Week in Review - April 27, 2012

WEEK IN REVIEW

NewNASETPublications and Articles of Interest in Special Education and Disabilities That Were Reported This Week

April 27, 2012 - Vol 8, Issue 16

 

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In This Issue

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

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Dear NASET News,

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 theWEEK in REVIEWatnews@naset.org.Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,


NASETNews Team

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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

New This Week on NASET - Q&A Corner ,  &  Resource Review
Q&A Corner

Food Allergies

Food allergy is an abnormal response to a food, triggered by the body's immune system. There are several types of immune responses to food. The information on this Web site focuses on one type of adverse reaction to food, in which the body produces a specific type of antibody, called immunoglobulin E (IgE). The binding of IgE antibodies to specific molecules in a food triggers the immune response. Read about what happens during an allergic response to food. The response may be mild, or in rare cases it can be associated with the severe and life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis.If you have a food allergy, it is extremely important for you to work with your healthcare professional to learn what foods cause your allergic reaction. Learn about how healthcare professionals diagnose food allergy. Sometimes, a reaction to food is not an allergy at all but another type of reaction called food intolerance. This issue of NASET's Q & A Corner addresses the important topic of food allergies.



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______________________________________________________

Resource Review

April 2012

In this issue we will discuss topics such as:

  • Allergies and Asthma
  • Calls to Participate
  • College Choice
  • Common Core Standards
  • Diabetes
  • Early Intervention
  • Eating Disorders
  • Forgotten Youth
  • High School Toolkit
  • Nutrition
  • Pica
  • RTI
  • Reading Comprehension and learning Disabilities
  • Recent Topics in Education
  • Teaching Quality
To read or download this issue -Click here (login required)

NASET's Executive Director, Dr. George Giuliani, Addresses the Issue of Teacher Evaluation in Special Education

Spurred by the U.S. Department of Education's $4.35 billion Race to the Top grant competition, more than a dozen states have passed laws to reform how teachers are evaluated and include student growth as a component. For most students, that growth will be measured on standardized tests. But for special education students that is considerably more complicated....."The great concern right now in many states is they're using the same criteria for the general education teachers that they're going to use for the special education teachers and there's real resistance to that," said George Giuliani, director of the special education program at Hofstra University's Graduate School and executive director of the National Association of Special Education Teachers. To read more,click here

Scoliosis Treatment Might Reduce Need for Surgeries

Magnetically controlled growing rods can treat the spinal disorder scoliosis in children without the need for repeat invasive surgeries, a small new study suggests. Scoliosis is an abnormal curving of the spine that occurs mainly in young children and adolescents. Traditional treatment for children who are still growing is surgical insertion of growing rods. Every six months, however, a new surgery is required to lengthen the rods. These repeated surgeries are costly and force children to miss school and parents to miss work. In the study, researchers assessed the use of magnetically controlled growing rods that were implanted in two patients. The key advantage: Surgery is not required to lengthen these rods. To read more,click here

Did You Know That....

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures. There are many types of seizures and their symptoms can vary from a momentary disruption of the senses, to short periods of unconsciousness or staring spells, to convulsions.

Study of Half Siblings Provides Genetic Clues to Autism

When a child has autism, siblings are also at risk for the disorder. New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that the genetic reach of the disorder often extends to half siblings as well. On the surface, the finding may not be surprising -- half siblings share about 25 percent of their genes. But the discovery is giving scientists new clues to how autism is inherited. The study is published online in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. According to principal investigator John N. Constantino, MD, the new research adds to recent evidence that even though autism is far more common in males, females still can inherit and pass along genetic risk for autism. 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

Death From Accidental Injuries Among Kids Drops 30%: CDC

Accidental deaths among children and adolescents have dropped 30 percent since 2000 but still remain the number-one killer of children and teens, according to new statistics released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday. "More than 9,000 children died from unintentional injuries in the U.S. in 2009," said CDC principal deputy director Ileana Arias at a Monday press conference. "In the U.S., death rates from unintentional injuries in children up to age 14 were among the worst of all high-income countries." Leading the list of fatal unintentional injuries were motor vehicle crashes, although suffocation, drowning, poisoning, fires and burns and falls also contributed to fatalities.To read more,click here

Speed and Ecstasy Associated With Depression in Teenagers

A five year study conducted with thousands of local teenagers by University of Montreal researchers reveals that those who used speed (meth/ampthetamine) or ecstasy (MDMA) at fifteen or sixteen years of age were significantly more likely to suffer elevated depressive symptoms the following year. "Our findings are consistent with other human and animal studies that suggest long-term negative influences of synthetic drug use," said co-author Frédéric N. Brière of the School Environment Research Group at the University of Montreal. "Our results reveal that recreational MDMA and meth/amphetamine use places typically developing secondary school students at greater risk of experiencing depressive symptoms." Ecstasy and speed-using grade ten students were respectively 1.7 and 1.6 times more likely to be depressed by the time they reached grade eleven. To read more,click here

Did You Know That....

Epilepsy can be caused by many different conditions that affect a person's brain. Often no definite cause can be found. Epilepsy cannot be transmitted from person to person.

Lehigh University Special Education Law Symposium, June 24-29, 2012

Lehigh University's intensive week-long special education law symposium provides a practical analysis of legislation, regulations, and case law relating to the education of students with disabilities. The symposium provides a thorough analysis of the leading issues under the IDEA and Section 504. Special features include: parallel tracks for basic and advanced practitioners, starting with a keynote dinner and presentation by Dr. Alexa Posny, Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education, and ending with a post-luncheon crystal-ball session  by Chicago attorney Darcy Kriha; a balance of knowledgeable district, parent, and neutral perspectives; essential topics with proven effective presenters for the basic track; and a brand new set of "hot topics" and faculty presenters for the advanced track.For more information visit http://www.lehigh.edu/education/law. Questions? Contact Tamara Bartolet (tlp205@lehigh.edu or 610/758-3226).

In Breakthrough, Study Finds Cerebral Palsy Treatable

Medication may be able to sharply alter the course of cerebral palsy, scientists said Wednesday, after finding that animals with the developmental condition responded remarkably to a new treatment. Within five days of being given an anti-inflammatory drug, researchers found that newborn rabbits with cerebral palsy made dramatic progress. The animals were able to walk and hop, tasks they'd had great difficulty with prior to the treatment. The findings,reportedin the journal Science Translational Medicine, offer tremendous promise for people with the developmental disability, researchers said. To read more,click here

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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:  
Elma Shaw,Olumide Akerele, Toni Leone, Merril Bruce, Heather Shyrer,Kerry Scheetz,Lois Nembhard, Josh Del Viscovo, Joanie Dikeman, Jessica L. Ulmer,Kathy Garrity, Margaret Robertson,Deanna Krieg,Tanya Van Lancker,Cheri Mclean, Lori Otto, Kim McArthur,Marilyn Haile, Craig Pate,Elaine Draper, Catherine Cardenas,Eileen Buerano,Shan Ring,Margaret M. GroceandPrahbhjot Malhi who all knew the answer to last wee's trvia question was: Alternate assessments (or portfolio assessment).
THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
Which President of the United States served in office while diagnosed with epilepsy (suffering from what appeared to be epileptic seizures)?

If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, April 30, 2012 at 12:00 p.m.

Breaking Point: When Does Head Trauma in Sports Lead to Memory Loss?

A new study suggests there may be a starting point at which blows to the head or other head trauma suffered in combat sports start to affect memory and thinking abilities and can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in the brain. The research was released April 18 and will be presented as part of the Emerging Science program at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans April 21 to April 28, 2012. "While we already know that boxing and other combat sports are linked to brain damage, little is known about how this process develops and who may be on the path to developing CTE, which is a degenerative brain disease found in athletes and others with a history of multiple concussions and brain damage," said study author Charles Bernick, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. CTE is only diagnosed through autopsy after death, but symptoms include memory loss, aggression and difficulty thinking. To read more,click here

S.C. Chief Asks Lawmakers for $36 Million More for Special Education

South Carolinahas been denieda second extension of a $36 million penalty in federal special education money, a penalty imposed because the state didn't spend enough money on special education during the 2009-10 school year. In a letter earlier this month, Deputy Education Secretary Anthony Miller told South Carolina Superintendent Mick Zais the state had time to find $36 million in its state budget because it wasalready granted a delayof the federal penalty, which could have been imposed last July. States that cut special education spending without getting federal permission first can be penalized: The U.S. Department of Education can cut the same amount of money from a state's federal share of special education dollars. These so-called "maintenance of effort" rules built into federal law are intended to buffer students with disabilities from dramatic changes in services educators have found they need. To read more,click here

New Medication Offers Hope to Patients With Frequent, Uncontrollable Seizures

A new type of anti-epilepsy medication that selectively targets proteins in the brain that control excitability may significantly reduce seizure frequency in people whose recurrent seizures have been resistant to even the latest medications, new Johns Hopkins-led research suggests. "Many other drugs to treat frequent seizures have been released in the last 10 years and for many people, they just don't work," says study leader Gregory L. Krauss, M.D., a professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "For a drug-resistant population that has run out of options, this study is good news. These are patients who are tough to treat and are fairly desperate." To read more,click here

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Are Children at Private Schools Entitled to Services Under Section 504?

The parents of a student in Baltimorehave suedthe school district for not providing services underSection 504of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The parents of student D.L., who has ADHD and an anxiety disorder, enrolled their child in a private school several years ago. Then they requested an evaluation from the school district to see if their child was eligible for special education services. Eventually, their lawsuit says, the city of Baltimore school district evaluated D.L. and found that he was eligible for 504 services, but not while attending a private school. When the parents filed an official complaint, the hearing officer agreed that D.L. couldn't get 504 services even if he or she was enrolled at both the private school and a public school. He had to be enrolled at a public school full time. That led to a lawsuit in 2010. To read more,click here

Childhood Trauma Linked to Schizophrenia

Researchers at the University have found that children who experience severe trauma are three times as likely to develop schizophrenia in later life. The findings shed new light on the debate about the importance of genetic and environmental triggers of psychotic disorders. For many years research in mental health has focused on the biological factors behind conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and psychotic depression, but there is now increasing evidence to suggest these conditions cannot be fully understood without first looking at the life experiences of individual patients. To read more,click here

Preschoolers' Reading Skills Benefit from One Modest Change by Teachers

A small change in how teachers and parents read aloud to preschoolers may provide a big boost to their reading skills later on, a new study found.That small change involves making specific references to print in books while reading to children -- such as pointing out letters and words on the pages, showing capital letters, and showing how you read from left to right and top to bottom on the page. Preschool children whose teachers used print references during storybook reading showed more advanced reading skills one and even two years later when compared to children whose teachers did not use such references. This is the first study to show causal links between referencing print and later literacy achievement. To read more,click here

New Genes Contributing to Autism and Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders Uncovered

When chromosomes replicate, sometimes there is an exchange of genetic material within a chromosome or between two or more chromosomes without a significant loss of genetic material. This exchange, known as a balanced chromosomal abnormality (BCA), can cause rearrangements in the genetic code. Researchers from 15 institutions in three countries including Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Broad Institute found that due to these rearrangements, BCAs harbor a reservoir of disruptions in the code that could lead to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. The researchers also uncovered 22 new genes that may contribute to or increase the risk of autism or abnormal neurodevelopment. To read more,click here

Did You Know That....

Epilepsy affects about 2 million Americans. About 10% of people will experience a seizure sometime during their lifetime and about 1 in 26 will be diagnosed with epilepsy at some point in their lives. In 2010, nearly 140,000 new cases of epilepsy will be diagnosed in the United States. Epilepsy results in an estimated annual cost of $15.5 billion in medical costs and lost or reduced earnings and production.

'R-Word' PSA Receives YouTube Award

A public service announcement featuring "Glee" star Jane Lynch decrying use of the word "retard" is being honored for its fearless take on the issue. The ad in support of the "Spread the Word to End the Word" campaign is one of four winners of the YouTube-backed DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards in the "Fearless Video" category, besting over 1,000 entrants for the title. Dubbed "Not Acceptable," the PSA includes Lynch alongside her "Glee" co-star Lauren Potter, who has Down syndrome. The two liken use of the r-word to other derogatory terms like "nigger" and "fag." To read more,click here

Use of Drug Following First Sign of Possible Multiple Sclerosis Reduces Likelihood of Progression to MS

People who received injections of the multiple sclerosis (MS) drug interferon beta-1a soon after their first signs of possible MS were less likely to progress to clinically definite MS than people who switched to interferon beta-1a from placebo, according to new phase three results of the three-year REFLEXION clinical trial that will be presented as part of the Emerging Science program (formerly known as Late-Breaking Science) at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, April 21 to April 28, 2012. To read more,click here

First-Grader Without Hands Wins Penmanship Award

By all accounts, Annie Clark, 7, a first-grader at Wilson Christian Academy in West Mifflin, is a hard-working and determined student who makes a point of learning from her mistakes and strives for perfection in her work. So on the surface, it should come as no surprise that she won a national handwriting award from the Zaner-Bloser language arts and reading company. That is, of course, if you didn't know that she was born with no hands. On Wednesday, Annie received one of two national handwriting awards the Zaner-Bloser firm offered for the first time this year to disabled students. The other went to a student in Eastlake, Ohio, who has a visual impairment. To read more,click here

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

A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.

Jim Rohn

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