Week in Review - May 25, 2012

WEEK IN REVIEW

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

May 25, 2012 - Vol 8, Issue 19


 

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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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New This Week on NASET

IEP Components Series for May

Scheduling the IEP Meeting and Notifying Parents

What are the particulars of what IDEA requires public agencies to do when scheduling any IEP meeting? IDEA's provisions involve both common sense and courtesy, and are intended to ensure that parents have every opportunity to attend the meeting and contribute. The provisions are not new to the 2004 Amendments to IDEA, so if you're familiar with the law already, this will no doubt be familiar, too. In a nutshell, the school and parents have to agree when and where they are going to meet. This issue of the IEP Component series addresses issue pertaining scheduling an IEP meeting and notifying parents.



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Could Nasal Spray of 'Love Hormone' Treat Autism?

Children with autism given a squirt of a nasal spray containing the hormone oxytocin showed more activity in brain regions known to be involved with processing social information, a small study found. Researchers and other experts stressed that the study was small, involving only seven children, that the kids were given just a single dose of oxytocin and that they haven't yet studied whether the differences in the brain activity will translate into differences in the children's behavior. And yet experts said they were hopeful that oxytocin, which is nicknamed the "love hormone" and is believed to be involved with romantic love and human bonding, will one day be used to treat problems with reading social cues and social communications that mark the neurodevelopmental disorder. To read more,click here


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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.

 

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Did You Know That....

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study is one of the largest investigations ever conducted to assess associations between childhood maltreatment and later-life health and well-being.

Playful Games Promote Reading Development

Short but intense training sessions in the form of structured language games from the age of four can stimulate children's early language development and may also make it easier for children to learn to read. This is found in a current research project at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Previous research has shown that children's reading development can be stimulated with structured and playful language games from the age of six. In a current three-year study, researchers at the University of Gothenburg are exploring the effects of having children as young as four participate in such games. The hypothesis is that young children who are actively stimulated in their development of so-called linguistic and phonological awareness end up better prepared for dealing with written language. Linguistic awareness means that the child is aware of his or her own language, what it sounds like and how it consists of words and sentences. Phonological awareness implies an awareness of the sound structure of the language, which is important for the early stages of reading development and for understanding the connection between letters and sounds. To read more,click here


Obama Urges Senate To Ratify Disability Treaty

Nearly three years after signing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Obama administration is asking the U.S. Senate to grant final approval of the treaty. The United States signed the convention in 2009, but Senate approval is required in order to make participation official. The convention is designed to expand community access and improve the standard of living for the estimated 650 million people around the world with disabilities. It is the first new human rights convention this century. To read more,click here


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Mild Traumatic Brain Injury May Contribute to Brain Network Dysfunction

Even mild head injuries can cause significant abnormalities in brain function that last for several days, which may explain the neurological symptoms experienced by some individuals who have experienced a head injury associated with sports, accidents or combat, according to a study by Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers. These findings, published in the May issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, advance research in the field of traumatic brain injury (TBI), enabling researchers to better understand what brain structural or functional changes underlie posttraumatic disorders -- a question that until now has remained unclear. To read more,click here


Did You Know That....

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study  is a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente's Health Appraisal Clinic in San Diego. More than 17,000 Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) members undergoing a comprehensive physical examination chose to provide detailed information about their childhood experience of abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction. To date, more than 50 scientific articles have been published and more than100 conference and workshop presentations have been made.

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).


Parents Often Lose Sleep Over Child's Epilepsy, Study Finds

Parents of young children with epilepsy often sleep in the same room or the same bed as their child to monitor their condition, but the bed-sharing may be interfering with restful sleep for both the parents and kids, new research finds. In the study, published in the journal Epilepsia, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston examined the sleeping arrangements of 105 families who had a child with the seizure disorder and 79 families whose children did not have epilepsy ("controls"). The children ranged in age from 2 to 10 years. Among the children with epilepsy, about 41 percent had seizures within the first year of life, while the mean age of seizure onset was about 2 years. In addition, 64 percent had at least one seizure within the last month and 37 percent had daily seizures. 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: Beverly Taylor, Lois Nembhard, Vicky Gill, Tanya Van Lancker, Victoria Eversole, Debra Mueller, Olumide Akerele, Roylene Furlow, Jessica L. Ulmer, Michele Spinella, Andrew Bailey, Heather Shryer, Robin E. Kittai, Emily Cayon, Prahbhjot Malhi, Alexandra Pirard, Barry Joel Amper, Craig Pate, Elaine Draper, Maureen Detrick, Marlene Barnett, Joanie Dikeman  who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question was: HEMOPHILIA
THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
This is a debilitating and complex disorder characterized by profound fatigue that is not improved by bed rest and that may be worsened by physical or mental activity. Symptoms affect several body systems and may include weakness, muscle pain, impaired memory and/or mental concentration, and insomnia, which can result in reduced participation in daily activities.  Researchers have not yet identified what causes it, and there are no tests to diagnose it. What is its name?

If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, May 28, 2012 at 12:00 p.m.

Chronic Child Abuse Strong Indicator of Negative Adult Experiences

Child abuse or neglect are strong predictors of major health and emotional problems, but little is known about how the chronicity of the maltreatment may increase future harm apart from other risk factors in a child's life. In a new study published in the current issue of the journal Pediatrics, Melissa Jonson-Reid, PhD, child welfare expert and a professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, looked at how chronic maltreatment impacted the future health and behavior of children and adults. The study tracked children by number of child maltreatment reports (zero to four or more) and followed the children into early adulthood, by which time some of the children had become parents. To read more,click here


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Developmental Woes Common in Siblings of Children With Autism

One in three children with an older sibling who has an autism spectrum disorder, or problems with social interaction and communication, shows signs of developmental delay or autism-related behaviors by the age of 3 years, according to a new study. "It is clear that the younger siblings of a child with an ASD [autism spectrum disorder] may face challenges even if they are not themselves identified with an ASD," study author Daniel Messinger, a professor at University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences, said in a university news release. "This new work identifies classes of outcomes in these children. We found that the majority of these high-risk siblings appear to be developing normally. However, a higher-than-expected proportion of the children face challenges related to higher levels of autism-related behaviors or lower levels of verbal and nonverbal developmental functioning," Messinger added. To read more,click here


Paralyzed Individuals Use Thought-Controlled Robotic Arm to Reach and Grasp

In an ongoing clinical trial, a paralyzed woman was able to reach for and sip from a drink on her own -- for the first time in nearly 15 years -- by using her thoughts to direct a robotic arm. The trial, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, is evaluating the safety and feasibility of an investigational device called the BrainGate neural interface system. This is a type of brain-computer interface (BCI) intended to put robotics and other assistive technology under the brain's control. A report published May 16 in Nature describes how two individuals -- both paralyzed by stroke -- learned to use the BrainGate system to make reach-and-grasp movements with a robotic arm, as part of the BrainGate2 clinical trial. The report highlights the potential for long-term use and durability of the BrainGate system, part of which is implanted in the brain to capture the signals underlying intentional movement. It also describes the most complex functions to date that anyone has been able to perform using a BCI. To read more,click here


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FDA Issues Multiple Sclerosis Drug Alert

The multiple sclerosis drug Gilenya (fingolimod) should not be given to patients with certain pre-existing or recent heart conditions or stroke, or those taking certain medications to correct heart rhythm problems, says a U.S. Food and Drug Administration safety announcement issued Monday. The warning follows the FDA's evaluation of a report of a patient who died within 24 hours after receiving the first dose of Gilenya. The agency also reviewed additional clinical trial and post-approval data for the drug, including reports of patients who died of cardiovascular or unknown causes. To read more,click here


Scientists Uncover Potential Treatment for Painful Side Effect of Diabetes

Why diabetics suffer from increased pain and temperature sensitivity is a step closer to being understood and effectively treated. Research published in the journal Nature Medicine reveals that a multi-national collaboration between scientists from Warwick Medical School in the UK, and universities in Germany, New York, Australia and Eastern Europe, has discovered key information around one of the most distressing side effects of diabetes. Painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN), which is abnormal and persistent pain experienced by roughly 50% of patients with diabetes, impairs patients' quality of life and affects sleep, mood, mobility, ability to work, relationships, self-esteem and independence. To read more,click here


Millions On Tap For Disability Housing

The federal government plans to send an additional $85 million to states to provide rental assistance for people with disabilities living on extremely modest incomes. Obama administration officials said Tuesday that state housing agencies mayapplyfor the new round of funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 811 program now through July. Ultimately, the money is expected to provide rental assistance to about 2,800 people with disabilities across the country, federal officials said. In order to qualify for the aid, individuals must earn no more than 30 percent of the median income for their area. To read more,click here


Pneumonia and Preterm Birth Complications Are the Leading Causes of Childhood Death

Pneumonia is the leading cause of death among children under 5, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. They examined the distribution of child deaths globally by cause in 2010 and found that 64 percent were attributable to infectious causes and 40 percent occurred in neonates. The authors' findings, published in the May issue of the Lancet, suggest a decline in the total number of deaths between 2000 and 2010, however, they caution the decline is not sufficient enough to reach Millennium Development Goal number 4, which seeks to reduce child mortality by two-thirds in 2015. To read more,click here


Did You Know That....

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study findings suggest that certain experiences are major risk factors for the leading causes of illness and death as well as poor quality of life in the United States. Progress in preventing and recovering from the nation's worst health and social problems is likely to benefit from understanding that many of these problems arise as a consequence of adverse childhood experiences.

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Females, Young Athletes Take Longer to Get Over Concussions

Female athletes take longer to recover from concussions, a new study says.Young athletes also have longer recovery times. The findings show that doctors and athletic trainers need to take gender and age into account when treating patients with concussions, said researchers from Michigan State University. The researchers studied data from nearly 300 athletes in the United States who suffered concussions, all of whom had completed a baseline test prior to their head injury and took three different post-concussion tests. To read more,click here


Feds Offer Guidelines on Discouraging Restraints, Seclusion

Nearly three years after U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan first sent states letters asking them to review policies and guidelines on the use of restraint and seclusion in schools, the Education Departmenthas issued its own nonbinding guidanceon the practices. Restraint and seclusion, often used on students with disabilities, are intended to be used in emergency situations, when students are in danger of hurting themselves or others. But several reports, includingone by the U.S. Government Accountability Officehave found that the practices are being used inappropriately and incorrectly, leading to injuries, or even the deaths, of students. "There is a difference between a brief time out in the corner of a classroom to help a child calm down and locking a child in an isolated room for hours. This really comes down to common sense," Duncan said in a statement. To read more,click here


Many Parents of Kids With Autism Don't Put Faith in Pediatricians

Many parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder don't feel they can turn to their pediatricians for advice on treatments, a new study finds. Likewise, many pediatricians don't think they have the knowledge -- or time -- to devote to children with autism, with some citing reimbursement policies that don't allow for payment for lengthier appointments or for managing complex cases. The pediatricians interviewed for the study also said they felt especially uncomfortable advising parents on alternative therapies, which are commonly used by families of children with autism. To read more,click here


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

Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.

William Shakespeare

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