Week in Review - February 20, 2015

WEEK IN REVIEW

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

February 20, 2015 - Vol 11, Issue 8

 

Find us on Facebook

 

 

Forward this issue to a Friend

 

Join Our Mailing List!

In This Issue

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

 

 

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  
City Gate Language Services

New This Week on NASET

NASET's HOW TO Series

How To Understand Achievement Test Terminology
February 2015
Introduction

Sometimes children who are experiencing academic problems may not try as hard as possible for fear of failure. Consequently, the resulting scores on achievement tests may not reflect true achievement levels. You should know test vocabulary and abbreviations used to report test information and what it means. ThisHow To serieswill help you learn the terms used to describe achievement test results.



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

______________________________________________________

 

NASET's HOW TO Series
How To Understand the Different Sections of an IEP
February 2015
Introduction

All districts are required to have an IEP for any child in special education. However the form of this IEP is not standard throughout the country but many times the information may be the same. One must also keep in mind that individual states may vary what they require on IEOPs. This How to Series outlines the different sections that may be included on many IEPs but may not contain everything required in your district. Look at how the different sections are reported to get an idea of what is contained.


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

______________________________________________________

 

JAASEP Winter 2015

 

Table of Contents

 

*Effects of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) on Maladaptive Behavior in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): A Review of the Literature

 

*Comparing Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) and Piers-Harris 2 Scores of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

 

*Perceptions of Disability and Special Education Services: The Perspectives of Korean-American Parents of Children with Disabilities

 

*Instructional Constraints Faced by Learners with Muscular Dystrophy: A Case of Joytown Special Primary School, Thika, Kenya

 

*The Perspectives of K-12 Stakeholders Involved in Early Implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI)

 

*The Role of Peer Guided Play for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

 

*Improving Science Scores of Middle School Students with Learning Disabilities through Engineering Problem Solving Activities

 

*Service Delivery for High School Students with High Incidence Disabilities: Issues and Challenge

 

*Teaching Children with Autism to Ask Questions

 

*The Principals' Impact on the Implementation of Inclusion

 

*Fostering Special Education Certification through Professional Development, Learning Communities and Mentorship

 

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

______________________________________________________

 

SeeNASET'sLatest Job Listings

Some Tiny Preemies Show Poorer Mental Health in Adulthood

People who were born very preterm may be at higher-than-normal risk of anxiety disorders and certain other mental health issues, even into their 30s, a new study suggests. Those risks, researchers found, appeared particularly elevated among those who had been exposed to prenatal steroid medication. Corticosteroids are commonly given to pregnant women in danger of preterm delivery, to help speed the baby's lung development and lower the risk of life-threatening complications. It's not clear why the medications were tied to higher odds of mental health problems in adulthood, the study authors said. Only an association between the two was found, not a cause-and-effect link. The researchers stressed that expectant mothers should not be deterred from accepting prenatal steroids. To read more,click here

No Link Seen Between Oxytocin-Assisted Labor and ADHD

Mothers who get an extra boost during labor with the medication oxytocin don't face a higher risk of having a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new study says. If a woman giving birth stops progressing during labor, she might receive oxytocin (brand name: Pitocin) as "augmentation." This drug is a synthetic version of the oxytocin hormone involved in birth. It helps push labor along, increasing the likelihood that the cervix will continue dilating. But the hormone may have other effects, too. "Oxytocin has many functions, including affecting social interactions," said Dr. Glen Elliott, chief psychiatrist and medical director of Children's Health Council in Palo Alto, Calif. "Earlier studies were divided as to whether use of oxytocin to help labor progress increased the risk of the child later having a diagnosis of ADHD." To read more,click here

Parents of Young Stroke Victims at Risk for PTSD, Researchers Find

Parents of children who suffer a stroke are at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a small study suggests. The research included 10 fathers and 23 mothers of children and teens who had suffered a stroke, as well as nine stroke patients between the ages of 7 and 18. The researchers found that 55 percent of the parents met at least one of the PTSD criteria and 24 percent met all the criteria. PTSD was not seen in any of young stroke patients, but 22 percent of them had clinically significant levels of anxiety. To read more,click here

NASET Membership - Follow us on Twitter!

Prolonged Rescue Efforts May Not Help Young Drowning Victims: Study

Prolonged efforts to save young drowning victims doesn't help those whose hearts have stopped and who have a dangerously low body temperature, according to a new study that challenges current guidelines. Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death in children worldwide, the Dutch researchers noted. Drowning victims often have low body temperatures, or hypothermia, which is thought to offer some protection by slowing the brain's metabolism, the researchers said. To read more,click here

Big Increase Seen in Babies Born Addicted to Narcotics

There was a 15-fold increase in the number of newborns experiencing opioid withdrawal in the Canadian province of Ontario between 1992 and 2011, researchers report. Opioids, such as OxyContin, are powerful narcotic painkillers that carry a high risk of abuse and addiction, the study authors noted. The incidence of opioid withdrawal among Ontario newborns rose from 0.28 per 1,000 live births to a little more than 4 per 1,000 over the study period, according to the findings published Feb. 11 in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). To read more,click here

AASEP Logo

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

Low Vitamin D Levels in Childhood May Raise Heart Risks: Study

Adults who had low vitamin D levels as children and teens may be more likely to have hardening of the arteries, a new study suggests. Artery hardening is associated with heart disease. The study included more than 2,100 people in Finland. Their vitamin D levels were measured at ages 3 to 18, and they were checked for artery hardening at ages 30 to 45. Those with the lowest vitamin D levels when they were youngsters had a much higher risk for artery hardening as adults, according to the study published online Feb. 10 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. To read more,click here

EEOC Reports Fewer Disability Discrimination Claims

Workplace discrimination complaints based on disability are on the decline, federal officials say. For the second year in a row, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said the number of job bias complaints it received related to disability fell. There were 25,369 such complaints filed with the agency during the 2014 fiscal year, which ran from Oct. 1, 2013, to Sept. 30, 2014, according to data released this month. That's down from 25,957 the previous year. To read more,click here

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Lawmakers in Congress are renewing efforts to ensure that the federal government lives up to its promise to fully fund special education. A bill introduced a few weeks ago in the U.S. House of Representatives calls for the federal government to increase funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act incrementally. Congress committed to pay 40 percent of the cost - a level that is considered to be full funding - back when IDEA first became law in 1975, but has never lived up to that threshold.  According to the latest data, what percentage of the cost is Congress actually covering today?
If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, February 23, 2015 at 12:00 p.m.

New Name, New Criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Chronic fatigue syndrome, a debilitating illness affecting up to 2.5 million Americans, may soon get a new name and set of diagnostic criteria. In a report released Tuesday, an independent panel of experts convened by the U.S. government called the illness a "legitimate" disease that features five main symptoms and should be taken seriously by physicians. In fact, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee behind the report is urging that chronic fatigue syndrome be renamed "Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease," to better reflect the seriousness of its effect on patients. To read more,click here

White House Marks Passage Of ABLE Act

More than a month after enacting a law allowing people with disabilities a new way to save money, the White House is celebrating what's being hailed as landmark legislation.The law, signed by President Barack Obama in late December, paves the way for people with disabilities to open special accounts where they can save up to $100,000 without jeopardizing eligibility for Social Security and other government benefits. To read more,click here

NASET Sponsor - Exceptional Child

Scenario Learning 360x240

Energy Drinks Tied to Inattention, Hyper Behavior in Middle Schoolers: Study

Energy drinks are linked to hyperactivity and inattention in middle-school students, a new study reveals. Yale University researchers looked at more than 1,600 students at middle schools in one urban school district in Connecticut. Their average age was around 12 years. Boys were more likely to consume energy drinks than girls. The researchers also found that among boys, black and Hispanic students were more likely to drink the beverages than white students. To read more,click here

Medicaid Cuts Could Mean Less Access To Doctors

Money talks. A temporary Medicaid pay raise that was part of President Barack Obama's health law made it easier for poor adults to get appointments with primary care doctors, according to a new study. Paying more to doctors who participate in the federal-state insurance program for the poor usually improves access for patients, but the law's two-year limit on the raise, its slow rollout and other regulatory problems made many skeptical about how physicians would react to the extra money - which in many states equated to a 50 percent pay hike or more. To read more,click here

Preemies More Likely to Have Asthma, Study Finds

Premature babies have an increased risk of developing asthma, but are likely to grow out of the disease, new research says. "The study confirms that those born prematurely [less than 37 weeks of pregnancy] are more likely to suffer asthmatic symptoms and lung conditions than other children. However, the good news is that they grow out of these conditions," study co-author Dr. Anne Louise de Barros Damgaard, a former medical student at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, said in a university news release. "We have looked at premature babies from birth and until the age of about 30, and we can see that the children do better and better. As adults, they suffer no more lung conditions than others," she added. To read more,click here

NASET MEMBER'S BENEFIT -

Group Savings Plus from Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual Savings
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.

Autism Speaks Alters Position On Vaccines

Amid concerns about measles, the nation's largest autism advocacy group has updated its stance on vaccines and autism, but remains mum on whether it will fund further studies on the issue. Autism Speaks revised its policy on immunizations in a statement published on its website last week. "Over the last two decades, extensive research has asked whether there is any link between childhood vaccinations and autism. The results of this research are clear: Vaccines do not cause autism. We urge that all children be fully vaccinated," reads the statement from Rob Ring, the group's chief science officer. To read more,click here

Circadian Clock Linked to Angelman Syndrome

Monitoring participants' biological clocks may be the quickest way to determine the effectiveness of experimental drugs currently under development to treat Angelman syndrome: a debilitating genetic disorder that occurs in more than one in every 15,000 live births. That is one of the implications of a study published in the Feb. 5 issue of the journal Current Biology which establishes a molecular-level link between a slow-down in the biological clock in the brains of individuals with AS and the genetic deficits that cause the condition.To read more,click here

AASEP Logo

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

Brain Develops Abnormally Over Lifespan of People who Stutter

A region of the brain thought to control speech production develops abnormally in children who stutter--a pattern that persists into adulthood, according to new University of Alberta research.In the first study to use MRI imaging to examine brain development in both children and adults who stutter, researchers at the U of A's Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research (ISTAR) found abnormal development of grey matter in Broca's area, the region of the frontal lobe responsible for speech. It was the only abnormality found in the 30 regions of the brain the research team investigated. To read more,click here

NASET Applications for iPhone & iPad

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

Tobacco-Smoking Moms and Dads Increase Diabetes Risk for Children in Utero

Children exposed to tobacco smoke from their parents while in the womb are predisposed to developing diabetes as adults, according to a study from the University of California, Davis and the Berkeley nonprofit Public Health Institute. In the study, published Feb. 9 in the Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, women whose mothers smoked while pregnant were two to three times as likely to be diabetic as adults. Dads who smoked while their daughter was in utero also contributed to an increased diabetes risk for their child, but more research is needed to establish the extent of that risk.To read more,click here

Program for 1-Year-Olds Tries to Lessen Autism's Impact

Parents of 1-year-olds who appear to be at risk for autism can take simple steps to help them improve, a new study says. Researchers identified 18 families with 1-year-old children with possible signs of autism. At this age, full-blown symptoms of autism are not yet evident, the researchers explained. Children who develop an autism spectrum disorder display persistent deficits in social communication and interaction and engage in limited, repetitive patterns of activity, according to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health. About one in 68 U.S. children is thought to have the disorder. To read more,click here

jobsNASET's Latest Job Listings

* Early Intervention Program Director - Easter Seals Hawaii, a growing CARF accredited Non-Profit, is committed to provide exceptional, individualized, family- centered services to empower people with disabilities and other special needs to achieve their goals and live independent fulfilling lives. To learn more -Click here


* RISE Director - The University of Alabama's RISE Program which serves preschool children with diverse abilities and their families, seeks a dedicated, caring, highly skilled director. To learn more -Click here


* Head of School Riverview School in East Sandwich, MA on Cape Cod is seeking the next Head of School to begin July 1, 2016. Riverview is one of the premier residential schools in the country serving students with complex language, learning, and cognitive disorders. To learn more - Click here


* Special Education Co-Teacher - 8th grade co-teacher position in a Charter School in the South Bronx. The Special Education teacher will provide instruction of students with a variety of disabilities in mainstream and resource room settings. To learn more - Click here


* Early Childhood Special Educator- Magnum Medical has an opening for an experienced Early Childhood Special Educator to work with infants and toddlers of American military families stationed overseas.  The position works with a home-based early intervention program, and is currently available at Spangdahlem AFB, Germany. To learn more - Click here


* Special Education Teacher Special Needs - St. Vincent's Health Services (SVHS) is a mission-driven organization committed to serving the poor and underserved. SVHS seeks a Special Education Teacher for students with multiple developmental and/or medical needs. Some of our positions include working with students with autism. To learn more - Click here


* Head of School- Charles Armstrong School is a school with a deep and rich 46 year history, a clear and compelling mission, a supportive community and an optimistic future, Charles Armstrong School seeks a passionate leader that understands the needs of diverse learners.. To learn more - Click here


* Arizona: Special Education Teacher - $46,000/year with 16 weeks off.  Special Education Teachers needed in Arizona (Phoenix and surrounding cities). Needs are in the self-contained setting serving students with emotional disabilities (ED), Autism (A), Severe/Profound (S/P), and Intellectual Disabilities (ID). To learn more - Click here


* Service Coordinator - Provides therapeutic intervention with children and their caregivers as needed on assigned cases. Provides service coordination of assigned cases, including home visits, crisis management collateral contacts, and transition planning. To learn more - Click here

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

It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.

Nelson Mandela
forgot username or password?