Week in Review - August 17, 2012

WEEK IN REVIEW

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

August 17, 2012 - Vol 8, Issue 31


 

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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

Lesser Known Disorders in Special Education

August 2012

Disorders covered in this issue include:

*             LD 10.03-Tactile Pressure Sensory Integration Disorder

*             OI 1.01 Fibrous Dysplasia

*             VI 2.01-Bietti's Crystalline Dystrophy


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Dyslexia Caused by Faulty Signal Processing in Brain; Finding Offers Clues to Potential Treatments

Many children and adults have difficulties reading and writing, and the reason is not always obvious. Those who suffer from dyslexia can exhibit a variety of symptoms. Thanks to research carried out by Begoña Díaz and her colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, a major step forward has been made in understanding the cause of dyslexia. The scientists have discovered an important neural mechanism underlying dyslexia and shown that many difficulties associated with dyslexia can potentially be traced back to a malfunction of the medial geniculate body in the thalamus. The results provide an important basis for developing potential treatments. To read more,click here

Did You Know That....

Since its earliest days, IDEA has included a strong preference for children with disabilities to be educated alongside their peers without disabilities, to the maximum extent appropriate. That's why a student's placement in the general education classroom is the first option the placement group should consider (71 Fed. Reg. 46588).

Defective Gene Leading to Autism Related Behavior Discovered

A defective gene responsible for abnormal social behavior, a characteristic of autism, has been discovered. The research advances the knowledge about changes in the brain found in people with autism. The study could be used to find treatments for autism. The research found that just one abnormal gene disturbs energy flow in the brain cells and severely affects key areas of the brain."A number of genes and environmental factors have been shown to be involved in autism, but this study points to a mechanism -- how one gene defect may trigger this type of neurological behavior," said Cecilia Giulivi, professor of molecular biosciences in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and lead author of the study. To read more,click here

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Epileptic Fits Are Like Raging Thunderstorms: Astrocytes Help Reduce Long-Term Damage, Surprising New Research Shows

Epileptic fits are like thunderstorms raging in the brain: Nerve cells excite each other in an uncontrolled way so that strong, rhythmic electrical discharges sweep over whole brain regions. In the wake of such a seizure, the nerve cells are severely affected, and permanent damage is possible. The glia, a class of cells that surround the neurons in the brain, was long suspected to contribute to the damaging effects of epilepsy. Quite the opposite is the case, as the team of Prof. Dr. Carola Haas from the Bernstein Center and Dr. Matthias Kirsch from the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Freiburg shows for the first time. In the journal Experimental Neurology, the scientists report the beneficial effects of so-called astrocytes, a certain type of glial cells. They get their name from the Greek word for glue, as it was long thought that these cells simply hold the nerve cells together and provided them with nutrients. In the case of epilepsy, the prevalent opinion was that their reaction to a seizure would actually damage the brain. The researchers from Freiburg disagree. In fact, they say, astrocytes help to reduce long-term damage brought upon by epileptic fits. To read more,click here

Mold Exposure in Infancy May Raise Asthma Risk

Infants exposed to certain types of mold are at greater risk for childhood asthma, according to a new study. "This is strong evidence that indoor mold contributed to asthma development, and this stresses the urgent need for remediating water damage in homes, particularly in low-income urban areas where this is a common issue," the study's lead author, Tiina Reponen, a professor in the environmental health department at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, said in a university news release. In conducting the long-term study, researchers from the University of Cincinnati, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center followed the allergy development and respiratory health of nearly 300 infants. All of the infants had at least one parent with allergies. To read more,click here

Did You Know That....

IDEA recognizes that, in many cases, supports must be provided to a child with a disability to enable him or her to be educated in the general education environment, including participating in extracurricular and nonacademic activities and settings. The law calls thesesupplementary aids and services.

Children's Healthy Diets Linked to Higher IQ

Children fed healthy diets in early age may have a slightly higher IQ, while those on heavier junk food diets may have a slightly reduced IQ, according to new research from the University of Adelaide. The study -- led by University of Adelaide Public Health researcher Dr Lisa Smithers -- looked at the link between the eating habits of children at six months, 15 months and two years, and their IQ at eight years of age. The study of more than 7,000 children compared a range of dietary patterns, including traditional and contemporary home-prepared food, ready-prepared baby foods, breastfeeding, and 'discretionary' or junk foods. "Diet supplies the nutrients needed for the development of brain tissues in the first two years of life, and the aim of this study was to look at what impact diet would have on children's IQs," Dr Smithers says. 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: Alexandra Pirard,

Laurine Kennedy, Olumide Akerele, Mike Namian, Jessica L. Ulmer, and Lyn Walden who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question:  The last state to participate in receiving IDEA funding (the only one to "opt out" in 1975) wasNew Mexico.

 


THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
When Public Law 94-142 was enacted in 1975 it only protected children ages 6-21 years of age.  However, years later, Public Law 99-457 added preschool children to the Public Law 94-142 provisions.  In what year did Public Law 99-457 add preschool children to the Public Law 94-142 provisions?

If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, August 20, 2012 at 12:00 p.m.

Workers With Disabilities More Prone to Injuries

Workers with disabilities in the United States are injured at more than twice the rate of workers who are not disabled, according to new research. Disabled workers are more likely to sustain both non-occupational and occupational injuries, the study found. Researchers analyzed data from the 2006-2010 U.S. National Health Interview Survey to compare medically treated injuries among U.S. workers with and without disabilities. Non-occupational injury rates were 16.4 per 100 workers each year for those with disabilities, compared with 6.4 per 100 workers annually for those without disabilities. 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.

 

For more information on Board Certification in Special Education,click here

Preschool Children Who Can Pay Attention More Likely to Finish College: Early Reading and Math Not Predictive of College Completion

Young children who are able to pay attention and persist with a task have a 50 percent greater chance of completing college, according to a new study at Oregon State University. Tracking a group of 430 preschool-age children, the study gives compelling evidence that social and behavioral skills, such as paying attention, following directions and completing a task may be even more crucial than academic abilities. And the good news for parents and educators, the researchers said, is that attention and persistence skills are malleable and can be taught. The results were just published online in Early Childhood Research Quarterly. To read more,click here

Dental Woes Abound for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

New research paints a grim picture of the oral health status of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. One-third have untreated cavities, 80 percent have gum disease and 10 percent are missing some teeth, the study found. A growing body of research suggests that oral health affects overall health, and dental issues go far beyond a person's smile. These latest findings appear in the August issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association. Reasons for the poor oral health among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are not always easy to sort out, said study author Dr. John Morgan, an associate professor in the department of public health and community service at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston. Part of it is rooted in poor communication. Many don't fully understand what they should be doing to take care of their mouth, and some may not have the manual dexterity needed to do so. Others may be taking medication that causes dry mouth, which increases risk for cavities and other oral health problems, he said. To read more,click here

Infants of Overweight Mothers Grow More Slowly

Pregnant women who are overweight or obese can encounter a host of health complications. The added weight also appears to affect how their children grow and develop, at least initially. In a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, a team led by a University of Iowa researcher compared the weight and height of babies born to overweight and obese mothers with those born to normal-weight mothers. Contrary to expectations, babies of overweight/obese mothers gained less weight and grew less in length than babies of normal-weight women from just after birth to three months. The overweight/obese mother babies also gained less fat mass than those born to normal-weight mothers. Fat mass in infants is widely considered to be crucial to brain growth and development. (That may explain why humans have the fattest newborns of any mammal.). To read more,click here

Humira Might Help Kids With Tough-to-Treat Crohn's Disease

The "biologic" drug Humira could be an effective therapy for children with tough-to-treat Crohn's disease, a new study finds. Crohn's disease is an inflammation of the digestive tract that can lead to swelling, pain and ulcers. Although the disease can affect any part of the digestive tract, the most common spot is the small intestine. The new study revealed that treatment with Humira (adalimumab), could help children with Crohn's stay in remission without stunting their growth or delaying puberty, as can happen with other drugs currently used to treat the disease. To read more,click here

Two Languages Better Than One for Kids' Brains

Children who speak more than one language seem to have a learning advantage: Being bilingual can improve children's problem-solving skills and creative thinking, a new study suggests. The mental sharpness needed to switch between two languages may develop skills that boost other types of thinking, explained researchers from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. "Bilingualism is now largely seen as being beneficial to children but there remains a view that it can be confusing, and so potentially detrimental to them," study leader Fraser Lauchlan, a lecturer at the University of Strathclyde's School of Psychological Sciences & Health, said in a university news release. "Our study has found that it can have demonstrable benefits, not only in language but in arithmetic, problem-solving and enabling children to think creatively." To read more,click here

Patterns in Adolescent Brains Could Predict Heavy Alcohol Use

Heavy drinking is known to affect an adolescents' developing brain, but certain patterns of brain activity may also help predict which teens are at risk of becoming problem drinkers, according to a study by researchers in the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and VA San Diego Healthcare System. Their results will be published in the September issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, online August 8. This study focused on 12 to 16-year-olds whose brains were scanned using special functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) prior to the onset of drinking, and then again three years later. About half of this group transitioned into heavy drinking over the 3-year period. However, when imaged before they began drinking, this cohort already showed less fMRI response in regions of the brain previously linked to heavy drinking. To read more,click here

Did You Know That....

Supplementary aids and services can be accommodations and modifications to the curriculum under study or the manner in which that content is presented or a child's progress is measured, but that's not all they are or can be. Supplementary aids and services can also include direct services and supports to the child, as well as support and training for staff who work with that child. Determining what supplementary aids and services a particular child needs is made on an individual basis.

All That Txtng May B Hrtng Kids' Grammar

As mobile messaging has taken off, so has an abbreviated form of text-specific jargon, a kind of linguistic shorthand that helps speed up the texting to and fro. But a new study warns that the widespread adoption of texting among so-called tweens could be undermining their grammar skills. The concern stems from the results of standardized language testing and surveys conducted among more than 200 middle school students living in central Pennsylvania. The more a young teen embraced shorthand while texting, the poorer their use of proper English in a non-texting context. To read more,click here

7-Day Stuttering Therapy May Get Results, Study Says

For stutterers who struggle to speak fluidly, one week of intensive speech therapy can reorganize the brain's circuitry and change the thickness of a region important to speech and language, a small new study suggests. "We have tested short-term therapy [from 7 to 10 days] for almost 10 years, and [this] test showed good effect immediately after the therapy for many people who stutter," said study author Chunming Lu, an assistant professor of cognitive neuroscience at Beijing Normal University in China. "So we believe that one week of treatment is enough to induce behavioral changes." To read more,click here

More Kids Taking Antipsychotics for ADHD

Use of powerful antipsychotic medications such as Abilify and Risperdal to control youngsters with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other behavior problems has skyrocketed in recent years, a new study finds. Antipsychotics are approved to treat bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, other serious mental problems and irritability related to autism. But they don't have U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for ADHD or other childhood behavior problems, and their use for this purpose is considered "off label." "Only a small proportion of antipsychotic treatment of children (6 percent) and adolescents (13 percent) is for FDA-approved clinical indications," said lead researcher Dr. Mark Olfson, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. To read more,click here

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

 

I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework.

Lily Tomlin


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