Week in Review - November 16, 2012

WEEK IN REVIEW

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

November 16, 2012 - Vol 8, Issue 44


 

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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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New This Week on NASET

Resource Review
November 2012

In this issue you will see topics on:

*             Assistive Technology

*             Autism

*             Classroom Management

*             Early Intervention

*             Educational Resources

*             Employment

*             Extended School Day

*             Families and Communities

*             Health and Well-Being

*             Least Restrictive Environment

*             Parent Teacher Relationships

*             Participation Requests

*             Self Advocacy

*             Suicide

*             Transition


To read or download this issue -Click here (login required)
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LD Report - November 2012

What is a Learning Disability, Really?
By Carol Murphy, MA, CCC-SLP

Reprinted with permission from the Special Education Advisor

 

http://www.specialeducationadvisor.com/what-is-a-learning-disability-really/

 

When a parent attends an IEP meeting and the educational experts tell them their child has a learning disability, most times there is confusion.  The reason is because the term can seem so broad that it can render itself almost meaningless.  Several years ago a study was undertaken with professionals, teachers and parents asked to define the term "learning disabilities".  The results listed nearly 100 different definitions, almost as varied as the people who tried to define the term.  Although some parents feel comfortable with finally having a name for their child's problem, or a teacher might find a diagnosis helpful to at last getting a student help,  it might be more useful to fully describe the issues and development, or lack thereof, that most students experience before finally being classified as a "child with a learning disability". Written by Carol Murphy, MA, CCC-SLP (and reprinted with permission from The Special Education Advisor), The focus of this issue ofNASET's LD Reportwill be to examine what really defines a learning disability today.

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

Parents' Social Anxiety May Raise Kids' Risk for Anxiety Disorder

Parental social anxiety should be considered a risk factor for childhood anxiety, according to researchers. In a new study, researchers from Johns Hopkins Children's Center found that kids with parents who have social anxiety disorder -- the most common form of anxiety -- are at greater risk for developing an anxiety disorder than kids whose parents have other forms of anxiety. The study revealed that the parental behaviors that contributed to children's anxiety included a lack of warmth and affection as well as high levels of criticism and doubt. "There is a broad range of anxiety disorders, so what we did was home in on social anxiety, and we found that anxiety-promoting parental behaviors may be unique to the parent's diagnosis and not necessarily common to all those with anxiety," the study's senior investigator, Golda Ginsburg, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in a university news release. To read more,click here

Five Issues Facing Arne Duncan in a Second Term

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has maintained that he wouldstick aroundfor a second term if President Barack Obama is re-elected and asks him to stay on. Now, Duncan has that chance. During the next four years, Duncan-and any successor-will confront some significant issues. To read more,click here

Teachers Bring School to Ill Children

In the morning, Donna Shanklin-Henderson settles her soul and girds her spirit with prayer and meditation. She banishes the tiniest pebbles of pessimism and fixes her mind on one abiding thought. All of my students will go home, she tells herself, inscribing the belief deep in her core. They will live happy, healthy lives. Then Shanklin-Henderson heads to Texas Children's Hospital and boards an elevator to the 16th floor, rising past floors awash in shades of teal blue, mint green and sunshine yellow, past rooms where children battle cancer and brain tumors, leukemia and lupus, diabetes and other diseases with names too tongue-twisting to pronounce. To read more,click here

Did You Know That....

In 2009, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data showed that over 97% of newborns in the United States were screened for hearing loss.

Following Election, Disability Advocates Fear Budget Cuts

Just days after President Barack Obama secured a second term in the White House and control of Congress remained virtually unchanged, disability advocates say they are happy to know who the players in Washington will be going forward, but remain concerned about the challenges ahead. In January, funding for most federal programs is set to be slashed by at least 8.2 percent under a process known as sequestration, which was triggered last year when Congress failed to reach a budget deal. Unless federal lawmakers act, the consequences could be severe for Americans with disabilities, advocates say, with more than $100 billion in automatic spending cuts touching everything from special education to research and disability employment programs.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

Pregnant Women With Bipolar Disorder May Have Higher Risk of Premature Birth

Women with treated and untreated bipolar disorder are more likely to give birth prematurely -- before 37 weeks -- and have other pregnancy and birth complications, according to a new study. The study was published online Nov. 8 in the journal BMJ. People with bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic depression, experience extreme mood swings. Treatment with mood-stabilizing drugs can help keep a patient's mood within a normal range. Previous research has suggested, however, that these drugs may be linked to pregnancy and birth complications, while little is known about the risk of such problems in women with untreated bipolar disorder, according to a journal news release. To read more,click here

After 30 Years of Special Ed. Law, How Far Have We Really Come?

It's been more than 30 years since Congress passed theIndividuals with Disabilities Education Act. But when I was describing the basic tenets of the law and its provisions to a group of visitors from Kazakhstan last week, I wondered if they really got the impression the law was the landmark legislation that it is. Consider that children with disabilities, in the past, were often denied an education altogether. Students with some of the most severe disabilities were institutionalized. Expectations for this group of students were low or nonexistent. But the group of four peppered me with questions about special education here, hoping to discern things that work that could potentially be duplicated back home. It seemed that for every aspect of special education I described, I followed up with how there are troubles with that very facet. To read more,click here

Did You Know That....

In 2009, 88.0% of the babies with diagnosed hearing loss were referred to Part C Early Intervention Services.

Preschoolers' Counting Abilities Relate to Future Math Performance, Researcher Says

Along with reciting the days of the week and the alphabet, adults often practice reciting numbers with young children. Now, new research from the University of Missouri suggests reciting numbers is not enough to prepare children for math success in elementary school. The research indicates that counting, which requires assigning numerical values to objects in chronological order, is more important for helping preschoolers acquire math skills. "Reciting means saying the numbers from memory in chronological order, whereas counting involves understanding that each item in the set is counted once and that the last number stated is the amount for the entire set," said Louis Manfra, an assistant professor in MU's Department of Human Development and Family Studies. "When children are just reciting, they're basically repeating what seems like a memorized sentence. When they're counting, they're performing a more cognitive activity in which they're associating a one-to-one correspondence with the object and the number to represent a quantity." To read more,click here

NASET Sponsor - Cal Poly Pomona

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NASET Sponsor - Arkansas State University

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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 Merril Bruce, Vicky Vila, Ope-Oluwa Olubela, Olumide Akerele, Bernadette Komenda, Stacey Slintak, Pamela R. Downing-Hosten, Dildreda Willy, Marlene Barnett, Chaya Tabor, Elana Ghionis, Barry Joel Amper, Craig Pate, Kathleen George, Denise McCurry, Prahbhjot Malhi, Pattie Komons, Dawn Cox, Marilyn Haile, Carla Parker, Mike Namian, Alexandra Pirard, and Jessica L. Ulmer who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question--Bacterial, Viral, Fungal, Parasitic, and Non-Infectious are the five types ofmeningitis

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
What is the name of the 1988 U.S. Supreme Court case which deemed that a state or local school district may not unilaterally exclude handicapped children from school for dangerous or disruptive conduct related to their disabilities while an expulsion hearing is pending?
If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, November 19, 2012 at 12:00 p.m.

Utah Medicaid Considers Higher Pay for Autism Tutors

Before they even start, tutors in a state autism pilot project may be getting a raise. Utah's Medicaid department is looking into increasing how much it will pay tutors who will provide free applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to children with the social and communication disorder. Authorized by the Utah Legislature, the pilot program will cover 250 children ages 2 through 6, through June 2014. Medicaid set the rate for the tutors, who would provide 20 hours of in-home therapy a week, at $21.52 an hour. But they could make as little as $14.42 an hour because of insurance and other training costs. Few existing ABA therapists were interested in applying, saying the pay was too little for their experienced employees and wasn't enough to train less-qualified applicants. The rate is also lower than other two state-funded pilots through the Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program and the Autism Treatment Account. 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

Better Economic Status Tied to Peanut Allergy in Kids

Children in more affluent families are more likely to develop peanut allergy, a preliminary study suggests.The researchers said their findings support the theory that a lack of exposure to germs during early childhood increases the future risk of allergies. This so-called "hygiene hypothesis" suggests that living in an overly clean home may suppress the natural development of a child's immune system. For the study, the investigators looked at more than 8,300 people and found that nearly 800 had an elevated antibody level to peanuts, according to the study presented Friday at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), in Anaheim, Calif. To read more,click here


Tech, Science Fields A Draw For Those With Autism

It's long been thought that people with autism permeate the science and technology fields. Now, new research suggests that there may be some truth to the theory. In astudy of young adults with autism, researchers found that among those with the disorder who attend college, they disproportionately chose majors in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The findings come from a study published this month in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders looking at the experiences of 660 young adults with autism who participated in the federal government's National Longitudinal Transition Study-2.To read more,click here


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Rethinking Reading Instruction

Many educators have long believed that when words differ on only one sound, early readers can learn the rules of phonics by focusing on what is different between the words. This is thought to be a critical gateway to reading words and sentences. But scientists at the University of Iowa are turning that thinking on its head. A recent study published in Developmental Psychology shows certain kinds of variation in words may help early readers learn better. When children see the same phonics regularities, embedded in words with more variation, they may learn these crucial early reading skills better. What might appear to make learning a more difficult task -- learning about letter-sound relationships from words with more variation -- actually leads to better learning. To read more,click here


Another Study Links 'Sexting' to Sexual Activity in Teens

A new study of Dutch teens finds that few of them frequently engage in risky online activity related to sex, such as sending naked photos to strangers and searching for sex partners, but those who do are more prone to have casual sex in real life. "There seems to be a relationship between engagement in online and offline sexual risk behavior," said study author Susanne Baumgartner, a graduate student at the University of Amsterdam. "Adolescents who engaged in offline sexual risk behavior were also likely to engage in online sexual risk behavior." Should parents be worried? Most kids don't engage in risky online activity related to sex, which is a "reason not to worry too much," Baumgartner said. However, there is extra risk for adolescents who "seem to be troubled in their everyday lives." To read more,click here


Children, Teens at Risk for Lasting Emotional Impact from Hurricane Sandy

After Hurricane Sandy's flood waters have receded and homes demolished by the storm repaired, the unseen aftershocks of the storm may linger for many children who were in the storm's path, particularly those whose families suffered significant losses. "The lasting emotional impact of a storm like this can be more devastating than the physical damage the storm caused," says psychologist Esther Deblinger, PhD, the co-director of the Child Abuse Research, Education and Service (CARES) Institute at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine. "Stress, anxiety and depression can affect anyone who experiences a natural disaster that results in the sudden loss of home or relocation to unfamiliar surroundings. The effect can be especially troubling on children and adolescents who don't have the same ability as adults to anticipate and cope with trauma." To read more,click here


Los Angeles Still Struggles to Serve Students With Disabilities

The latest progress report on Los Angeles' ability to serve its students with disabilities shows the district is making headway in some areas, but it is still falling short of a 6-year-old target for providing services as frequently and for as long as special education students need them. Inthe report, issued last week, the district's independent monitor noted that the district was to have provided-by 2006-93 percent of the services for students with disabilities. That target was the result of a federal court case resolved in 2003. The district has largely reached that target, though intermittently. But another goal set in the court case was that the district would provide 85 percent of those services for the duration and frequency specified by students' education plans. For example, a student might require three one-hour sessions of speech therapy each week.To read more,click here


Did You Know That....

Infections during pregnancy in the mother, other environmental causes, and complications after birth are responsible for hearing loss among almost 30% of babies with hearing loss.

Food Allergies Can Make Kids Targets for Bullies

As the mother of a child with a severe peanut allergy, Nicole Smith was vigilant about reading labels and making sure teachers and school administrators understood that ingesting even a trace amount of peanuts could kill her son. Dealing with the allergy was challenging -- and got more so when she heard an alarming story. When her son, Morgan, was in first grade, another student chased him around the playground with a peanut butter cracker, shouting, "I'm going to kill you!" "We were shocked," recalled Nicole, whose son is now a 16-year-old high school junior in Colorado Springs, Colo. "We really weren't prepared that anyone would bully him for his food allergies." To read more,click here


Parents Seek Permission to Record Nonverbal Son's School Day

The parents of a 13-year-old Mt. Ararat Middle School student who has autism and intellectual disabilities are challenging the school district's decision to block them from sending their son to school with an audio recording device. The school district is fighting the parents' proposal, saying it's not conducive to providing educational services and poses a threat to the privacy of other students and school staff. A hearing made public by the parents started last week and is scheduled to continue Monday. Jane Quirion had notified SAD 75's attorney in March that she intended to send her son, Ben, a seventh-grader who is nonverbal, to school with an audio recorder in an effort to keep him safe and to ensure that school staff were complying with the terms of Ben's individualized educational plan, known as an IEP.To read more,click here


ADHD Drugs Didn't Raise Heart Risks for Kids, Study Finds

Children who take drugs to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not at increased risk for serious heart problems, according to a new review that confirms previous findings. University of Florida researchers analyzed data from 1.2 million U.S. youths in Medicaid programs in 28 states, and found that the per-year risk of any child suffering a severe cardiac event was about one in 30,000. Severe cardiac events include sudden cardiac death, heart attack and stroke, and are typically caused by underlying heart disease. Children taking ADHD drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin did not have a greater risk of severe cardiac events than other children, according to the study published recently in the British Medical Journal. To read more,click here


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

It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.
Nelson Mandela

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