Week in Review - November 15, 2013

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WEEK IN REVIEW

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

November 15, 2013 - Vol 9, Issue 45

 

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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 Q & A Corner
Issue #61

Cyberbullying

 

Cyberbullying isbullyingthat takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites. Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles. This issue ofNASET'sQ & A Corneris a helpful handout for parents and focuses on cyberbullying.



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

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NASET's Parent Teacher Conference Handout
November 2013

What is the Purpose of Occupational Therapy?

What is School Physical Therapy (PT) Service?

 

Physical Therapy is a related service under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Related services are provided to help a child with an educational disability benefit from his/her special education program in the least restrictive learning environment. PTs address performance skills where a child's disability impacts or compromises their ability to access, participate, and/or to make progress in their natural learning environments. These services to students, school teams, and families may include:

*             Recommending strategies, modifications, and adaptive aids in order to improve school performance, and to include disabled students in school activities.

*             Developing activities to improve large muscle control and balance, to promote sensorimotor development (body awareness, postural control), and/or to promote independence in functional mobility skills.

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

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See NASET's Latest Job Listings

Is ADHD Overdiagnosed? Disorder's Broad Definition Could Subject Kids To 'Unnecessary' Treatment

The overdiagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has become a controversy as of late, as the definition for the disorder has been broadened by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to include a larger amount of people, children in particular. Some scientists and doctors are concerned about the risks posed by ADHD overdiagnosis, which they say could lead to unnecessary medication, as well as "devalue the diagnosis in those with serious problems," Rae Thomas, the researcher who led a recent analysispublished in the British Medical Journal, told Reuters. To read more,click here

Common Core's Promise Collides With IEP Realities

One of the most promising elements of common academic standards for students with disabilities, say experts in special education, is that they offer explicit connections from one set of skills to another. That is particularly important for students served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. For years, the law has pushed schools and districts to provide students access to the same academic curriculum available to the general school population. One way to do that, the law says, is through "standards-based" individualized education programs, or IEPs, instead of educational plans that focus mostly on skills that do not connect to a cohesive academic goal. To read more,click here

Autism Signs Spotted In First Months Of Life

Autism can be detected in infants as young as 2 months by tracking their eye movements, researchers say, marking the earliest signs of the developmental disorder ever observed. Researchers found that between the ages of 2 and 24 months, children who were later diagnosed with autism looked less and less at other people's eyes as compared to kids who did not develop the disorder. The discovery, which is being heralded as a major development, could allow for earlier intervention and ultimately lead to better outcomes, experts say. 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

FDA Approves Marijuana-Based Epilepsy Drug For Use On Kids In Clinical Trials

Federal regulators have approved two clinical studies testing whether a marijuana-based epilepsy drug may help prevent seizures among epileptic children. In San Francisco and New York City, the physician-led pediatric studies will assess the viability of a purified cannabidiol as an anti-seizure treatment among patients with various forms of epilepsy. Although both studies will enroll 25 patients initially, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may approve more as the studies progress. Drs. Roberta Cilio and Orrin Devinsky, of the University of California, San Francisco and New York University, respectively, will investigate the use of Epidiolex, a 98 percent purified cannabidiol drug manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals, of the United Kingdom. Cilio will also conduct two individual studies of the drug. To read more,click here

Inside the Autistic Brain: New Research Challenges Current Beliefs

The brains of children with autism have a higher-than-normal number of connections, and this may be a reason for these kids' social difficulties, according to two new studies. These findings challenge the current belief that the brains of children with autism have fewer neural connections than the brains of typically developing children. The findings could lead to new ways to detect autism early and new treatment methods, said the authors of the studies, which were published in the Nov. 7 issue of the journal Cell Reports. "Our study addresses one of the hottest open questions in autism research," Kaustubh Supekar, of the Stanford University School of Medicine, said in a journal news release. To read more,click here

Ed. Dept. Resolves Compliance Review With School District in New York

The 10,000-student Schenectady, N.Y., school district has agreed to take steps to address the overrepresentation of black and Latino students in special education, after a U.S. Department of Education review of its referral practices.The department review noted that during the 2012-13 school year, black students represented 49 percent of students classified with Emotional Disturbance, even though they were only 35 percent  of the overall student population. Latino students represented 23 percent of students classified as learning disabled, while accounting for for 16 percent of the overall student population. To read more,click here

Despite Major Progress, Some Childhood Cancers Are Still Killers

Recent decades have seen huge strides in treating childhood cancer, but certain types of tumors remain difficult to treat and are often deadly. That's the frustrating fact at the heart of a meeting held this week by the American Association for Cancer Research. Pediatric cancer experts gathered in San Diego to discuss recent advances in understanding childhood tumors and the obstacles to improving kids' care. "The exciting thing is that we're in an era of unprecedented discovery," said Dr. John Maris, referring to recent research on the genetic underpinnings of childhood cancers. "But there's still a huge amount of work to be done." To read more,click here

Risperdal Maker Agrees To $2.2 Billion Settlement

The world's eighth-largest drugmaker, Johnson & Johnson, has agreed to pay the U.S. government $2.2 billion to settle cases in which the government has alleged that the company and its subsidiaries promoted powerful psychiatric medications for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and offered financial kickbacks for physicians who prescribed those medications frequently. The Justice Department says the agreement announced this week, which has been years in the making, is one of the largest healthcare fraud settlements in U.S. history, with criminal fines totaling $485 million and civil and administrative penalties totaling $1.72 billion. Some of that penalty will go to states, which have joined the suit on the argument that the company's improper marketing defrauded those states of funds intended to insure care for the poor and people with disabilities. To read more,click here

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Guess the answer to this week's trivia question and we'll recognize you in next week's Week in Review.
Congratulations to: Andrew Bailey, Emma Doyle, Betsy Mandel, Debra Silsbee, Olumide Akerele, Ope-Oluwa Olubela,  and Michael Namian
who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question: What do Thomas Edison, Whoopi Goldberg, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Pete Townshend, Huey Lewis, and Lou Ferrigno all have in common?  They were all diagnosed withhearing impairments

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
What is the name for a "segregated vocational training and employment setting for people with disabilities"?

If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, November 18, 2013 at 12:00 p.m.

Cyber Bullying More Difficult for Teenagers to Process Psychologically Than In-Person Bullying

Much has been said about cyber bullying, and how social media outlets have impacted the lives of teenagers. However, how do these new methods of bullying and torment differ from their face-to-face counterparts? In what ways do the teenagers on the receiving end of these bullying experiences process the experiences? At The Family Institute, an organization committed to strengthening and healing families from all walks of life through clinical service, education and research, mental health clinicians consider these questions as they treat their adolescent clients and their families. "While social media can serve to augment peer relationships in adolescence, it can also provide a forum for negative exchanges that can be quite hurtful," says Hollie Sobel, PhD, a Family Institute clinician who specializes in treating adolescent clients and their families. To read more,click here

Stomach Troubles Common for Kids With Autism, Study Confirms

Children with autism are far more likely to have digestive problems than those without the neurodevelopmental disorder, a new study finds. The gastrointestinal issues (GI) appear linked to autism-related behavioral problems, such as social withdrawal, irritability and repetitive behaviors, according to the research team at the University of California, Davis. "Parents of children with autism have long said that their kids endure more GI problems, but little has been known about the true prevalence of these complications or their underlying causes," study lead author Virginia Chaidez said in a university news release. To read more,click here

Autism, Language Problems May Be Linked in Families: Study

There may be a genetic connection between autism in children and language problems in other family members, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at 79 families that included one child with autism and at least one child with a language impairment. Parents, children, grandparents -- and even aunts and uncles in some cases -- in the families underwent genetic analysis and a series of tests to assess their grammar, vocabulary and language-processing skills. The study found that genes in a narrow region of two chromosomes (15q23-26 and 16p12) that are responsible for oral and written language problems can result in similar behavioral characteristics with one family member developing autism and the other having only language difficulties. To read more,click here

Performance of Students With Disabilities Hard to Gauge in School Accountability

Getting a clear picture of how students with disabilities have performed under the accountability measures once mandated by No Child Left Behind is difficult because of differences among states in measuring progress, says a report from the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, a project of the Institute of Education Sciences. The Inclusion of Students With Disabilities in School Accountability Systems: An Update is the latest snapshot of how schools fared under an accountability system that required them to break out the performance of students with disabilities and move them towards 100 percent academic proficiency. The report looks specifically at the four school years from 2006-07 to 2009-10; school accountability has in recent months changed dramatically with the permission of accountability waivers that have now been granted to 42 states and the District of Columbia. To read more,click here

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Senator Wants Tracking Devices For Kids With Autism

A U.S. senator is asking the Justice Department to provide tracking devices to parents who wish to monitor their children with autism and other developmental disorders who wander. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., wants the U.S. Department of Justice to offer grant money to local law enforcement agencies so that they can distribute tracking devices to parents who would like the technology in order to help find their children if they go missing. The senator's proposal comes a month after Avonte Oquendo, 14, who has autism, left his New York City school Oct. 4. Despite a massive search effort, the teen has not been seen since. To read more,click here

U.S. Preterm Birth Rate Drops to 15-Year Low

Alaska, California, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon and Vermont -- earned an "A" on the March of Dimes 2013 Premature Birth Report Card as their preterm birth rates met the March of Dimes 9.6 percent goal. The US preterm birth rate improved to the lowest rate in 15 years, but the change wasn't enough to earn it a better grade. The nation again earned a "C" on the Report Card.The March of Dimes estimated that, since 2006, about 176,000 fewer babies have been born too soon because of improvement in the preterm birth rate, potentially saving about $9 billion in health and societal costs. To read more,click here

Eating Disorders More Common in Males Than Realized

Parents and doctors assume eating disorders very rarely affect males. However, a study of 5,527 teenage males from across the U.S., published Nov.4 in JAMA Pediatrics, challenges this belief. Boston Children's Hospital researchers found 17.9 percent of adolescent boys were extremely concerned about their weight and physique. These boys were more likely to start engaging in risky behaviors, including drug use and frequent binge drinking."Males and females have very different concerns about their weight and appearance," says the study's lead author Alison Field, ScD, from Boston Children's Hospital Adolescent Medicine Division. Evaluations for eating disorders have been developed to reflect girls' concerns with thinness but not boys' concerns, which may be more focused on muscularity than thinness. 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

No Major Complications in Most Teens Undergoing Weight-Loss Bariatric Surgery, Study Suggests

Most severely obese teenagers who underwent bariatric weight-loss surgery (WLS) experienced no major complications, according to a study published by JAMA Pediatrics, a JAMA Network publication.WLS is being used to treat severely obese adolescents but there are limited data about the surgical safety of these procedures. The volume of adolescent WLS in the United States tripled from the late 1990s to 2003 and shows no decline, according to the study background. Thomas H. Inge, M.D., Ph.D., of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and colleagues examined the clinical characteristics of severely obese adolescents undergoing WLS and safety outcomes (complications) after surgery. The study included 242 teens (average age 17 years) whose median body mass index was 50.5. Fifty-one percent of the teens had four or more major co-existing conditions, the most common of which were high cholesterol, sleep apnea, back and joint pain, high blood pressure and fatty liver disease, according to the study. To read more,click here

Mother's Stress Passed On To Child Biologically; Sperms, Egg Cells May Transport Non-Genetic Info, Too

Mothers who carry large amounts of stress, either from personal life experience or inherited through inter-generational stress - children of Holocaust survivors among the most famously studied - may indeed pass this stress onto their own children, but now scientists argue the mechanisms by which this transference happens could be biological in nature. Previous studies have combed through the various psychological pathways for transferring stress across generations, largely finding that mothers who experienced mentally taxing events were more likely to produce certain hormones that affect the developing fetus - most often through the placenta. A new studysuggests this stress inheritance may also take place through the germline, as indicated by a heightened expression of a stress biomarker in the mothers' and childrens' brains. To read more,click here

Voting Problems Widespread For Those With Disabilities

More than a decade after Congress took steps to ensure equal access for people with disabilities at the polls, a new report finds that legal, physical and attitudinal barriers remain. During the 2012 election cycle, 1 in 5 voters with disabilities said they were kept from casting their ballot on their own and more than half said they encountered hurdles - including rude or condescending attitudes from election workers - while inside their polling place. The findings are based on the experiences of nearly 900 people with disabilities who were queried by the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency charged with advising Congress and the president on disability issues. To read more,click here

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Brain Stimulation Erases Autism For A Month In First-Ever Randomized, Double-Blind Trial

Boosting social skills in people with autism has been a challenge for medical science for decades. Deficiencies inempathy often stand out as the face of the disorder, as people with autism have difficulty reading body language and deciphering emotional cues. Now, the first ever randomized, double-blind study to concern these issues has shown effectiveness at jumpstarting these social skills through brain stimulation. One of the primary cognitive laggards in people with autism is a region of the brain called the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dPFC). It sits right behind your forehead and mediates a bulk of your personality traits. "It's also the part of the brain linked with understanding others' thoughts, beliefs and intentions," Peter Enticott of Monash University, told New Scientist. People with autism tend to have an underperforming dPFC. To read more,click here

jobsNASET's Latest Job Listings

* ADOLESCENT Classroom Teacher -  St. Ann's Home is as a well-established residential treatment center and special education school for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children. This is your opportunity to make your next career choice a meaningful one and make a real difference.  To learn more - Click here

 

* Director of Autism Services - We have a unique opportunity for a  a high level Autism expert to create a program from ground up. Our client is in the process of expanding it's current special education centre by adding a new centre dedicated to children, young people and adults with autistic spectrum disorders. To learn more - Click here

 

* Special Education Assistant/Associate Professor - Simpson College, a private, nationally recognized regional college grounded in the liberal arts tradition and affiliated with the United Methodist Church invites nominations and applications for the position of Special Education Assistant/Associate Professor. To learn more - Click here

 

* Elementary Upper Grade Learning Support Specialist - The Upper Grade Learning Support specialist leads the identification and remediation of students who are at greatest risk for not acquiring foundational literacy and numeracy skills in the upper elementary grades. This position is at the American School in Japan, Tokyo, Japan. To learn more - Click here

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

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Calvin Coolidge

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