Week in Review - September 13, 2013

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WEEK IN REVIEW

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

September 13, 2013 - Vol 9, Issue 37

 

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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

NASET's Q&A Corner Series
September 2013 - #59

Multiple Disabilities

 

The term "multiple disabilities" describes a person that has more than one disability. What caused the disabilities? Often, no one knows. With some children, however, the cause is known. For example: Chromosomal abnormalities; Premature birth; Difficulties after birth; Poor development of the brain or spinal cord; Infections; Genetic disorders; Injuries from accidents. Whatever the cause, the result is that the child has multiple disabilities. Fortunately, there's help available. This issue of NASET's Q & A Corner, written by the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (www.nichcy.org), focuses on the topic of Multiple Disabilities.

 

To read or download this issue -Click here (login required)
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Severe Disabilities Series
September 2013
Self Determination

(The ability to control one's destiny)

 

What it means and how to help your student develop self

One of the most significant concepts to emerge in the last few decades is the awareness of the importance of self-determination in the life of an individual with a disability. For too long, professionals made decisions for people with disabilities with little input from the individual or parents. While these decisions were motivated by good intentions, they may have overlooked the desires, hopes, and aspirations that remained hidden within the person with disabilities. As our society has become more sensitive to the needs and rights of the disabled, we have moved to the concept of self-determination as a crucial element in the design of a life plan.

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

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See NASET's Latest Job Listings

Unemployment Declines For Those With Disabilities

Even as the unemployment rate ticked downward, new data from the U.S. Department of Labor suggests that the job situation for Americans with disabilities remains rocky. The jobless rate for those with disabilities fell to 14.1 percent in August, the Labor Department said Friday. That's down from 14.7 percent the prior month. The drop in unemployment, however, may be at least partly due to fewer people with disabilities looking for work, the data indicates. At the same time, unemployment for the general population dipped to 7.3 percent as the economy added 169,000 jobs, the Labor Department said. To read more,click here

Did You Know That....

The Gateway includes literally hundreds of national-level organizations that offer help and guidance on disability and educational issues. Looking for info on a particular disability or issue? Search the National Gateway. For more information, visit: http://nichcy.org/org-gateway

ESPN, Disney To Promote Inclusive Sports

ESPN and The Walt Disney Company are joining forces with Special Olympics to encourage more individuals with and without disabilities to play together on sports teams. In an announcement Friday, the companies said they are putting millions toward backing Special Olympics' Unified Sports program which forms teams comprised of both athletes with intellectual disabilities and those who are typically developing. The goal of the partnership is to attract one million athletes and coaches to Unified Sports by 2015, Special Olympics officials said. To read more,click here

Deal Reached In Service Dog, Teacher Allergy Dispute

The parents of a first-grader with autism have reached an agreement with an Ohio school district on how to accommodate both the girl's service dog and a special-education teacher with a severe allergy to dog dander. Six-year-old Shyanna Gretz will not go to school in the Athens, Ohio district as planned. Rather, she will attend first grade at the Beacon School, a school in Athens for students with special needs that she attended the previous three years. Shyanna would enroll in the Athens district next school year. The plan will provide more time for Shyanna and her trained black Labrador retriever service dog, Spring, to work together at the Beacon School before the two are placed in a classroom in the Athens district, Shyanna's mother, Charla Gretz, said. 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

Screaming, Cursing at Misbehaving Teens May Backfire

Parents who discipline their teenagers with a hostile brew of screaming, cursing and name-calling may ultimately be doing far more harm than good, a new study reveals. An analysis involving nearly 1,000 two-parent families and their adolescent children suggests that such harsh oral lashings not only don't cut back on misbehavior, they actually promote it. The end result: an uptick in the kind of adolescent rage, stubbornness and irritation that escalates -- rather than diminishes -- disobedience and conflict. "Most parents who yell at their adolescent children wouldn't dream of physically punishing their teens," noted study author Ming-Te Wang, an assistant professor with the department of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education. "Yet, their use of harsh verbal discipline -- defined as shouting, cursing or using insults -- is just as detrimental to the long-term well-being of adolescents," he said. To read more,click here

Parents' Goals Guide ADHD Treatment Choice

Parents' goals for treating their child's attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to steer the treatment in a distinct direction, new research shows. When parents' main concern was their child's academic performance, they often chose medications as the treatment of choice, but if parents were more worried about their child's behavior they tended to opt for behavioral therapy as an initial treatment. "If clinicians can bring evidence to parents, and parents can share their values and goals with their child's doctor, the decision-making process can be easier and it's likely to yield better outcomes," said the study's author, Dr. Alexander Fiks, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. To read more,click here

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Babies Begin Learning Language In The Womb; Remember Words After Birth

For many pregnant mothers who play music or speak to their unborn child, a kick might be the only confirmation that the child heard anything at all. But according to a new study, an unborn child does indeed hear everything, including people's voices, which allows them to begin learning words and remembering them once they're born. "If you put your hand over your mouth and speak, that's very similar to the situation the fetus is in," Eino Partanen, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Helsinki,told Science Magazine. "You can hear the rhythm of speech, rhythm of music, and so on." For fetuses, whose ability to hear develops around the last trimester of pregnancy, this means that their developing brains can begin to pick up sounds from the outside world. To read more,click here

Calif. District Willing To Pay $86K To Keep Boy with Autism Out Of Public School: 'I Don't Want Their Money,' Mother Asserts

Public school officials have offered a mother an $86,000 settlement if she agrees to move her autistic son to a private school. The offer comes during a protracted legal process involving several complaints, wherein the mother alleges that her disabled son has been force-fed by teachers and systematically discriminated against by the school administration. In addition to the money, the settlement also precludes her from pursuing future claims. Heather Houston claims that Yuba City, Calif. school officials have gone against legislature set forth by the Department of Education by repeatedly ignoring the needs of her 21-year-old son, David Swanson. In addition to autism, David suffers from diabetes, and can only communicate through his iPad. In spite of the law mandating free appropriate public education (FAPE) until a student's 22nd birthday, school officials are trying to get rid of him, she said. To read more,click here

Blind Man Explains How He 'Sees' Sunsets, Canyons: Tommy Edison Offers Glimpse Into A World Of Beauty Without Form

How do blind people conceive of color, height, depth, nature, and other intangible phenomena? Tommy Edison can tell you everything about it. For him, beauty comes in the absence of both shape and size. "People wonder a lot about my perception of things that sighted people see all the time," he explains on his YouTube channel. "You know, big giant things that I probably couldn't even get my head around." Edison, who's been blind since birth, naturally senses the world around him in a very different way. Without any type of visual input, his brain interprets space as an aggregate of sounds, scents, and pressure. In a new video, he offers sighted people a glimpse into his remarkable world. To read more,click here

Did You Know That....

The federally funded Parent Technical Assistance Network is your go-to resource for finding parent supports. On the network's website you can find links to local parent centers, current news on special education and early intervention, archived trainings, and more. For more information, visit: http://www.parentcenternetwork.org/

New Typeface 'Dyslexie' Helps Individuals with Dyslexia Overcome Reading Difficulties: Font Increases Perception And Reduces Inversions, Omissions

A new typeface may change the way individuals with dyslexia use online and computer-based media. Dyslexie uses scientific data to facilitate the reading experience for individuals struggling with word and letter recognition. Developed by Dutch graphic designer Christian Boer, the new typeface forgoes aesthetic qualities for heightened legibility and perception. "Traditional fonts are designed purely from an aesthetic point of view, meaning that they frequently have characteristics which make some or all of their letters difficult for dyslexics to read," the developers write on Studio Graphic Design. "Sufferers of dyslexia often find themselves jumbling up the letters of a word, or inverting and flipping some letters because they look too familiar." To read more, click here

NASET Sponsor - Smith System

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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: Susan M. Abbott, Ope-Oluwa Olubela, Karen Bornholm, Marilyn Haile, Pattie Komons, Alexandra Pirard, Olumide Akerele, Pamela R. Downing-Hosten, Gayle Kelly, and Mike Nasmian
who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question:

In 2015, the United States will host the Special Olympics World Summer Games inLos Angeles, California.

 

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:

What do Tiger Woods, Bruce Willis, Carly Simon, Marilyn Monroe, and James Earl Jones all have in common?

If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, September 16, 2013 at 12:00 p.m.

NASET Sponsor - University of Kansas

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Smoking With Asthma During Pregnancy Is Particularly Dangerous

New research from the University of Adelaide has shown for the first time that pregnant women who smoke as well as having asthma are greatly increasing the risk of complications for themselves and their unborn children. In the first study of its kind in the world, researchers from the University's Robinson Institute compared data from more than 170,000 Australian women over 10 years. The results have been published online ahead of print in the European Respiratory Journal. Lead author Dr Nicolette Hodyl says: "We know that being pregnant and having asthma poses risks to both the mother and the baby. We know that smoking poses risks to both the mother and the baby. But now we also know that the combination of these conditions represents a very dangerous situation. To read more,click here

Honor Society for Special Education Teachers

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Mindfulness Training Improves Attention in Children

A short training course in mindfulness improves children's ability to ignore distractions and concentrate better. These are the findings of a study carried out by Dominic Crehan and Dr Michelle Ellefson at the University of Cambridge being presented today, 6 September 2013, at the British Psychological Society's Cognitive Developmental Psychology Annual Conference at the University of Reading. Dominic explained: "Mindfulness involves paying attention in a particular way -- on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally. It has been shown to reduce levels of stress and depression, and to improve feelings of well-being, but to date researchers have not established a link between mindfulness and attention skills in children." 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

www.libertymutual.com/naset,or visit your local sales office.

*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.

Children Benefit from Positive Peer Influence in Afterschool Programs

Children in afterschool programs who have a sense of connectedness with their peers are less likely to report emotional problems, according to Penn State researchers. Children exhibited fewer behavior problems if they perceived their peers were willing to encourage them to behave well. "Encouraging your friends to do something positive or to not misbehave may start from selfishness because you want your group to earn a certain activity or privilege, but it turns into working together as a team," said Emilie Phillips Smith, professor of human development and family studies. She and colleagues observed the relationships children in after school programs had with each other and with staff. The researchers also conducted surveys to determine the frequency of problem behavior in the children. Problem behavior included smoking cigarettes, damaging property, drinking alcohol, shoplifting and smoking marijuana. To read more,click here

Life Without Insulin Is Possible, Study Suggests

Several millions of people around the world suffer from insulin deficiencies. Insulin is a hormone, secreted by the beta cells in the pancreas, which plays a major role in the regulation of energy substrates such as glucose. This insufficiency, primarily caused by diabetes (types 1 and 2), has lethal consequences if it is not treated. As of now, only daily insulin injections allow patients to survive. Several millions of people around the world suffer from insulin deficiencies. Insulin is a hormone, secreted by the beta cells in the pancreas, which plays a major role in the regulation of energy substrates such as glucose. This insufficiency, primarily caused by diabetes (types 1 and 2), has lethal consequences if it is not treated. As of now, only daily insulin injections allow patients to survive. This approach, however, brings on serious side effects. Thanks to their research which was published in the journal Cell Metabolism, the University of Geneva (UNIGE) scientists identified the underlying mechanisms, proving that life without insulin is possible, and paving the way for new diabetes treatments. To read more,click here

Why Parenting Can Never Have a Rule Book: Children's Genetics Significantly Affect How They Are Parented

Any parent will tell you that there is no simple recipe for raising a child. Being a parent means getting hefty doses of advice -- often unsolicited -- from others. But such advice often fails to consider a critical factor: the child. A new review of dozens of studies involving more than 14,600 pairs of twins shows that children's genetics significantly affect how they are parented. "There is a lot of pressure on parents these days to produce children that excel in everything, socially and academically," says Reut Avinun of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. "Since children are not born tabula rasa, I felt it was important to explore their side of the story, to show how they can affect their environment, and specifically parental behavior." Most studies of parenting look at only the reverse, how parents affect their children's experiences. To read more,click here

NASET Sponsor - University of Kansas

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Did You Know That....

The Friendship Circle offers a database with over 1,000 Apple and Android apps for children with disabilities. You can search by platform, category, or price and see descriptions, costs, average ratings, and testimonials from users. For more information, visit: http://www.friendshipcircle.org/apps/

Maternal Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Associated With Increased Risk for Child Maltreatment

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in mothers appears to be associated with an increased risk for child maltreatment beyond that associated with maternal depression, according to a study published by JAMA Pediatrics, a JAMA Network publication. The psychopathology of a caregiver is understood to be an important risk factor for child maltreatment and maternal depression is associated with an increased use of corporal punishment and physical abuse of children. Until recently, research on maternal depression and maltreatment risk has largely ignored the high rate of comorbidity between depression and PTSD. The National Comorbidity Survey suggests that 24.7 percent of depressed women have PTSD and that 48.4 of women with PTSD have depression, according to the study background. To read more,click here

Genomic Study Reveals Why Children in Remission from Rheumatoid Arthritis Often Experience Recurrences

More children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are experiencing remission of their symptoms, thanks to new biological therapies, but the remission is not well-understood. A new study published today in Arthritis Research & Therapy provides the first genomic characterization of remission in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis patients. "It turns out that even though these children in remission appear to be perfectly normal and symptom-free, their immune systems are still perturbed," says James N. Jarvis, MD, clinical professor of pediatrics in the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the study's lead author. To read more,click here

Music Lessons Enhance the Quality of School Life

A new study, published in Music Education Research, examined whether an extended music education had an impact on pupils' experienced satisfaction with the school. Nearly a thousand pupils at ten Finnish schools with extended music classes and comparison classes participated on a survey that measured the quality of school life at Year 3 and Year 6. According to the results, the differences between the extended music classes and the comparison classes were significant in majority of factors at Year 6, namely general satisfaction, opportunities and achievement, identity in the class and the classroom climate. There were no differences between the groups at Year 3, which suggests that a particular factor affects pupils' attitudes during the primary school years. The most likely explanation is the amount of music lessons which was four hours per week for the extended music classes and one lesson per week for the normal classes. To read more,click here

First Large Scale Study Links Autism and Autoimmunity

A new, large-scale study of more than 2,700 mothers of children with autism shows that about one in 10 mothers have antibodies in their bloodstream that react with proteins in the brain of their babies. The research, published in Molecular Psychology (August 20, 2013) indicates that while the blood-brain barrier in the adult women prevents them from being harmed by the antibodies, that same filter in the fetuses is not well-developed enough and so may allow the "anti-brain" antibodies to pass through to the babies' brains, possibly causing autism. The study was led by Dr. Betty Diamond, head of the Center for Autoimmune and Musculoskeletal Disorders at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Long Island, New York, who said the very large sample size "gives a clearer impression of the prevalence of these antibodies." To read more,click here

jobsNASET's Latest Job Listings

* TEACHER - Tufts Educational Day Care Center is an innovative year-round, full-day educational preschool and kindergarten program for children from within the Tufts community and surrounding cities. TEDCC serves as a laboratory site for the University and is affiliated with the Department of Child Development, in the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University. The center enrolls approximately 82 children ages 2.9-6. - Click here

 

* Special Education Teacher, Emotional Support - The Southeast Delco School District is seeking a Special Education Teacher for an Emotional Support class at Academy Park High School in the Southeast Delco School District. This contracted position will teach emotional support high school students. To learn more -Click here

 

* Special Education Teacher - Paideia Academies is looking for a Special Education Teacher in the Phoenix Arizona area. The Mission of Paideia Academy is to challenge and inspire learners by providing a rigorous, content-rich, classical education incorporating languages, music, and the arts while nurturing positive character development. To learn more -Click here

 

* High School Special Education Teacher - UNO's educational philosophy is grounded in the principle that the key to student success is the powerful presence of adults in each child's life. UNO aims to recruit only the most talented, dedicated, and visionary professionals that are capable of creating and cultivating genuine relationships with our key stakeholders; students, parents, and the community. To learn more - Click here

 

* Special Education Certified Teachers - Agua Fria Union High School District was established in 1955. Today, the district serves the communities of Litchfield, Goodyear, Avondale, Buckeye and part of Glendale with its four high schools. Come be a part of our district, we offer competitive salaries, eligible for health benefits and additional compensation. To learn more-Click here

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

The best part of teaching is that it matters.  The hardest part of teaching is that every moment matters, every day.

Todd Whitaker

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