people with special needs during disasters. In a White House meeting Friday afternoon, FEMA is expected to sign a memorandum of agreement with the National Disability Rights Network, an umbrella group for the protection and advocacy organizations in each state. The agreement will ensure the advocates a seat at the table as FEMA plans for and responds to emergencies. "One of the lessons that came from Katrina was that first responders were woefully underprepared and that many federal, state and local disaster plans did not include provisions for individuals with disabilities," says David Card, a spokesman for the National Disability Rights Network. "This agreement will put disability advocates in the room during policy discussions and planning, and in the command centers during an emergency." To read more, click here

 

New Hampshire Lawmaker Advocates Eugenics

A 91-year-old state representative told a constituent that he believes in eugenics and that the world would be better off without "defective people."Barrington Republican Martin Harty told Sharon Omand, a Strafford resident who manages a community mental health program, that "the world is too populated" and there are "too many defective people," according to an e-mail account of the conversation by Omand. Asked what he meant, she said Harty clarified, "You know the mentally ill, the retarded, people with physical disabilities and drug addictions - the defective people society would be better off without." To read more, click here

 

See Above Article...New Hampshire Legislator Who Suggested Siberia for 'Retarded' Resigns (see above article)

A New Hampshire lawmaker resigned Monday amid criticism for suggesting to a constituent that the state ship people with disabilities to Siberia. Rep. Martin Harty, a 91-year-old first-term Republican in the state's House of Representatives, drew fire after it became public that he told a constituent that "the world is too populated" with "too many defective people." "I wish we had a Siberia so we could ship them all off to freeze to death and die and clean up the population," Harty continued, according to the constituent's account. He specified that he was referring to "the mentally ill, the retarded, people with physical disabilities and drug addictions." To read more, click here

 

Minnesota Professor Uses Xbox Kinect for Research on Mental Disorders in Children

Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos admits laughing at the idea of purchasing an Xbox Kinect for his $4 million research experiment. The University of Minnesota computer science professor has saved more than $100,000 by using the Kinect as an integral part of his research - employing it not as a toy but as a medical tool that could one day streamline the diagnoses of mental disorders in children. Researchers, in a collaboration between the Institute of Child Development, the University of Minnesota Medical School and the College of Science and Engineering, are exploring the use of technology to diagnose children who show symptoms of an array of mental disorders including obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention deficit disorder. To read more, click here

 

Beyond Pass-Fail: Washington's New Teacher Evaluations

While their students can earn anything from an A to an F for their school performance, nearly every American teacher gets one of two grades-unsatisfactory or meets expectations-and almost all earn a passing grade. That is about to change in Washington and many other states where more nuanced teacher evaluation systems are being developed, at least partly in response to the federal Race to the Top competition for school dollars. Last year, a handful of Washington school districts were given money and help to update both teacher and principal evaluations. Washington did not get money from the federal government to help pay for this or any other education reform idea, but the legislature and the governor wanted school districts to go ahead with this school reform effort. To read more, click here

 

5 Myths About Zero-Tolerance Disciplinary Policies

Zero-tolerance policies have been popular for years in school districts around the country, often instituted on a set of assumptions that research shows are not true. My colleague Donna St. George has chronicled two cases in Fairfax County, the latest a girl forced out of her public school because she had prescription acne medicine in her locker, which underscore the problems with such policies. The earlier case involved a 15-year-old football player who wound up taking his own life after the fallout of an infraction. And St. George reported that there are a number of other cases in which parents questioned the penalty of their child's actions, calling it unduly harsh. The Fairfax School Board is planning to start a review of the system's discipline policies Monday. Fairfax is hardly the only place this happens, of course; in New York City, a fourth-grader was suspended after putting a Post-it note that said "kick me" on a classmate. The girl was said not to have staged an ill-advised prank but to have been a bully. Zero-tolerance policies are not the same everywhere, and there is no single definition for them. To read more, click here

 

ADA: New Rules on Services Animals in Effect as of March 15, 2011

Twenty years after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, significant changes are being made to build an accessible future for the more than 54 million Americans with disabilities. Starting March 15, 2011, one of those changes is the rule governing service animals. The DBTAC Rocky Mountain ADA Center provides information on the ADA to individuals and organizations in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming and will provide training opportunities and make products available to help educate people on the revised regulations. "Service animals play a vital role in the lives of thousands of people with disabilities," said Jana Burke, the director of the DBTAC Rocky Mountain ADA Center. "The new rules will affect many people using various animals that previously qualified as service animals, making it extremely important for these individuals and public accommodations to understand the revised regulations."  To read more, click here

Did You Know That......

As of March 15, 2011, animals that simply provide "emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship" are not considered service animals under the new regulations of the ADA.

 FDA Panel to Examine Anesthesia Risks in Surgeries for Kids

U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel experts met to examine the growing concerns about the use of anesthesia in children undergoing surgical procedures. Several research studies have shown that anesthesia harms the developing brain cells in children leading to neurological disorders, learning disabilities and adversely affecting cognitive powers. Recent research studies carried out in young lab animals subjected to anesthesia have indicated damage to the brain cells as a result of the anesthesia. Studies have documented brain cell death in young monkeys and rodents that were administered anesthesia, and a new study by the FDA on five-day old rhesus monkeys exposed to anesthesia for 24 hours, showed that they developed cognitive disabilities. To read more, click here

AASEP Logo

NASET MEMBER'S BENEFIT - 

Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET Members

Through an agreement with The American Academy of Special Education Professionals(AASEP), NASET members now have the opportunity to achieve AASEP Board Certification in Special Education - (B.C.S.E.) at a reduced fee.  AASEP Board Certification in Special Education - (B.C.S.E.) is a voluntary choice on the part of the candidate. The candidate for Board Certification wishes to demonstrate a commitment to excellence to employers, peers, administrators, other professionals, and parents. From the standpoint of the Academy, board certification will demonstrate the highest professional competency in the area of special education. Board Certification in Special Educationestablishes a much needed standard for professionals, across disciplines, who work with exceptional children.  
 
For more information on Board Certification in Special Education, click here

In Nevada, Concerns That Budget Cuts Will End Autism Treatment Programs

"OK, let's try to work on that last part again." Meg Crandy, a tall teenager with shoulder length brown hair, confidently leads the chorus rehearsal for a Desert Pines High School theater production. "One, two, three, four," the 17-year-old junior says, smiling and nodding as a dozen young men and women launch into a tune from "Zombie Prom." When Meg was diagnosed with autism more than 14 years ago, Jan Crandy never believed her daughter's life could turn out this way. She remembers a toddler whose brain didn't fit the world, a tiny girl seemingly destined for a life of fear and pain and institutionalized living. To read more, click here

Food For Thought..........

Enthusiasm is contagious. Be a carrier. 

                                                   Susan Rabin

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