Week in Review - January 24, 2014

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WEEK IN REVIEW

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

January 24, 2014 - Vol 10, Issue 4

 

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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

NASET Sponsor - University of Cincinnati

New This Week on NASET

Severe Disabilities Series
January 2014

Social and Sexual Issues During Transition

Introduction

Today, because of the work of advocates and people with disabilities over the past half-century, American society is acknowledging that those with disabilities have the same rights as other citizens to contribute to and benefit from our society. This includes the right to education, employment, self-determination, and independence. We are also coming to recognize, albeit more slowly, that persons with disabilities have the right to experience and fulfill an important aspect of their individuality, namely, their social life and sexuality. As with all rights, this right brings with it responsibilities, not only for the person with disabilities, but also for that individual's parents and caregivers. Adequately preparing an individual for the transition to adulthood, with its many choices and responsibilities, is certainly one of the greatest challenges that parents and others face.

The focus of this section will be to address various concerns related to individuals with disabilities and their social and sexual issues. After reading this section you should understand the following:

  • The importance of developing social skills
  • Acquiring social skills
  • How families can help widen social experiences
  • Avoiding social mistakes
  • Fostering relationships: Suggestions for young adults
  • Misconceptions about sexuality and disability
  • Defining sexuality
  • How sexuality develops
  • Sexuality education
  • Suggestions for teaching children and youth about sexuality
  • Early Signs of Puberty
  • Issues to address with the adolescent
  • How particular disabilities affect sexuality and sexuality education
To read or download this issue - Click here (login required)


______________________________________________________
NASET's Q & A Corner
#63
Eating Disorders
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that guarantees all children with disabilities access to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). IDEA tells what schools must do to enable students with disabilities to be successful in academics and make plans for smooth transition from academic life to real life. This is the reason the law mandates schools to write an Individualized Education Programs (IEP) for all students with special needs who attend K-12 schools.  This issue of NASET's Q & A Corner was written by Anji Reddy Nlamalapu.  It focuses on questions and answers related to special education transition planning.  At the end of this issue, there are various forms related to the topic at hand.

 

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

______________________________________________________

See NASET's Latest Job Listings

Both Sides of Brain Involved in Speech, Study Finds

Speech involves the use of both sides of the brain, according to a study that may overturn the widely held belief that only one side of the brain is used for this task. The findings improve understanding of how speech is generated in the brain and could help lead to new ways to treat speech problems, the researchers said. They noted that previous conclusions about speech were from studies that relied on indirect measurements of brain activity. This new study directly examined the link between speech and brain activity. Patients in the study had specialized electrodes implanted directly inside and on the surface of the brain. To read more,click here

Congress Gives Special Education $500 Million Boost

After being pounded by budget cuts last year, special education is set to see some relief under a deal approved by Congress. Federal funding for programs benefiting students with disabilities will rise by roughly $500 million this year under a $1.012 trillion bipartisan spending bill passed this week in Congress that's expected to be signed by President Barack Obama. That's enough money to add some 6,000 more special education staff across the country, lawmakers said. To read more,click here

Stocking Epinephrine in Schools Might Save Lives

As a pediatrician at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, Dr. Sarah Denny has seen her share of the life-threatening reactions that can happen with food allergies. That didn't make it any less scary when her son Liam, then 18 months old, drank soy milk and was soon covered in hives and having trouble breathing. Moments later, he was unconscious. She called 911 while her husband jabbed their son in the thigh with an epinephrine pen. "I could hear sirens on the way to us," Denny recalled. "I'm holding Liam out on the curb, and my medical brain kicked in. I thought, 'I need to be doing chest compressions.' " 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

Could Ecstasy Help People With Anxiety, PTSD?

Researchers say they've discovered how the club drug Ecstasy acts on the brain, and their findings suggest the drug might be useful in treating anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. The study included 25 volunteers who underwent two functional MRI brain scans -- one after taking Ecstasy (MDMA) and one after taking a placebo. Both times, the participants did not know which substance they had been given. Ecstasy decreased activity in the brain's limbic system, which is involved in emotional responses. The drug also reduced communication between the brain's medial temporal lobe and medial prefrontal cortex, which is involved in emotional control, according to the study, which was published online Jan. 13 in the journal Biological Psychiatry. To read more,click here

Smoking While Pregnant Raises Baby's Risk of Cleft Palate, Cleft Lip

Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of having a baby with a cleft lip and cleft palate, the U.S. Surgeon General confirms in a new report. Each year in the United States, more than 7,000 babies are born with cleft lip or cleft palate and smoking increases the risk by 30 percent to 50 percent, according to the new report. It was released Friday to mark of the 50th anniversary of the landmark Surgeon General's report about death and disease caused by smoking. A cleft lip occurs when a baby's upper lip doesn't form completely and has an opening in it. A cleft palate occurs when the roof of the mouth doesn't form completely and has an opening in it. Both of these birth defects cause feeding problems, and may lead to ear infections, hearing problems, difficulty speaking and dental problems, according to the March of Dimes. To read more,click here

FDA OKs Blood Test For Intellectual Disability

A first-of-its-kind blood test that can help diagnose intellectual disabilities and developmental delays in children is getting the go-ahead from the Food and Drug Administration. The test known as CytoScan Dx Assay analyzes the entire genome and can detect chromosomal variations associated with Down syndrome, DiGeorge syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities, the FDA said. To read more,click here

NASET Sponsor - University of Cincinnati

 

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: Ashli Cupples, Barry J. Amper, Suzanne Tudor, Mike Namian, Glenn DeVino, Marilyn Haile, Pamela Downing-Hosten, and Olumide Akerele who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question:
FILL IN THE BLANK: ________

resists a one-size-fits-all approach to education and posits instead that teachers, educators, and instructional materials should effectively respond to individual differences inherent within a learning environment. Using these principles in a classroom removes obstacles to curriculum access and provides students with alternative methods to demonstrate what they know. It acknowledges that there is more than one way to learn and respects individual learning style differences.



ANSWER:  Universal Design for Learning (UDL) [also accepted "differentiated instruction" as a possible answer]
THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
Who wasRobert Weitbrecht and why is he important in the field of disability studies?

If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, January 27, 2014 at 12:00 p.m.

Gene Therapy May Restore Sight in People With Rare Blinding Disease

A new gene therapy that successfully treated a rare eye disease in clinical trials could prove the key to preventing more common inherited causes of blindness, researchers say. In six male patients, doctors used a virus to repair a defective gene that causes choroideremia, a degenerative eye disease that can lead to complete blindness by middle age, according to a clinical trial report published online Jan. 16 in The Lancet. Vision improved for all the patients following the gene therapy, and particularly for two patients with advanced choroideremia, said lead author Robert MacLaren of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology at the University of Oxford, and a consultant surgeon at the Oxford Eye Hospital, in England. To read more,click here

Gluten-Free Diet May Help Protect Bones in People With Celiac Disease

Long-term damage to the intestines could raise the risk of hip fractures in people with celiac disease, a new study suggests. However, the research, published Jan. 16 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, also found that the risk was lower in celiac disease patients who ate a gluten-free diet and whose intestinal tissue had begun to heal. "Our research confirmed that patients had a higher rate of hip fractures when tissue damage persisted over time," study author Dr. Benjamin Lebwohl, of the Celiac Disease Center at the Columbia University Medical Center, said in a journal news release. "Sticking to a gluten-free diet is crucial for minimizing tissue damage and reducing the risk of a serious fracture that could cause other complications." To read more,click here

Primary Care Providers May Balk at Giving Teens Antidepressants

Primary health care providers are reluctant to prescribe antidepressants for their teenaged patients, even in cases of severe depression, a new study suggests. The researchers found that those who were more knowledgeable about depression -- and especially those who could consult with an on-site mental health expert -- were more likely to prescribe antidepressants for depressed teens. The study included 58 pediatric primary care providers. Most were doctors, but some were nurse practitioners or other professionals. The study participants were given hypothetical situations describing two 15-year-old girls with depression. One girl met the criteria for moderate depression and the other for severe depression, but neither was suicidal. To read more,click here

Work Environment May Improve Autism Symptoms

Placing adults with autism in more independent work environments may actually help alleviate symptoms of the developmental disorder, researchers say. In a new study of 153 adults on the spectrum ages 19 to 53, researchers found that where people with autism work appears to influence their development and that employment may play a "therapeutic role" for this group. "We found that if you put the person with autism in a more independent vocational placement, this led to measurable improvements in their behaviors and daily living skills overall," said Julie Lounds Taylor of Vanderbilt University's Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, a lead author of the study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 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.

Brain Injuries May Raise Risk of Early Death

People who have suffered a traumatic brain injury appear to have a much higher risk of dying prematurely, a new study suggests. These risks include having another brain injury, being assaulted and suicide. The risks are even higher for those with a psychiatric or drug abuse problem, the researchers added. "After a traumatic brain injury, patients have a threefold increased risk of dying prematurely," said lead researcher Dr. Seena Fazel, a Wellcome Trust senior research fellow in clinical science at the University of Oxford in England. To read more,click here

Antidepressants in Pregnancy Tied to Slight Risk of Lung Disorder in Babies

Taking certain antidepressants in late pregnancy more than doubles the odds of a lung complication in newborns, a new review says. Fortunately, the study also found that the absolute risk of the complication -- known as persistent pulmonary hypertension -- was still low, affecting about 3.5 out of every 1,000 births, according to study author Dr. Sophie Grigoriadis. "Women taking these medications in pregnancy should not panic. The risk is still quite low. It should be one of the factors you consider when you decide to use medications, but it has to be balanced with the potential problems that can occur if you don't treat depression," said Grigoriadis, head of the Women's Mood and Anxiety Clinic: Reproductive Transitions at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, in Toronto. To read more,click here

Hearing, Sight Often Jumbled For Kids On The Spectrum

A new study by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center finds that children with autism live in a world that resembles a badly-dubbed foreign movie. They struggle to integrate what they see and what they hear. Reporting in The Journal of Neuroscience, the researchers described a study comparing 32 high-functioning children with autism and 32 children who are developmentally typical. The children, ages 6 to 18, performed a battery of tasks, most using computers. To read more,click here

Common Infant Vaccine Tied to Slight Rise in Risk for Bowel Complication

Newer vaccines that protect against rotavirus have lower risks of bowel obstruction for infants than a previous vaccine did, two new studies suggest. "We would call it a small increased risk," said W. Katherine Yih, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School who led one of the studies to examine the risks. Rotavirus can cause severe gastroenteritis in infants, requiring hospitalization. The condition involves inflammation of the stomach and intestines, and its main symptoms are watery diarrhea and vomiting, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To read more,click here

New Study Challenges Dyslexia-Brain Changes Link

A new study challenges previous findings regarding what causes reading problems in children with the common learning disorder dyslexia. Some researchers have concluded that these reading difficulties are the result of less gray matter in the brain. This new study suggests, however, that less brain tissue is a consequence of poorer reading experiences and not the root cause of reading problems. Researchers analyzed the brains of children with dyslexia and compared them with two other groups of children: an age-matched group without dyslexia and a group of younger children who had the same reading level as the children with dyslexia. To read more,click here

Teen Concussions Increase Risk for Depression

Teens with a history of concussions are more than three times as likely to suffer from depression as teens who have never had a concussion, finds a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health."What this study suggests is that teens who have had a concussion should be screened for depression," said lead study author Sara Chrisman, M.D., a pediatrician at Seattle Children's Hospital. Concussion, considered a mild traumatic brain injury, can also have serious psychological effects. Most prior research on these psychological effects has focused on adults. However, many teens experience concussions through sports injuries or accidents, and less is known about long-term complications in adolescents. To read more,click here

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Controversial ADA Lawsuits On The Rise

South Florida has become the runaway national leader in federal disability-access lawsuits that some say are accomplishing little more than providing quick cash to attorneys. More than one of every five such claims filed in the United States in 2013 originated in the Southern District of Florida, where cases often end in hasty settlements that ensure attorneys get paid and make the lawsuits disappear - but fail to correct the violations they are supposed to address. Local business owners say they are being extorted by a handful of serial-filing lawyers more concerned with turning profits than helping those with disabilities. To read more,click here

Alternative Therapies Widely Used for Autism

Nearly 40 percent of preschoolers with autism are getting some kind of complementary or alternative therapy for their condition, with nutritional supplements and special diets being the most common things parents try, a new study shows. There are no medications currently approved specifically to treat autism spectrum disorders and its core symptoms of social and behavioral problems, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Autism symptoms also include stomach upset and difficulty sleeping, among others. To read more,click here

jobsNASET's Latest Job Listings

* Special Needs Category Buyer - Are you considering a career change? Take a look at this opportunity to help grow a business and still contribute to your passion to help those with special needs. To learn more   -Click here

 

* Principal Executive/Manager H- The Oregon Department of Human Services is recruiting for a Principal Executive/Manager H (Developmental Disabilities Program Director) position located in Salem, OR.  position provides an exciting and challenging opportunity. To learn more - Click here

 

* Special Education Senior Leader - Well established education management company seeks senior leader with a strong background and experience in special education programming, law, and fiscal oversight. To learn more- Click here

 

* STEM Teacher - We are looking for highly motivated and skilled talent to join our team at the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). We seek individuals who are passionate about transforming and improving educational outcomes for our students. To learn more - Click here

 

* Bentsen Learning Center Director - Mitchell College is currently seeking a Director for our Bentsen Learning Center, who will report to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, and, consistent with the College's Strategic Plan and Academic Vision, will provide strategic leadership and direction for the Center. To learn more - Click here

 

* $125,000 Salary for Master Middle School Teachers! - Earn a $125,000 salary and join a team of master teachers at The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School, recently featured on the front page of the New York Times. To learn more - Click here

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

We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone.
Ronald Reagan

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