Week in Review - August 23, 2013

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WEEK IN REVIEW

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

August 23, 2013 - Vol 9, Issue 34


 

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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

NASET's Educating Children with Severe Disabilities

Transition Services on the IEP Part III

Introduction

Since the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), Public Law 94-142, in 1975, Individualized Education Programs (IEP) have been a requirement of law for all children and youth with disabilities found eligible for special education. Each student's IEP must list goals and objectives for educational activities and include information about the student's assessment and educational placement, the instructional content areas to be addressed throughout the year, the timelines and persons responsible for activities corresponding to the goals and objectives, how student progress will be evaluated, and the related services that each student needs in order to benefit from his or her special education. With the newest amendments to the EHA -- now entitled the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA 2004- a component has been updated to the IEP. Beginning no later than age 16, each student now must also have included in the IEP a statement of the transition services that he or she needs in order to prepare for such post-school outcomes as employment, postsecondary education, adult services, independent living, and community

 


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NASET's ADHD Series
Part #13

This issue ofNASET's ADHDseries will focus on two separate book reviews pertaining to the field of ADHD.

 

Book Review #1:  This book review was done by Natalie Bayon Keime, a student at Florida International University.  A review of One Step Forward Two Steps Back: Living with ADHD/ODD, a Mother's Perspective by Enelle Lamb is presented.  This book is a mother's account of her struggles with her son and his disabilities.  Throughout the book she tries to inspire and give advice to parents and teachers of how to help these types of children.  The author is also very honest in her account as she expresses her thoughts and says things others might be embarrassed to admit or say.  This book is written from the perspective of a parent but analyzed by a general education teacher giving a fresh perspective to the story.

 

Book Review #2:  This book review was done by Michelle Wilcox, a student at Florida International University.  A review of Parenting Your Child with ADHD: A No-Nonsense Guide for Nurturing Self-Reliance and Cooperation by Craig B. Wiener, Ed.D. is presented in this article. This book in particular offers ways to understand, reinforce, reduce, and manage dealing with ADHD behavior without the use of medication. This book is a wonderful resource for parents and educators searching for alternative ways to assist children with ADHD with a more natural approach.

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Dyslexia Researchers Launch Multicultural-Outreach Effort

Drs. Sally and Bennett Shaywitz, the co-directors of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, based at Yale University, and longtime researchers of the reading disorder, have started a campaign to bring greater awareness of dyslexia to communities of color. The Multicultural Dyslexia Awareness Initiative had its first meeting earlier this month, honoring well-known people with dyslexia, such as actor and activist Harry Belafonte and author Victor Villaseñor. The initiative plans to hold more meetings across the country in coming months, Sally Shaywitz said in a conversation with Education Week. Too many children, she said, learn that they have dyslexia almost by accident, after years of struggling with school. To read more,click here

Did You Know That....

IRIS produces evidence-based instructional and intervention practices for use in college instruction, professional development activities, and independent learning opportunities for practicing educators. TheirResource Locatoroffers a wealth of online modules, case studies, and activities. The site itself is gorgeous, and easy to navigate. To read more, visit http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/

Non-Medical School Workers May Administer Insulin in California

Lay school personnel may administer insulin to students with diabetes under the proper circumstances, California's highest court ruled on Monday. The court rejected arguments from nursing groups that state rules allowing lay school workers to administer insulin condoned a form of unauthorized practice of nursing. The unanimous decision by the California Supreme Court has implications for students with special education or treatment plans under federal disabilities laws. The Obama administration filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case arguing that schools may use lay personnel to administer insulin when complying with a student's plan. To read more,click here

Thousands Caught In Special Education Testing Snafu

A leading education firm is acknowledging that it messed up when evaluating alternative assessments for thousands of students with disabilities. Pearson said this week that there were errors affecting more than 4,400 students who were part of the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program, which offers alternative assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities, the company said. Unlike traditional testing, the alternative assessments are designed to measure student progress by evaluating a portfolio of work completed over the course of the year. To read more,click here

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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

Sony, Amazon Want Accessibility Exemption

Some of the biggest names in technology are asking the Federal Communications Commission for a pass when it comes to making all of their products accessible to people with disabilities. Under federal rules, equipment used for advanced communications services, or ACS, must be "accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities." If Amazon.com, Sony and Kobo have their way, however, that won't include e-readers. The companies have come together in an attempt to persuade government regulators that e-readers should not be held to the same accessibility standard as tablets and other devices since they are limited to one core feature - reading. To read more,click here

Study Finds 'Different' Brain In Some With Autism

Stanford researchers have unearthed clues about the formidable brains of some children with autism, suggesting that the diagnosis may signal a different cognitive style, not disability. Superior math skills were found in San Francisco Bay Area kids with autism and average intelligence compared with matched children without the developmental disorder. The two group's brain scans were different, as well. Images of the children with autism calculating math problems revealed a different pattern of brain activity than those of children without the diagnosis. To read more,click here

Health Care Law Presents Complex Choices For People With Disabilities

The Affordable Care Act has set new standards - calledessential health benefits- outlining whathealth insurance companies must now cover. But there's a catch: Insurance firms can still pick and choose to some degree which specific therapies they'll cover within some categories of benefit. And the way insurers interpret the rules could turn out to be a big deal for people with disabilities who need ongoing therapy to improve their day-to-day lives. Bryce Vernon is a 20-year-old film student who lives in Los Angeles and has cerebral palsy. He speaks only with the aid of a special computer mounted to his wheelchair that tracks his eye movements. Using his eyes, Vernon can indicate on a screen what letters and words he wants the computer's voice to say. To read more,click here

Kindergartners' Soda Intake Linked to Aggression in Study

Five-year-olds who drink soda every day may have more behavior problems than kids with soda-free diets, a new study of U.S. children suggests. After looking at nearly 3,000 urban families, the researchers found that 5-year-olds' scores on a standard measure of aggression tended to climb along with their soft drink intake. Kindergartners who downed four or more servings per day were particularly aggressive, based on mothers' reports. They were twice as likely as other kids to get into fights or destroy property, and also displayed more attention problems than children who didn't drink soda. To read more,click here

Did You Know That....

The fields of cognitive psychology and neuroscience study how the brain takes in, stores, retrieves, and applies information. This article is a fascinating read about "trump cards" in learning -- distilling what science has learned about better and more influential ways of learning. To learn more, visit:

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Hand Gestures May Help Kids Solve Problems

Young children who use hand gestures are better at problem-solving than those who don't use gestures, a new study contends. It included children 2.5 to 5 years old who were asked to sort cards printed with colored shapes, first by color and then by shape. The switch from color to shape can be challenging for children in this age group, the San Francisco State University researchers explained. The children who used hand gestures were more likely to make the mental switch and group the shapes accurately, according to the study in the August issue of the journal Developmental Psychology 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: Ope-Olwa Olubela, Olumide Akerele, Pamela Downing-Hosten, Mike Namian, Benjamin Young, Tiffany Scott, Barry Amper and Yana S. Goldtein
who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question: The Social Security Administration has recently announced that it will become the latest federal agency to start using what term in lieu of the current one it uses? "Intellectual Disability" will now be used instead of "Mental Retardation"

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
The special education federal law, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, can be found in the U.S.C. and the C.F.R.  What do the abbreviations U.S.C. and C.F.R. stand for?

If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, August 26, 2013 at 12:00 p.m.

Study Sees Risk of Childhood Cancer Among Those With Specific Birth Defects

Children with certain types of major birth defects not caused by chromosome abnormalities are at increased risk for childhood cancer, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed data from Arizona, Iowa and Utah and found that children born with eye defects, cleft palate, some heart and kidney defects, and a condition in which the head is smaller than normal (microcephaly) were two times more likely to develop cancer before age 15 than children without these birth defects. The increased risk was for cancers such as neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma and hepatoblastoma, all which typically develop in early childhood, according to the study, which was published recently in the journal PLoS One. To read more,click here

Study Challenges Theory About Left Brain/Right Brain Behavior

Brain scans show no evidence that people are predominately right- or left-brained, researchers report. The new findings challenge the widely held belief that people use one side of their brain more than the other, and that this influences their personality traits. For example, left-brained people are said to be logical and detail-oriented, while right-brained people are creative and thoughtful. For the study, University of Utah neuroscientists analyzed brain scans from more than 1,000 people, aged 7 to 29. The researchers examined thousands of brain regions for indications that people are more likely to use either the right or left side of the brain, but found no signs that this was the case. To read more,click here

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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

Test of Preemie Breathing Treatments Finds Similar Complication Rates

A trial comparing two types of noninvasive breathing treatments for premature infants has found them similarly effective -- but less likely to prevent severe lung injury than previously thought. The study, which compared nasal continuous positive airway pressure and nasal intermittent positive-pressure ventilation, found that the rates of complications for the two treatments were about the same. "The two treatments really have no great benefits above each other. They're equivalent," said the study's lead author, Dr. Haresh Kirpalani, a professor of pediatrics in the division of neonatology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. To read more,click here

Controversial Theory Behind Possible Multiple Sclerosis Cause Refuted

New research finds that there is no evidence that multiple sclerosis is associated with reduced or blocked blood flow in the veins of the head or neck. The study results challenge a controversial theory that a condition called chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) -- a narrowing of veins that drain blood from the brain and upper spinal cord -- is associated with MS. The theory also holds that patients would benefit from using balloon angioplasty or stents to widen the veins, a treatment called liberation therapy. However, this Canadian study of 100 people with MS found no abnormalities in the veins in their neck or brain. The findings were published online Aug. 14 in the journal PLoS One. To read more,click here

Liberty Mutual Savings

NASET MEMBER'S BENEFIT -

Group Savings Plus from Liberty Mutual

As a member ofNASETyou qualify for a special group discount* on your auto, home, and renter's insurance through Group Savings Plus® from Liberty Mutual. This unique program allows you to purchase high-quality auto, home and renters insurance at low group rates.

 

See for yourself how much money you could save with Liberty Mutual compared to your current insurance provider. For a free, no-obligation quote, call 800-524-9400 or visit

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*Group discounts, other discounts, and credits are available where state laws and regulations allow, and may vary by state.  Certain discounts apply to specific coverage only.  To the extent permitted by law, applicants are individually underwritten; not all applicants may qualify.  Coverage provided and underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates, 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA.

MRI Might Allow Earlier Diagnosis of Dyslexia: Study

Brain scans may help diagnose people with the common reading disorder dyslexia, a new study reveals. MRI scans in 40 kindergarten children revealed a link between poor pre-reading skills and the size of a structure that connects two language-processing areas in the brain, the researchers said. Previous studies have shown that this structure -- called the arcuate fasciculus -- is smaller and less organized in adults with poor reading skills than in those with normal reading ability. But it wasn't known if these differences caused reading problems or resulted from a lack of reading experience. To read more,click here

Childhood Tummy Aches May Be Tied to Adult Anxiety, Depression

Stomach pain is a common childhood complaint, and now a new study suggests it may place some kids at higher risk for anxiety disorders or depression as adults. The researchers compared 332 young adults, aged around 20, who had abdominal pain as children to 147 participants who did not. Of those who had suffered from stomach pain, 51 percent had an anxiety disorder during their lifetime, and 30 percent had one currently. By contrast, only 20 percent of adults without stomach pain as children had an anxiety disorder. "A decade later, individuals who had stomach pain continued to have high rates of anxiety disorders, even if they no longer had stomach pain," said study author Lynn Walker, a professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. To read more,click here

ADHD + Texting = Double Trouble for Teen Drivers, Study Finds

Teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are worse drivers than their peers who don't have ADHD and texting only compounds their problems on the road, a new study shows. What's more, texting behind the wheel is so distracting it makes normal teens drive as poorly as those who have ADHD, underscoring the danger to any driver of trying to text and operate a car at the same time, the researchers noted. "Texting is on a different order of magnitude compared to other distractions. It's a concern for teens across the board, and kids with ADHD are at that much greater risk," said Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, in New Hyde Park. To read more,click here

Did You Know That....

Integrating technology in the classroom and engaging students in higher order thinking creates the ultimate learning experience for students. Bloom's Taxonomy and digital tools create an innovative learning environment where students are engaged in their assignments. To learn more, visit:

Preferred Play for Children With Autism

Play is critical to children's development, including children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Kathy Ralabate Doody, assistant professor of exceptional education at SUNY Buffalo State, observed different play options to determine those most likely to appeal to children with ASD.The findings were published in the North American Journal of Medicine and Science.  "Children with ASD chose to engage in play that provided strong sensory feedback, cause-and-effect results, and repetitive motions," said Doody. One novel aspect of the research, conducted by Doody with Jana Mertz, program coordinator at the Autism Spectrum Disorder Center at the Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo, was that the children with ASD could freely select their preferred activities. The research was conducted at a monthly event, "Au-some Evening," at Explore & More, a children's museum with exhibits that are designed to engage children through play. The event is open to children with ASD, their families, and their guests. To read more,click here

New Genetic Clues to Severe Childhood Epilepsy

A new technique used to identify genes associated with severe forms of childhood epilepsy could be used to find and confirm other gene mutations that cause neurological disorders, researchers report. The scientists performed a technique called exome sequencing to search for non-inherited gene mutations associated with epilepsy in 264 children whose parents do not have epilepsy. They identified 25 such mutations in six genes: two new genes and four that had been previously linked with epilepsy. The two forms of epilepsy associated with these gene mutations are called infantile spasms and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, according to the study, which was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and published Aug. 7 in the journal Nature. To read more,click here

Genetic Overlap Seen in Five Mental Disorders

Five major mental disorders share common inherited genetic variations, a new study finds. The overlap is highest between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (15 percent), moderate between bipolar disorder and depression and between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression (about 10 percent), and lowest between schizophrenia and autism (3 percent). Overall, common genetic variations accounted for 17 percent to 28 percent of risk for the five mental disorders, according to the study published in the Aug. 11 issue of the journal Nature Genetics, which the researchers say is the largest genome-wide study of its kind. To read more,click here

Combined Therapy Could Repair and Prevent Damage in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Study Suggests

Results from a clinical trial of eteplirsen, a drug designed to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy, suggest that the therapy allows participants to walk farther than people treated with placebo and dramatically increases production of a protein vital to muscle growth and health. The study, led by a team in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, is the first of its kind to show these results from an exon-skipping drug -- a class of therapeutics that allows cells to skip over missing parts of the gene and produce protein naturally. To read more,click here

New Treatment for Brittle Bone Disease Found

A new treatment for children with brittle bone disease has been developed by the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Children's Hospital. The study of the new treatment for children with the fragile bone disease Osteogenesis Imperfecta was published this week in The Lancet. This is the first study to clearly demonstrate that the use of the medicine risedronate can not only reduce the risk of fracture in children with brittle bones but also have rapid action -- the curves for fracture risk begin to diverge after only 6 weeks of treatment. To read more,click here

Inducing and Augmenting Labor May Be Associated With Increased Risk of Autism

Pregnant women whose labors are induced or augmented may have an increased risk of bearing children with autism, especially if the baby is male, according to a large, retrospective analysis by researchers at Duke Medicine and the University of Michigan.The findings, published in JAMA Pediatrics on Aug. 12, 2013, do not prove cause and effect, but suggest the need for more research, particularly as labor induction and augmentation have been used more frequently in recent years. Expediting deliveries has benefited women with health conditions that pose a risk to them and their unborn children. Inducing labor (stimulating contractions before the onset of spontaneous labor) and augmenting labor (increasing the strength, duration or frequency of contractions during labor) have been shown to prevent complications, including stillbirth. To read more,click here

Children With Allergy, Asthma May Be at Higher Risk for ADHD

The number of children being diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder (ADHD), allergy and asthma is increasing in the United States. And according to a new study, there might be a link between the growth of these three conditions.The study, published in the August issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), found there is an increased risk of ADHD in boys that have a history of allergy or asthma. "ADHD, a chronic mental health disorder, is most commonly found in males, while asthma is also more common in young boys than girls," said Eelko Hak, lead study author. "We found there is an increased risk of ADHD in boys with a history of asthma and an even stronger risk associated with milk intolerance." To read more,click here

Making the Brain Take Notice of Faces in Autism

Difficulty in registering and responding to the facial expressions of other people is a hallmark of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Relatedly, functional imaging studies have shown that individuals with ASD display altered brain activations when processing facial images. The hormone oxytocin plays a vital role in the social interactions of both animals and humans. In fact, multiple studies conducted with healthy volunteers have provided evidence for beneficial effects of oxytocin in terms of increased trust, improved emotion recognition, and preference for social stimuli. This combination of scientific work led German researchers to hypothesize about the influence of oxytocin in ASD. Dr. Gregor Domes, from the University of Freiburg and first author of the new study, explained: "In the present study, we were interested in the question of whether a single dose of oxytocin would change brain responses to social compared to non-social stimuli in individuals with autism spectrum disorder." To read more,click here

jobsNASET's Latest Job Listings

* $125,000 Salary for Master Middle School Teachers! - Join a team of master teachers at The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School. TEP is a 480-student 5th through 8th grade middle school in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. To learn more - Click here

 

* Special Education Teacher - Immediate Openings for qualified Teachers in Maricopa City AZ. Full-time, temporary staffing position. Short-Term and Long-Term assignments. To learn more - Click here

 

* English Language Arts Special Education Teacher - Two Rivers Public Charter School is looking for a dynamic, dedicated, flexible English language arts special education teacher to become part of a vibrant educational community. This position is newly created and available in August 2013.To learn more - Click here

 

* Special Education Teacher - APTS is currently in search of Special Education Teachers for both our Alexandria and Fredericksburg locations. To learn more - Click here

 

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

One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.
Carl Jung

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