Week in Review - October 9, 2015

WEEK IN REVIEW

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

October 9, 2015 - Vol 11, Issue 41


 

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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 LD Report
October 2015

Learning Disabilities Today: An Examination of Effective and Not-So-Effective Interventions

By
Vance L. Austin
Manhattanville College


This issue ofNASET'sLD Reportwas written by Dr. Vance Austin of Manhattanville College. It comes from the Spring 2015 edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP). The classification of "Specific Learning Disabilities" has experienced revision in the last decade due, in no small part, to the changes provided in IDEIA 2004. The "discrepancy clause" has been replaced with "...response to scientific, research-based intervention," for example. As a result, two new frameworks have been developed to ensure that students at risk for a learning problem or behavioral problem receive effective, research-based interventions to pre-empt the unwarranted classification of those students; namely, "Response to Intervention" relative to academic instruction, and "Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports" regarding student behavior. The article examines both these systems critically and suggests practical applications in today's schools. Similarly, the author provides some effective strategies to address the characteristic learning challenges students with learning disabilities face in the classroom. The article concludes with an analysis of "Differentiated Instruction" and provides the reader with a "practical" way to differentiate the curriculum at all academic levels.

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

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SeeNASET'sLatest Job Listings

Paralyzed Man Walks Using Technology That Bypasses Spinal Cord

A paralyzed 26-year-old man has walked for the first time in five years, thanks to an electrical system that connects his brain and legs, bypassing his injured spine, researchers are reporting. The unidentified man is the first person to show that a system like this might help people with a spinal cord injury regain some ability to walk, the researchers said. "The work does offer exciting promise," said Randy Trumbower, an assistant professor in the department of rehabilitation medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, who was not involved with the research. That said, it "must overcome several hurdles before it may be applicable to a broad population of persons with spinal cord injury," he added. To read more,click here

Obama Administration Sues School Over Service Dog

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing an elementary school for allegedly barring a student with disabilities from bringing her service dog to class unless a handler comes too. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, the Justice Department said that the Gates Chili Central School District in Rochester, N.Y. is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act for "failing to reasonably modify its policies, practices or procedures" to allow a student known in court papers as D.P. to bring her service dog to school without conditions. D.P. has Angelman syndrome, autism, epilepsy, asthma and hypotonia, according the suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. The child's service animal is trained to detect oncoming seizures and apply pressure to prevent or minimize meltdowns and stimming. In addition, the animal is trained to sit down to prevent D.P. from wandering, the lawsuit states. To read more,click here

Gut Bacteria Tied to Asthma Risk in Kids

The presence of four types of gut bacteria in infancy may reduce a child's risk for asthma, Canadian researchers report. Most infants get these bacteria naturally from the environment. But some babies are given antibiotics that kill these bacteria, and some are not exposed to them for various reasons, the researchers said. "We now have particular markers that seem to predict asthma later in life," lead researcher Brett Finlay, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, said during a news conference Tuesday. "These findings indicate that bacteria that live in and on us may have a role in asthma," he said. This seems to happen by 3 months of age in ways that still aren't clear. 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

Women With Disabilities Tackle Reproductive Health

Stephanie Jackson was nervous as she stepped in front of the room. "This is a very important day for the Fe Fes," she began softly. "This is the first time that a group of women with disabilities ... ." She paused and looked down at her notes. "Oh, God," she murmured. The room echoed with encouragement. "You're doing great!" "Go on!"
She went on. "Sometimes people in my life don't want me to make my own decisions," she said. "But it's about you and taking control of your life. Thank you." She walked away to cheers amid celebration of the launch of "Take Charge!" a guide to reproductive health for women with disabilities. 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: Barry Amper, Heather Chapman, Patsy Ray, Olumide Akerele, Edward Schilts, Marilyn Haile who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question: According to researchers from Harvard University, children who have less than this many minutes to eat lunch at school end up eating less and wasting more healthy foods. How many minutes?
ANSWER:  20 minutes
THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
As high schools across the country continue to reduce physical education, recess, and athletic programs, a new study shows that regular exercise significantly reduces both suicidal thoughts and attempts among students who are bullied. Using data from the CDC's National Youth Risk Behavior Survey of 13,583 high school students, researchers at the University of Vermont found that being physically active four or more days per week resulted in what percentage of a reduction in suicidal ideation and attempts in bullied students?

If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, October 12, 2015 at 12:00 p.m.

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Overlapping Symptoms May Delay ASD Diagnosis

Symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may mask signs of autism in young children, researchers say, often delaying diagnosis for years. Among children with both autism and ADHD, autism diagnosis was delayed by an average of three years in kids flagged with ADHD first, according to findings published online this month in the journal Pediatrics. For the study, researchers looked at information on nearly 1,500 kids with autism collected from their parents through the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health. Just under half of the children were also diagnosed with ADHD. To read more,click here

Children in Foster Homes Need Better Health Care

The U.S. foster care system needs to do a better job of providing consistent, quality health care to children living in foster homes, a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says. Children in foster care have been removed from their families due to abuse and/or neglect, so they've suffered trauma -- whether physical or emotional -- and they often have health conditions that have been inconsistently treated or not addressed at all, according to the AAP. Anywhere from 30 to 80 percent of kids enter foster care with at least one untreated physical condition, while up to 80 percent have a "significant mental health need," according to the AAP. To read more,click here

Severely Obese Kids at Higher Risk for Heart Disease, Diabetes

Children who are severely obese, especially boys, have risk factors that increase their odds of getting heart disease and diabetes, new research finds. "As the severity of obesity in kids gets worse, their risks for heart disease and diabetes goes up," said study author Asheley Skinner, an associate professor of pediatrics and health policy management at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Children who are the most obese, she said, are twice as likely to have some of the risk factors for heart disease and diabetes as the mildly obese. To read more,click here

Younger Native Americans Face High Suicide Rate: Report

A new federal report on suicide finds that young adult Native Americans continue to be at a much higher risk of killing themselves than other racial or ethnic groups in the United States. From 2012-2013, the suicide rate was 34 per 100,000 among male American Indians and Alaskan Natives aged 18 to 24. That's higher than white males, blacks, Hispanics and Asian/Pacific Islanders, the report found. The rate was 10 per 100,000 for female American Indians and Alaskan Natives, nearly twice the rate found among white females. The researchers added that a previous study suggested that death rates among Native Americans may be under-reported by as much as 30 percent. To read more,click here

Lower Drinking Age May Bring More High School Dropouts

Lowering the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 might lead to a surprising consequence -- more high school dropouts. So claims a new study that found U.S. high school dropout rates increased between 4 percent and 13 percent in the 1970s and 1980s, a time when many states lowered the legal drinking age to 18. Dropout rates among black and Hispanic students rose more than among white students, the study revealed. The findings don't prove that a lower legal drinking age leads to higher dropout rates, but they do suggest an association, said lead researcher Andrew Plunk, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk. To read more,click here

NASET - Members 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 Life Lock, Avis, Budget, Cruises Only, Orlando Vacations and more -Click here

Autism Speaks President To Step Down

The head of the nation's largest autism advocacy group will leave her post next year. Autism Speaks said Monday that Liz Feld will stay on as president through June 2016 and the nonprofit is now searching for her replacement. "When I was named president of Autism Speaks, I committed to serving until 2016," Feld said in a statement. "I am making this announcement now in the interest of providing the board of directors and the organization the opportunity for a responsible and successful leadership transition. I remain focused on ensuring solid success for our critical projects and initiatives in the months ahead." The organization's board said it has hired Spencer Stuart, an executive search firm, to hunt for a new leader. To read more,click here

Study Questions Effectiveness Of One-To-Ones In Special Ed

Many students receiving special education services are supported by one-to-ones, but new research suggests these assistants may not be pulling their weight. A study looking at how one-to-ones spent their time in nearly four-dozen autism support classrooms finds that paraprofessionals are engaged in instruction or support just 57 percent of the time. By contrast, teachers were engaged in such activities 98 percent of the time while classroom assistants were involved 91 percent of the time. "The low rate of one-to-one assistants' engagement suggests an inefficient use of an important resource," wrote researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, University of Washington and the University of California, Riverside in their findings published online this month in the journal Teacher Education and Special Education. To read more,click here

Kids May Be More Likely to Get Asthma if Grandma Smoked While Pregnant: Study

Children whose grandmothers smoked during pregnancy are at increased risk for asthma, even if their own mothers did not smoke, a new study suggests. It's known that smoking can cause changes in gene activity. The new study findings suggest that those changes can be passed down through more than one generation, the researchers said. The study included more than 66,000 grandchildren and nearly 45,000 grandmothers in Sweden. Children whose grandmothers smoked while pregnant with daughters had a 10 percent to 22 percent increased risk of asthma, even if their own mothers did not smoke during pregnancy. 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

Adolescent Brain May be Especially Sensitive to New Memories, Social Stress, and Drug Use

Adolescence, like infancy, has been said to include distinct sensitive periods during which brain plasticity is heightened; but in a review of the neuroscience literature published on September 23 in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, University College London (UCL) researchers saw little evidence for this claim. However, a small number of studies do support that memory formation, social stress, and drug use are processed differently in the adolescent brain compared to other periods of life. "Conclusively proving that adolescent sensitive periods exist will require studies comparing children, adolescents, and adults and will need to take into account individual differences in adolescent development," says Delia Fuhrmann, a PhD student in UCL's Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience Developmental Group. "Adolescents are much more likely than children to choose their own environments and choose what they want to experience." To read more,click here

Childhood Trauma May Boost Heart Disease Risk for a Lifetime

Experiencing high levels of mental stress at any point in life -- even if only in childhood -- may raise the risk for heart disease, stroke or diabetes in adulthood, a new study suggests. "The most striking and perhaps sobering finding in our study is that high levels of childhood distress predicted heightened adult disease risk, even when there was no evidence that these high levels of distress persisted into adulthood," said study author Ashley Winning, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. "Greater attention must be paid to psychological distress in childhood," Winning said. "It is an important issue in its own right and may also set up a trajectory of risk of poor health as people age." To read more,click here

Exergaming Improves Physical Mental Fitness in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

A study conducted by The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston says games used for exercising can improve physical and mental fitness in children with autism spectrum disorders. The study, written by UTMB's Claudia Hilton, associate professor, Tim Reistetter, associate professor and Diane Collins, assistant professor, all from the UTMB occupational therapy and rehabilitation sciences departments, concludes that findings suggest the use of exergaming, more specifically the Makoto arena, has the potential to serve as a valuable addition to therapies for children with autism spectrum disorders who have motor and executive function impairments. Executive function is the higher level of intelligence that helps us to plan and organize. It is used to redirect higher thinking when changing plans and suppressing inappropriate behaviors. It is important for being able to live independently as adults. To read more,click here

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Later Umbilical Cord Clamping May Help Smallest Preemies

Delayed clamping of the umbilical cord benefits extremely premature newborns, a new study suggests. In most cases, clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord occurs within 10 seconds of birth. But waiting longer to clamp offers a number of advantages to these smallest infants, according to Nationwide Children's Hospital researchers. "Infants born prior to 28 weeks' gestation represent a high-risk subgroup, so efforts to improve outcomes remain critically important," study author Dr. Carl Backes, a cardiologist and neonatologist at the Columbus, Ohio-based hospital, said in a Nationwide Children's news release. "There is increasing evidence that delayed cord clamping may give infants in many categories a better chance." To read more,click here

Bullied Teens Who Exercise May Lower Suicide Risk, Study Finds

Regular exercise may lower bullied teens' risk of suicide, researchers report. The researchers analyzed data from more than 13,500 U.S. high school students and found that being physically active four or more days a week reduced bullied teens' suicidal thoughts and attempts by 23 percent. The researchers also found that about 30 percent of bullied teens said they had felt sad for two or more weeks in the previous year; 22 percent thought about suicide; and more than 8 percent attempted suicide in the previous year. About 20 percent of the students said they had been bullied on school property. Bullied students were two times more likely to report sadness and three times more likely to think about or attempt suicide than those who weren't bullied. To read more,click here

Exposure to BPA in Pregnancy Tied to Low Birth Weight in Girls: Study

The plastics chemical BPA appears to be linked with low birth weight among baby girls, a new study reports. Mothers with high blood levels of BPA early in their pregnancy tended to have newborn girls who weighed less than girls born of mothers with low BPA levels, said senior author Vasantha Padmanabhan, a professor of pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School. The researchers found that for every twofold increase of BPA in a mother's blood during the first trimester, the weight of their newborn girls decreased by about 6.5 ounces. To read more,click here

jobsNASET's Latest Job Listings

* Program Manager (Alternate Assessment) - will assist with managing all aspects of state testing projects, especially for special education students. They must be able to work collaboratively in a fast paced environment; anticipate problems and come up with creative methods of solving them; develop strong, positive, constructive relationships with clients; coordinate among the various project teams; and make sure that quality control procedures are adhered to in order to produce high quality assessments within deadline and budget. To learn more - Click here

* Senior Test Developer, Alternate Assessment - will lead state assessment projects and project tasks that include the development and management of alternate assessment programs for students with severe cognitive disabilities. The person in this position also would lead tasks related to test administration accommodations, research on alternate assessment and accommodations, and technical assistance in assessment and special education. To learn more-Click here

* Special Ed Teacher (MA) - Elementary - The Community Reach Center is a growing, multiple-location, mental health care provider in Denver, Colorado that is seeking Special Ed Teachers who will provide educational and support services. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher (ES, MS, HS) - The Special Education Coordinator or Teacher is passionate about supporting the students who are at-risk for academic underperformance due to emotional and/or physical challenges so that they can succeed in the school's rigorous academic program. To learn more - Click here

* Cross Categorical Resource Teacher/ESS Coordinator - Great Hearts Academies has an immediate need for a full-time Special Education Teacher/ESS Coordinator at Teleos Preparatory Academy, Veritas Preparatory Academy, and Archway Lincoln. To learn more -Click here

* Assistant Professor (Moderate Disabilities (SPED) - The Graduate School of Education seeks a collaborative and energetic colleague to assume a tenure track position in the field of special education. Currently, the GSE offers a limited number of courses at the master's level for those seeking initial license as a teacher of students with moderate disabilities; however, we are developing a Bachelor or Arts in Education degree with an option in special education. To learn more - Click here

* Head of School - Star Academy is a non-profit, non-public school, located in San Rafael, CA, serving students with learning differences in grades 1-12.  Star Academy is a calm, nurturing and stigma-free school whose therapeutic model seamlessly integrates classroom and specialist instruction. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher - Are you a Special Education Teacher with experience in a self-contained setting?  Progressus Therapy has a position for you in one of the multiple locations available, starting immediately! To learn more - Click here

* Elementary Special Ed PALS Teacher - Cave Creek Schools has a $4,000 Sign On Bonus for a Self-Contained Special Education classroom teacher. To lead students toward the fulfillment of their potential by translating the district curriculum goals and objectives into learning experiences for each individual student in the district. To learn more - Click here

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

Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us the determination to make the right things happen.
Horace Mann
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