Week in Review - February 27, 2015

WEEK IN REVIEW

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

February 27, 2015 - Vol 11, Issue 9

 

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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

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New This Week on NASET


NASET's Educating Children
with Severe Disabilities Series

Visual Impairments

Visual Impairments: An Overview
The effect of visual problems on a child's development depends on the severity, type of loss, age at which the condition appears, and overall functioning level of the child. Many children who have multiple disabilities may also have visual impairments resulting in motor, cognitive, and/or social developmental delays. This chapter is designed to present a basic overview of visual impairments and to provide concerned individuals with other resources for information and support.

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

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SeeNASET'sLatest Job Listings

Methamphetamine May be More Harmful to Teen Brains

Long-term use of methamphetamine causes more brain damage in teens than adults, a new study finds. Researchers conducted MRI brain scans of 51 teen and 54 adult chronic methamphetamine abusers. They compared those scans to those of 60 teens and 60 adults who didn't use the drug. The study participants were all from South Korea. Compared to the adult methamphetamine users, the teen methamphetamine users had greater and more widespread changes in their brains. The damage was especially evident in the frontal cortex, an area believed to be involved in people's ability to organize, reason and remember things (cognitive ability). To read more,click here

Sports Illustrated Honors Teen On The Spectrum

A runner with autism is Sports Illustrated's High School Athlete of the Month. Mikey Brannigan, 18, was diagnosed with autism as a toddler and has struggled with communication and socialization. But today, he's considered among the top middle-distance high school runners in the country, according to Sports Illustrated. The Northport, N.Y. senior is the magazine's pick for February. Sports Illustrated selects a high school athlete from across the country to spotlight each month "whose impact goes beyond the scoreboard." Winners vie for the magazine's High School Athlete of the Year award, which is announced in June. To read more,click here

Mental Health Woes Common Among Homeless Kids, Study Finds

One-quarter of homeless children in the United States require mental health services -- far more than kids in the general population, a new study shows. North Carolina State University researchers examined data on 328 children, aged 2 months to 6 years, at 11 homeless shelters in Wake County, N.C. "We found that 25 percent of the children in shelters needed mental health services, based on their social-emotional functioning," study co-author and Ph.D. student Jenna Armstrong said in a university news release. The rate is 10 percent to 14 percent among children 5 years and younger in the general population, according to Columbia University's National Center for Children in Poverty. 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

Lawmakers Look To Rein In Alternative Diplomas

A new proposal in Congress would ensure that parents of students with disabilities are provided more information before their child is taken off track for a regular diploma. Under a bill introduced Tuesday in the U.S. Senate, states would be required to establish clear guidelines outlining which students with disabilities qualify for testing based on alternate academic standards. Who takes these modified exams is significant because doing so often disqualifies students from achieving at the level necessary for a traditional high school diploma. Parents would also be required under the proposal to give informed consent before their child could take less rigorous exams and certify that they understand the alternate assessments may preclude their child from receiving a regular diploma. 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: Karen Bornholm, Olumide Akerele and Pamela R. Downing-Hosten
who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question:  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?  ANSWER:  Approximately 16%
THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
According to the latest research out of Yale University, energy drinks are related to what types of behaviors seen in middle school students?
If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, March 2, 2015 at 12:00 p.m.

NASET Members Only

Eczema Cream for Children Not a Cancer Risk, Study Finds

A cream used to treat the skin condition eczema in children does not appear to increase the risk of cancer, according to a study funded by the maker of the cream. Researchers looked at nearly 7,500 children in the United States who were given an average of 793 grams of pimecrolimus (Elidel) cream to treat eczema and were followed for 10 years. As of May 2014, five cases of cancer were diagnosed among the children: two leukemias, two lymphomas and one bone cancer. There were no cases of skin cancer, the researchers said. To read more,click here

Saliva Test Shows Promise For Diagnosing Autism

With the publication of a new study, a saliva test one day may provide a way to diagnose autism early in children. The study, published in the journal Autism Research, is the first showing that protein levels in the saliva of children with autism spectrum disorder differ from those without it, according to researchers at Clarkson University. "We are the first in the world who proposed a protein complex as a potential biomarker signature, which gives us information not only about the proteins, their relative quantities and their modifications, but also about their interactions with other proteins," said Costel C. Darie, a lead author of the study and a Clarkson assistant professor of chemistry and biomolecular science. To read more,click here

Minority Kids Less Likely to Get Latest Type 1 Diabetes Care, Study Finds

The care of type 1 diabetes has evolved rapidly over the past few decades, but not all racial and ethnic groups seem to be benefiting from the latest treatments, a new study indicates. The researchers found that black children with type 1 diabetes were less than half as likely to receive treatment with an insulin pump than white children were -- and that difference persisted even when the researchers adjusted the data to account for income, education and insurance. Hispanic children were also far less likely than white youngsters to be on an insulin pump. To read more,click here

Elementary Teachers' Depression Symptoms Related to Students' Learning

A new study has found that teachers who report having more symptoms of depression had classrooms that were of lesser quality, and that students in these classrooms had fewer performance gains. Researchers looked at 27 teachers and their 523 third-grade students in a Florida school district. Teachers reported the frequency of their symptoms of clinical depression, and students' basic reading and math skills were assessed throughout the year.To read more,click here

Kids Can Get Migraines Too

Migraines aren't just a problem for adults -- about 6 percent of children and more than one-quarter of teens aged 15 to 17 have migraines, according to the American Migraine Foundation (AMF). "There are many things that can be done if your child suffers from migraine, or if you suspect that he or she does," foundation chair Dr. David Dodick, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Scottsdale, Ariz., said in an AMF news release. To read more,click here

NASET - Member's Only Savings

NASET is pleased to provide our members with exclusive access to discounts on products and services. These savings are available to all currentNASETmembers. To find out more about savings from Avis, Budget, Cruises Only, Orlando Vacations and more -Click here

A Brain System that Appears to Compensate for Autism, OCD, and Dyslexia

Individuals with five neurodevelopmental disorders -- autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, dyslexia, and Specific Language Impairment -- appear to compensate for dysfunction by relying on a single powerful and nimble system in the brain known as declarative memory.This hypothesis being proposed by a Georgetown University Medical Center neuroscientist is based on decades of research. It is published online and will be in the April issue of Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. To read more,click here

Study Links Antibiotics to Digestive Complication in Infants

Using certain antibiotics early in infancy may raise the risk of a serious gastrointestinal condition called pyloric stenosis, a new study indicates. Doctors have known that using the antibiotic erythromycin can increase the risk of pyloric stenosis in infants. The new findings confirmed that link, and also found that the antibiotic azithromycin (Zithromax) is associated with a higher risk of pyloric stenosis when given to infants under 6 weeks old. To read more,click here

Cerebral Palsy: It Can Be in Your Genes

An international research group led by a team at the University of Adelaide has made what they believe could be the biggest discovery into cerebral palsy in 20 years.It has long been the belief that cerebral palsy occurs when a child experiences a lack of oxygen during pregnancy or at birth. However, the Australian Collaborative Cerebral Palsy Research Group, based at the University of Adelaide's Robinson Research Institute, has found at least 14% of cerebral palsy cases are likely caused by a genetic mutation. To read more,click here

Smoking During Pregnancy May Raise Diabetes Risk for Daughters: Study

Women whose mothers smoked while pregnant may be two to three times more likely to develop diabetes as adults, new research suggests. The finding is based on the tracking of 1,800 women whose mothers had been participants in an earlier study. All the mothers had received obstetric care in the San Francisco area at some point between 1959 and 1967. Because the study was initially launched to explore breast cancer risk, no sons were included in the current analysis. To read more,click here

Seven Genes for X-linked Intellectual Disability: New Mutations on the X Chromosome

X-linked intellectual disability is a disorder that predominantly affects men and can have highly variable clinical manifestations. Scientists have found seven new genes that can cause this genetic disease: Mutations of these genes on the X chromosome lead to various forms of intellectual disability. In their work, the researchers used a method of genetic analysis that significantly simplifies the search for rare genetic defects. To read more,click here

Moldy Homes May Mean More Asthma in Young Kids

Children appear more likely to develop asthma if their living rooms, kitchens or bedrooms have mold or moisture damage, according to a new study. Children were most susceptible to developing asthma with mold exposure during their first two years of life, or if they already had allergies. However, mold did not increase children's risk of developing allergies in the first place. "The most significant finding was that moisture damage with or without mold in the rooms where children are expected to spend most of their time is associated with increased asthma risk, and it appears to be permanent," said lead researcher Anne Karvonen, a senior researcher in Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare. To read more,click here

Honor Society for Special Education Teachers

Omega-gamma-chi-logo

To learn more -Click here

 

FCC To Put New Focus On Disabilities

The federal agency tasked with regulating telephones, television and other communications technology is looking for advice on how to better serve people with disabilities. The Federal Communications Commission is convening a disability advisory committee for the first time. The 40-member panel, which will hold its first meeting in March, will advise and provide recommendations to regulators on topics ranging from the accessibility of 911 services to closed captioning and telecommunications relay services. To read more,click here

'Play' May Be More Stressful for Kids With Autism: Study

Children with autism appear to approach play differently than typically developing children, a recent study contends. "Children with autism lack a social component to their play and don't 'adjust' their play accordingly when another is involved," said study co-author Blythe Corbett, an associate professor of psychiatry at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. "For example, they tend to interact less with other children and show a preference to play alone or nearby with objects even when other children are near," she said. To read more,click here

Kids Living in 'Stroke Belt' Not More Likely to Have Stroke: Study

Children who live in a region of the United States known as the "stroke belt" are not more likely to be hospitalized for stroke than those who don't live there, a new study finds. Adults in the stroke belt -- located in the southeastern United States -- are more likely to be hospitalized for stroke and die from it than adults in other parts of the country, researchers say. Previous research has also found that youngsters in the stroke belt may be more likely to die from stroke than other American children. To read more,click here

jobsNASET's Latest Job Listings

* Assistant Professor of Education- UC Clermont invites applications for tenure-track faculty position beginning August 15, 2015 unless otherwise indicated. UC Clermont is an open admissions regional campus thirty miles east of the University of Cincinnati in Batavia, Ohio with an enrollment of approximately 3,500 students. To learn more - Click here


* Special Education Teacher-Cross Categorical - Genesee Lake School is an accredited, nationally recognized leader providing therapeutic educational services to children and adolescents diagnosed with developmental disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders. To learn more - Click here


* Special Education Teacher - Genesee Lake School is an accredited, nationally recognized leader providing therapeutic educational services to children and adolescents diagnosed with developmental disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders. To learn more - Click here


* School Administrator - Genesee Lake School is a private, year round therapeutic school providing both day school and residential services. Education Director provides oversight and leadership to all aspects of the special education services provided at Genesee Lake School. To learn more - Click here


* Program Manager (Alternate Assessment) (7794) - The Assessment Program at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a well regarded organization that is growing rapidly and is seeking candiates for a Program Manager position. To learn more - click here


* 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 SchoolRiverview 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

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

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

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