Week in Review - February 21, 2014
WEEK IN REVIEWNewNASETPublications and Articles of Interest in Special Education and Disabilities That Were Reported This WeekFebruary, 21 2014 - Vol 10, Issue 8 |
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New This Week on NASETNASET Lesser Known Disorders in Special Education Series Issue # 49 - February 2014 Each issue of this series contains at least three lesser known disorders. Some of these disorders may contain subtypes which will also be presented. You will also notice that each disorder has a code. These codes represent the coding system for all disabilities and disorders listed in the Educator's Diagnostic Manual (EDM) Wiley Publications. Disorders in this issue:
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NASET's Education Children with Severe Disabilities Series Part IX Travel Training Looks at training people with disabilities to use public transportation safely and independently. It answers such questions as: What are the essential components of a successful travel training program? What specific skills do travelers need? What issues arise with specific disabilities such as physical, cognitive, or visual impairments? ______________________________________________________
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Video Games Might Help People With Dyslexia Learn to Read, Study SuggestsVideo games might help people with dyslexia improve their ability to read, a new study suggests. Dyslexia, which affects between 5 percent and 10 percent of people, is a learning disorder that causes problems with reading and writing. Standard methods of reading instruction might be counterproductive for people with dyslexia, according to the study, which was published Feb. 13 in the journal Current Biology. The researchers tested people with dyslexia and discovered that they have difficulty managing competing sights and sounds. "Imagine you are having a conversation with someone when suddenly you hear your name uttered behind you," study author Vanessa Harrar, of the University of Oxford, in England, said in a journal news release. To read more,click here |
Head, Neck Injury May Triple Younger People's Risk for StrokeHead and neck injuries may triple the odds that a young adult or child suffers the leading form of stroke, new research suggests. While strokes remain relatively rare in younger people, they do occur, one expert said. "Two thirds of strokes occur in people over the age of 65, but one third of strokes occur in those under the age of 65," said Dr. Richard Libman, chief of the division of vascular neurology at North Shore-LIJ Health System in Manhasset, N.Y. "Many strokes occur in people in the prime of their lives, depriving them of quality of life, and depriving society of their contributions," added Libman, who was not involved in the new study. "More research is needed into the causes and appropriate treatments for young people with stroke." To read more,click here |
Preemie Birth Linked to Higher Insulin Levels in KidsBased on tests of newborns and young children, a new study suggests that premature babies could face a higher risk of diabetes much later in life. The findings don't confirm a connection between premature birth and diabetes, although other studies have hinted at a possible connection and increased risk. But they do show that babies and young children have higher insulin levels if they were born before full term, and the levels are greatest in those who were the most premature. Higher insulin levels, in turn, could be an indicator of diabetes even decades down the line, the researchers noted. To read more,click here |
NASET MEMBER'S BENEFIT -Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET MembersThrough 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 |
Premature Babies Benefit From Adult Talk, Study FindsPremature infants face a number of challenges, including a known risk of language delay. But a new study suggests that exposing "preemies" to more adult language in the neonatal intensive care unit can increase their language abilities at 18 months. "Parents have the power to make a difference in their child's development and academic success. Just by enjoying your child -- singing, playing, telling stories -- while riding in the car or having dinner, sharing your day with them," said the study's senior author, Dr. Betty Vohr, a professor of pediatrics at the Alpert Medical School at Brown University in Providence, R.I. To read more,click here |
Autism Costs Average $17,000 Yearly for Each Child, Study FindsThe cost of services for children with autism averages more than $17,000 per child each year -- with school systems footing much of the bill, a new U.S. study estimates. Researchers found that compared to kids without autism, those with the disorder had higher costs for doctor visits and prescriptions -- an extra $3,000 a year, on average. But the biggest expenses were outside the medical realm. "Non-health care" services averaged $14,000 per child, and special education at school accounted for more than 60 percent of those costs. Past studies into the costs of autism have mainly focused on health care, said Tara Lavelle, a researcher at RAND Corp. in Arlington, Va., who led the new study published online Feb. 10 and in the March print issue of Pediatrics. To read more,click here |
Report Prompts Renewed Push To Limit Restraint, SeclusionWidespread use of restraint and seclusion in the nation's schools is putting kids with disabilities at risk and current laws offer families little recourse, a U.S. Senate investigation finds. A 54-page report from the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee unveiled Wednesday documents 10 cases where students have experienced restraint or seclusion at school. Among them are the story of a 12-year-old Florida boy with developmental disabilities who was restrained 89 times in 14 months without his parents' knowledge and the case of a 14-year-old in Georgia who committed suicide after being repeatedly secluded at school. 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: Olumide Akerele, Ellen Karnowski, Shan Ring, Ope-Oluwa Olubela, Mike Namian, Pamela Downing-Hosten, Wayne Buletza, and Andrew Bailey who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question: According to the latest research, drivers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are nearly 50 percent more likely to be involved in what situation? ANSWER: A serious car accident THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: According to the latest research in the field, the more common colds and viral infections a woman has during pregnancy, the higher the risk her baby will have what health impairment? If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, February 24, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. |
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Fifty Years On, Controversy Surrounds Down Syndrome DiscoveryIt's been over 50 years since scientists determined that an extra copy of the 21st chromosome is responsible for Down syndrome. But today a battle continues over who deserves credit for the discovery. For decades, Jérôme Lejeune was heralded as the one who spotted the chromosomal difference in those with Down syndrome. But in recent years, Science Magazine reports that another scientist - Marthe Gautier, 88 - has come forward to say that she, not Lejeune, was really the one to first notice an extra chromosome. The claim from Gautier has ignited rebuke from Lejeune's supporters and the conflict came to a head earlier this year. To read more,click here |
Sleep Apnea May Worsen Fatigue in MS PatientsSleep apnea is common in people with multiple sclerosis and may contribute to their fatigue, a new study shows. Fatigue is one of the most frequent and debilitating symptoms experienced by MS patients. The study included 195 people with MS who completed a sleep questionnaire and were assessed for daytime sleepiness, insomnia, fatigue severity and sleep apnea. One-fifth of the patients had been diagnosed with sleep apnea and more than half were found to have an elevated risk for the condition. The researchers also found that sleep apnea risk was a significant predictor of fatigue severity. To read more,click here |
Workplace Disability Discrimination Claims See DeclineFor the first time in years, federal officials say that the number of disability-related job discrimination complaints dropped last year. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said it received 25,957 charges of job bias related to disability for the 2013 fiscal year, which ran from Oct. 1, 2012 through Sept. 30, 2013. That's down from 2012 when 26,379 complaints were filed with the agency, the most such claims on record for any year. The latest figures mark the first time since 2005 that the EEOC recorded a year-over-year decline in complaints. To read more,click here |
What Makes Newborn Immune System in Lungs Different, Vulnerable?Newborns are more susceptible to infections, presumably because of their immature and inexperienced immune systems. The most common dangerous condition in newborns and infants are lower respiratory tract infections caused by viruses, especially respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). A study published on February 13th in PLOS Pathogens shows how the immune system in the lungs during early life differs from the one in older children and adults.Ideally, newborns could be protected against RSV by vaccination, but it is known that the immune system in early life is less responsive to "conventional" vaccines. Barney Graham and colleagues, from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, are working on understanding the early immune system in order to develop effective vaccines for newborns and infants. To read more,click here |
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States May Be Getting Stricter on Child Vaccine ExemptionsLegislative skirmishes over childhood vaccines are still happening in many states, but there are signs of a shift in the United States toward limiting "personal belief" exemptions, a new study finds. All states require children to receive routine vaccines against diseases such as polio, measles, mumps and whooping cough before starting day care or public school. But most states allow parents to forgo vaccines for religious reasons, and 20 states permit "personal belief" exemptions for parents with philosophical objections. In the new study, researchers found that although lawmakers in other states have tried to introduce personal belief exemptions in recent years, none has been successful. To read more,click here |
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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. |
Teen Pregnancy Rates Much Higher for Girls With Serious Mental Illness: StudyTeenage girls diagnosed with major mental illness are much more likely to give birth, according to a new study from Canada, suggesting such girls should become a special target for anti-pregnancy efforts, the researchers say. The investigators also found that birth rates haven't dipped as fast in mentally ill girls as they have in other girls, an indication that those with psychological problems may be less affected by overall trends in teen pregnancy. The study doesn't examine statistics from the United States. But study lead author Dr. Simone Vigod, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, said they are probably similar. To read more,click here |
Teens' Stress Levels Rival Those of Adults, Survey FindsIf paying the bills and putting food on the table put adults' nerves on edge, just imagine how today's overscheduled, frequently tested teenagers must feel. Adolescents reported stress levels during the school year that surpassed those of adults, according to the American Psychological Association's latestStress in America survey. The survey, based on an August 2013 Harris Interactive poll, is thought to be the first to focus on how stress is affecting the nation's adolescents. It included more than 1,000 teens and nearly 2,000 adults. The findings suggest that teens' sleeping and exercise habits feed into their stress levels and the stress affects their health habits, creating a vicious circle, said Norman Anderson, CEO and executive vice president of the American Psychological Association. To read more,click here |
Change in Guidelines for Type 2 Diabetes Screening Tests May Lead to Under-Diagnosis in ChildrenNew American Diabetes Association (ADA) screening guidelines may lead to the missed diagnoses of type 2 diabetes in children, according to a new study by University of Michigan.The research, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, finds that both pediatric and family medicine providers who care for children are using screening tests for type 2 diabetes that may result in missed diagnoses for children, says lead author Joyce Lee, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor in U-M's Departments of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases and Environmental Health Sciences. In 2010, the ADA recommended that physicians use Hemoglobin A1c screening tests, rather than glucose tests for identifying children and adults with pre-diabetes and diabetes. However, this change has been controversial, because of lower test performance of HbA1c in children compared with adults. To read more,click here |
Child Abuse Rises with Income InequalityAs the Great Recession deepened and income inequality became more pronounced, county-by-county rates of child maltreatment -- from sexual, physical and emotional abuse to traumatic brain injuries and death -- worsened, according to a nationwide study by Cornell University.The income inequality-child maltreatment study, to be published in the March 2014 edition of the peer-review journal Pediatrics, covers all 3,142 American counties from 2005-09, and is one of the most comprehensive of its kind and the first to target child abuse in places with the greatest gap between rich and poor. To read more,click here |
Infections Like Colds, Chickenpox Tied to Some Stroke Risk in KidsCommon infections, such as a cold or chickenpox, may increase the risk of stroke in children, according to several new studies. The good news is that stroke in children is still quite rare, and one of the studies found that childhood vaccines appeared to offer some protection against childhood stroke. "Children who'd had a stroke were most likely to have had a recent infection compared to controls [children without stroke]," said Dr. Heather Fullerton, an author involved with three studies. "There was a particularly strong association for an infection in the week before a stroke, almost a sevenfold increase in the risk of stroke." To read more,click here |
Under Obama Order, Workers With Disabilities To Get Pay HikeAn executive order requiring federal contractors to be paid at least $10.10 per hour will apply to workers with disabilities too, White House officials say. President Barack Obama signed an executive order Wednesday raising the minimum wage for federal contract workers, including those with disabilities employed under service or concessions contracts with the government. "If you work full-time, you shouldn't be living in poverty," Obama said. "This executive order will cover Americans with disabilities because this principle doesn't just apply to some of us, it applies to all of us." To read more,click here |
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Scientists Identify Gene Linking Brain Structure to IntelligenceFor the first time, scientists at King's College London have identified a gene linking the thickness of the grey matter in the brain to intelligence. The study is published today in Molecular Psychiatry and may help scientists understand biological mechanisms behind some forms of intellectual impairment.The researchers looked at the cerebral cortex, the outermost layer of the human brain. It is known as 'grey matter' and plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language and consciousness. Previous studies have shown that the thickness of the cerebral cortex, or 'cortical thickness', closely correlates with intellectual ability, however no genes had yet been identified. To read more,click here |
Newly Discovered Gene May Shed Light on Certain Brain DisordersScientists who discovered a gene that links the thickness of the brain's gray matter to intelligence say their finding might help improve understanding of brain disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. The team looked at the cerebral cortex, which is the outside layer of the human brain. It plays an important role in areas such as memory, attention, thought, language and consciousness. Previous research has shown that the thickness of the cerebral cortex is closely linked with intelligence. Until now, no genes associated with the thickness of the cerebral cortex have been identified, the study authors said. To read more,click here |
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* SEN Specialist - Teachers required for American, British and Indian curriculum Private schools in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE. Ability to teach any of the above curriculums and excellent English a must. 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
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Food For Thought..........In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. Bill Cosby |