Week in Review - October 31, 2014

WEEK IN REVIEW

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

October 31, 2014 - Vol 10, Issue 44

 

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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 - Boardmaker Online

New This Week on NASET

NASET LD Report #19

Adolescent Literacy

Abstract
Adolescents entering the adult world in the 21st century will read and write more than at any other time in human history. They will need advanced levels of literacy to perform their jobs, run their households, act as citizens, and conduct their personal lives. They will need literacy to cope with the flood of information they will find everywhere they turn. They will need literacy to feed their imaginations so they can create the world of the future. In a complex and sometimes even dangerous world, their ability to read will be crucial. Continual instruction beyond the early grades is needed. Many students reach middle school and high school without adequate literacy skills. Reasons for this may include learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, frequent school changes, limited literacy of parents, or inadequate instruction. Once a student falls behind his or her peers, development of literacy skills may be hampered by lack of access to appropriate materials and instruction and by motivational issues stemming from repeated experiences with failure. Students who are reading two or more years below grade level tend to have difficulty in content-area classes in secondary school. Often, they avoid reading and fall even further behind over time as a result. This presents a major challenge for educators and parents trying to help students succeed in the general curriculum and avoid the emotional and social consequences of repeated failure in school. This issue ofNASET'sLD Reportcomes from the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition and will provide resources pertaining to adolescent literacy.



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SeeNASET'sLatest Job Listings

U.S. Kids Use ADHD Meds More During School Year

American children's use of stimulant medications is 30 percent higher during the school year than in the summer, a new study indicates. The findings suggest that many children may use stimulants to help them meet academic demands, according to the researchers. Stimulant medications improve concentration and help manage symptoms associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They are the most widely used type of medication among teens, the researchers said. Currently, about 6 percent of U.S. children use stimulants, up from about 2.4 percent in 1996, the study authors noted. To read more,click here

Bullying of Students with Disabilities Addressed in Guidance to America's Schools

As part of National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, the U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today issued guidance to schools reminding them that bullying is wrong and must not be tolerated-including against America's 6.5 million students with disabilities. The Department issued guidance in the form of a letter to educators detailing public schools' responsibilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of Americans with Disabilities Act regarding the bullying of students with disabilities. If a student with a disability is being bullied, federal law requires schools to take immediate and appropriate action to investigate the issue and, as necessary, take steps to stop the bullying and prevent it from recurring. To read more,click here

Federal Judge to Special Education Lawyer: 'You've Just Lost All of Your Credibility'

What began as an unusual case involving a potentially suicidal special education student took another strange turn last week, when a federal judge rebuked the family's attorney for allegedly attempting to mislead the court. It's rare for an education case of this type to reach the federal appeals court, and its outcome will set new precedent for how Texas addresses special ed, mental health and drug addiction. The case involves "Z.A.," a young boy adopted from Russia who was pulled out of the Fort Bend Independent School District public school and placed in an out-of-state, private residential program in 9th grade. His parents said the placement was necessary because the school was failing to provide him with a special education program that addressed their son's anxiety and depression. 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

I Won't Let My Daughter With Down Syndrome Be Defined By A 'List'

When my daughter was diagnosed with Down syndrome, I was given a list. A list of potential features and problems to expect. This list is cold, emotionless and almost comes across as grotesque if you are reading it with fear already in your heart. The sharply angled words on this list tore apart my motherhood dream and became almost like a "side effects" commercial gone wrong. Now the list has become a part of my life, and I think that whoever created it didn't capture the spirit of their assignment. It's as if someone was told to describe Christmas and they said that it might include an evergreen tree and cold weather. To read more,click here

Disabilities No Hurdle for Family of Athletes

When Jim Pathman found out in 1998 that his wife, Lisa, was expecting twins, he bought a matching pair of Schwinn bikes so the boys could one day join their hyper-athletic parents in their shared passion for outdoor sports. Seventeen years later, those bikes are still in their boxes, because twins Shane and Riley were born disabled by cerebral palsy. But as Jim would say, when there's a Pathman will, there's a Pathman way. And on Sunday, the active family of four hopes to achieve their dream of completing a triathlon in La Jolla. To read more,click here

TRICARE To Decrease Autism Healthcare Payments, ASD Parents Worried They Will Lose Services

Military families that include children with autism are concerned that changes to TRICARE may result in a loss of professional help, according to The Hill. TRICARE is the U.S. military's healthcare plan. The Pentagon has been working to reduce costs of healthcare, and cuts in what TRICARE is willing to pay for board-certified behavior analysts for children with autism is in the plan. The reports state that the Pentagon's new plan slashes payments to providers working with autistic children nearly in half. The TRICARE manual, which was issued in September, states that TRICARE will pay these care providers between $50 and $68 per hour. This is a significant decrease to the previous $125 an hour that TRICARE was willing to pay providers for some autism related behavioral services in the existing plan. 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: Prahbhjot Malhi, Olumide Akerele, Andrew Bailey, Yvonne Harris, Ellen Tannebaum and Marilyn Haile
who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question: According to the latest research in the field, 66 percent of researchers, 67 percent of parents and 90 percent of pediatricians agree or strongly agree that ______ can increase aggressive behavior among children. ANSWER: Violent Video Games
THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
According to recent research in the field, a compound extracted from what type of vegetable may improve some social and behavioral problems that affect people with autism?
If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, November 3, 2014 at 12:00 p.m.

Deciding Who They Want to Be: Young Adults With Special Needs Make Transition From School

Leah Wright, 22, has spent the past few months settling back into the town she lived in until she was 11. After graduating from Perkins School for the Blind in Massachusetts, she returned to Windsor, where she and her family have been laying the groundwork for the next chapter of her life. On the weekdays, while her parents are working, she attends a special education program. Recently, Leah took a part-time job at a local convenience store - she likes the people and the pocket money. To read more,click here

Channing Tatum of Childhood ADHD and Dyslexia

We all know Channing Tatum as a star of several well-known films like "21 Jump Street," "G.I. Joe Retaliation," and "The Vow." But what we do not know is how he struggled in the past to get to where he is now. The "Foxcatcher" actor made headlines recently regarding his biggest, most critically acclaimed role in "Foxcatcher" as well as his "Magic Mike" sequel, but the actor wanted to talk about something else -- what he went through as a child after he was diagnosed to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia. "I've always negotiated the world very physically, from football to tussling at the playground to taking my clothes off," the 34-year-old actor said. To read more,click here

NASET Applications for iPhone & iPad

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Impartial Review of IEP App - Click here - To learn more about these Apps click on the image

Adderall Whistleblowers Result in $56.5 Million Blow to Shire Pharmaceuticals

Shire Pharmaceuticals, the Adderall manufacturer, took a major blow last month: the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and a number of state AGs announced a settlement with the Irish drug company regarding violations of the False Claims Act.Shire will pay $56.5 million to settle accusations of making false claims in the marketing of its attention deficit disorder drug Adderall XR and other medicines, according to the New York Times (Sept 24, 2014). The drug company was accused of promoting Adderall with claims that it was superior over competitive medications without clinical data to back up such claims. Shire was further accused of promoting Adderall off-label (i.e., for uses not approved by the FDA) and other claims not supported by scientific evidence. For instance, Adderall XR was marketed to "prevent poor academic performance, loss of employment, criminal behavior, traffic accidents and sexually transmitted disease," according to the Times. The allegations cover activities by the company between January 2004 and September 2010. To read more,click here

In Siblings, Autism Signs Often Apparent At 18 Months

About 20 percent of younger siblings of those with autism are on the spectrum too and they often show symptoms of the developmental disorder as young as 18 months, researchers say. Warning signs like poor eye contact and repetitive behaviors were apparent in 57 percent of siblings at just a year and a half old, according to findings published this month in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Among siblings without symptoms at 18 months, those that were later diagnosed with autism showed signs of the developmental disorder by 36 months, the study found. To read more,click here

Disney Urged To Include Characters With Disabilities

In the history of human storytelling, the flawed hero is as old as the story of Achilles that the ancient Greeks once told one another on the Acropolis hillside. In more modern times, though, and especially writ large on the silver screen, animated films have, for the most part, focused on heroic characters of outward and inner strength ­- and, of course, fair young women of noble beauty. Such characters might easily provide role models for the vast majority of youngsters who flock to the weekend matinees in search of escape and entertainment. Yet not all children are fortunate enough to view the Cinderellas, Little Mermaids and Belles and see in them a familiarity in which to aspire. To read more,click here

NASET MEMBER'S BENEFIT -

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Teen Conflicts Spill Over to Other Areas of Their Lives

Teens' conflicts at home increase the risk of problems at school for up to two days, according to a new study. The research also found that the reverse is true: school problems can create issues at home. Additionally, the study found that bad mood and mental health symptoms such as depression and anxiety are important factors in what's referred to as "spillover effect." Problems that can spill over between home and school include arguments between teens and their parents, skipping class, not completing assignments, difficulty understanding school work, and doing poorly on a quiz or test, the University of Southern California researchers explained. To read more,click here

As Pot Use Rises, Teens' Grades May Fall: Study

Occasional marijuana use does not appear to affect teens' intelligence or school performance, but heavy marijuana use is associated with slightly lower exam scores, according to a new study. Among more than 2,200 U.K. children who took IQ tests at age 8 and at age 15, marijuana use in the teen years appeared to be associated with lower IQ scores, the researchers said. However, the researchers found a strong link between marijuana use and other risky behaviors such as alcohol, cigarette and drug use. When these other behaviors were taken into account, there was no connection between marijuana use and lower IQ at age 15, they said. To read more,click here

Gene Scan Helps Diagnose Mystery Disorders in Children

A new test that scans all of a person's genes to pinpoint a single mutation can help identify rare genetic disorders in children, a new study shows. Audrey Lapidus and her husband grew concerned when their son Calvin didn't roll over or crawl by the time he was 10 months old. He also had chronic digestive problems. A series of tests didn't provide any answers. In desperation, Calvin's parents agreed to have their son become the first person to undergo a powerful new test called exome sequencing at the University of California, Los Angeles. To read more,click here

Fertility Treatments Aren't Significantly Linked to Birth Defects

The risk of birth defects is low among children conceived using assisted reproductive technologies (ART), according to a new study. Researchers examined more than 300,000 births in Massachusetts between 2004 and 2008. Of those babies, 11,000 were conceived using ART. Assisted reproductive technologies include fertility treatments where both eggs and sperm are handled, such as in-vitro fertilization, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Techniques where just sperm are handled, such as artificial insemination, are not considered assisted reproductive technology, according to the CDC. To read more,click here

Research Shows No Link Between Vaccinations, Risk for Multiple Sclerosis

A new study finds no link between vaccines and increased risk of multiple sclerosis or similar nervous system diseases. Even though some have questioned whether vaccines -- particularly for hepatitis B and human papillomavirus (HPV) -- might be associated with a small rise in the risk of MS, prior studies yielded mixed findings on the issue, with most studies showing no link. Many of those studies were limited by small numbers of participants and other factors, said the new team of researchers led by Dr. Annette Langer-Gould of Kaiser Permanente, Southern California, and colleagues. To read more,click here

Gene Duplications Associated with Autism Evolved Recently in Human History

Human geneticists have discovered that a region of the genome associated with autism contains genetic variation that evolved in the last 250,000 years, after the divergence of humans from ancient hominids, and likely plays an important role in disease. Their findings were presented today at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) 2014 Annual Meeting in San Diego.Researchers at the University of Washington analyzed the genomes of 2,551 humans, 86 apes, one Neanderthal, and one Denisovan. They closely examined a region of human chromosome 16 known as 16p11.2, a region prone to genetic changes in which segments of DNA are deleted or duplicated, one of the most common genetic causes of autism, schizophrenia, and other conditions. The geneticists found that certain segments of DNA in this region are repeated a variable number of times in different people and may also be associated with disease. To read more,click here

Honor Society for Special Education Teachers

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Therapy Pig Wins Reprieve

Wilbur the pig is home free, after a nearly yearlong battle between his owners and their homeowner's association.The 65-pound porker can stay in Eric and Rori Halpern's house under a settlement the couple reached with the Cypress Woods Association. The unincorporated Palm Beach County community had tried to kick the pig out because of an association rule banning livestock. But the Halperns argued that Wilbur, a 17-month-old certified emotional support animal, helps their two young sons and other people in Palm Beach County. To read more,click here

Medication Errors Occur Every 8 Minutes in U.S. Children

A child receives the wrong medication or the wrong dosage every eight minutes in the United States, according to a recent study. Nearly 700,000 children under 6 years old experienced an out-of-hospital medication error between 2002 and 2012. Out of those episodes, one out of four children was under a year old. As the age of children decreased, the likelihood of an error increased, the study found. Though 94 percent of the mistakes didn't require medical treatment, the errors led to 25 deaths and about 1,900 critical care admissions, according to the study. To read more,click here

Action Video Games Bolster Sensorimotor Skills, Study Finds

A University of Toronto study finds that action video games bolster sensorimotor skills. A study led by University of Toronto psychology researchers has found that people who play action video games such as Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed seem to learn a new sensorimotor skill more quickly than non-gamers do. A new sensorimotor skill, such as learning to ride a bike or typing, often requires a new pattern of coordination between vision and motor movement. With such skills, an individual generally moves from novice performance, characterized by a low degree of coordination, to expert performance, marked by a high degree of coordination. As a result of successful sensorimotor learning, one comes to perform these tasks efficiently and perhaps even without consciously thinking about them. To read more,click here

NASET Members Only

jobsNASET's Latest Job Listings

*Early Childhood Special Educator- Provide early intervention services to infants and toddlers of American military families stationed overseas in Okinawa, Japan.  Home-based early intervention program working with developmentally delayed children the 0, 1 & 2-year age population. To learn more - Click here


*Special Education Teacher - Elementary/Middle - The High Road School of Anne Arundel County is currently hiring two special educators for an elementary and middle school classroom respectively. Special educator responsibilities include delivering and modifying the general education curriculum, administering formal and more. To learn more - Click here


* Assistant Professor in Special Education - Western Washington University seeks an assistant professor to teach Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in Special Education, Work with department and college to align department curriculum with state and professional performance-based standards. To learn more - Click here


* Education Therapist - Special Education Teacher - Education Therapist for Brain Injured Patients - The position is full time, M-F only with paid holidays! Excellent benefits! To learn more - Click here


* Special Education Teacher (9th grade) - Chavez Schools is seeking a 9th grade Special Education Teacher who understands developmental levels of scholars and appropriately differentiate instruction and understands & uses variety of data and data sources for lesson planning. To learn more -Click here


* Part-Time Literacy Specialist - TEP's Part-Time Literacy Specialist (approximately 15 hours per week) will work one-on-one with students identified as struggling readers in both push-in and pullout capacities, spiraling effective literacy interventions into the student(s)' existing curriculum.To learn more - Click here


* Social Studies/ History, ELA & Special Education Teacher - The Equity Project Charter School is now hiring for Social Studies/ History, ELA and Special Education Teaching positions. Featured in The New York Times and on 60 Minutes, TEP is the school that pays its teachers a $125,000 salary to work on a team of master practitioners in an environment that values and develops teaching excellence. To learn more - Click here


* Resource Specialist (RSP Teacher) - Options For Youth is a guided independent study public charter school serving students in grades 7 through 12. We are currently looking for a Resource Specialist (RSP Teacher) to join our dynamic team. - To learn more -Click here

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

Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication.

Roger Staubach
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