Week in Review - October 23, 2015

WEEK IN REVIEW

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

October 23, 2015 - Vol 11, Issue 43


 

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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


NASET Sponsor - Antioch University

 



New This Week on NASET

NASET's Educating Children with Severe Disabilities Series #33

Overview of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Not until the middle of the twentieth century was there a name for a disorder that now appears to affect an estimated one of every five hundred children, a disorder that causes disruption in families and unfulfilled lives for many children. In 1943 Dr. Leo Kanner of the Johns Hopkins Hospital studied a group of 11 children and introduced the label early infantile autism into the English language. At the same time a German scientist, Dr. Hans Asperger, described a milder form of the disorder that became known as Asperger syndrome. Thus these two disorders were described and are today listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR (fourth edition, text revision)1 as two of the five pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), more often referred to today as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). All these disorders are characterized by varying degrees of impairment in communication skills, social interactions, and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior.



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Kids With Mental Illnesses Often Treated Solely by Primary Care Doctors

Family doctors and pediatricians are often the sole source of a child's mental health care, particularly for kids suffering from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). More than one-third of U.S. kids receiving care for a mental health problem are treated by their primary care physician alone, without the involvement of a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker, according to a new study. And four out of 10 children with ADHD are treated by a primary care physician without any collaboration with a mental health professional. Primary care physicians also appear more likely than psychiatrists to prescribe medications to treat kids with ADHD, according to the study published online Oct. 12 in the journal Pediatrics. To read more,click here

Handful of States Account for Most IDEA Court Decisions

Special education disputes are far more likely to be litigated in some states than others, with a new report finding that just 10 states account for nearly two thirds of all court decisions. Between 1979 and 2013, there were over 5,000 court decisions nationwide related to legal questions under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, according to an analysis published recently in the Journal of Special Education Leadership. Nearly 600 of those decisions came out of New York, while Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. each accounted for about 500 decisions. To read more,click here

Crohn's Disease Treatments for Kids May Not Get Gut Back to Normal

Current therapies for children with Crohn's disease don't fully restore healthy bacteria and fungi populations in their digestive systems, a new study shows. These findings suggest that treatments don't have to bring bacteria and other microbe levels back to normal levels in the gut to be useful. This knowledge could lead to new approaches for diagnosing and treating inflammatory bowel disease, according to the Oct. 14 study in the journalCell Host & Microbe. "We show that microbes in the gut respond to treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in a much more complex way than has been previously appreciated," co-principal investigator Gary Wu, from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, said in a journal news release. 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

SSI Benefits To Remain Unchanged

For only the third time in decades, individuals with disabilities who receive Social Security benefits will see no increase next year in their monthly payments. The Social Security Administration said Thursday that there will be no automatic cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for 2016. That's because inflation is too low to warrant an automatic benefit hike, the agency said. Since 1975, federal law has mandated that Social Security benefits adjust upward annually to account for increases in inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. There have been only two other years - 2010 and 2011 - without a COLA. 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: Chaya Tabor, Karen Bornholm, Olumide Akerele, Prahbhjot Malhi, Pamela Downing-Hosten, Heather Chapman and Marilyn Haile
who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question:According to the latest research in the field, children whose grandmothers smoked during pregnancy are at increased risk for what medical condition, even if their own mothers did not smoke? ANSWER:  ASTHMA

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
True or False?--According to the latest research in the field, states that get tough on bullies by enacting anti-bullying laws actually do appear to reduce bullying and cyberbullying among high school students.

If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, October 26, 2015 at 12:00 p.m.

NASET Sponsor - Antioch University

Vaccines Rarely Cause Life-Threatening Allergic Reactions: CDC

A U.S. government study has reassuring news for concerned parents -- vaccines rarely trigger serious and potentially fatal allergic reactions. Just 33 people had a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction -- also known as anaphylaxis -- out of 25 million vaccines given, according to research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's 1.3 people in every million who gets a vaccine. "Vaccination is one of the best ways parents can protect infants, children and teens from 16 potentially harmful diseases. This is a good time to remind parents that vaccines are safe and effective -- the odds of having an anaphylaxis-related reaction following the administration of a vaccine are very slim," said study author Dr. Michael McNeil, of the CDC. To read more,click here

Young Adults on the Spectrum Learn Ins and Outs of Socialization

Standing in front of a conference room table on the UCLA campus, Albert Miranda fixes a wide smile on his face and stares at Elina Veytsman, giving her the once-over. Elina fidgets, growing increasingly unnerved. The students around the table giggle as the tension rises. Then Elizabeth Laugeson steps in. "OK, time out," she says. "What did Albert do wrong?" "The evil grin," says Peter Moore, 22. "What was that like for Elina?" Laugeson asks the class. "Creepy?" "Uncool," Breanna Clark, 20, says emphatically. Albert is no creep, and this is no ordinary class. The nine students around the table have a variety of developmental or mental disorders; the majority of them have autism. They've enrolled in a 16-week program to help them navigate the treacherous waters of social interaction, and on this Monday night, week 11 of the session, they're diving into the perils of dating. To read more,click here

Infant Heart Defect May Be Linked to Pre-Diabetic Sugar Levels in Pregnancy

High blood sugar levels during pregnancy may increase a baby's risk of a heart defect, even among women without diabetes, a new study suggests. "Diabetes is the tail end of a spectrum of metabolic abnormalities," said study lead author Dr. James Priest, a postdoctoral scholar in pediatric cardiology at Stanford University in California. "We already knew that women with diabetes were at significantly increased risk for having children with congenital heart disease. What we now know... is that women who have elevated glucose [blood sugar] values during pregnancy that don't meet our diagnostic criteria for diabetes also face an increased risk." The researchers examined blood samples taken from 277 California women during the second trimester of pregnancy. To read more,click here

Millions Pledged For Vocational Rehabilitation

The U.S. Department of Education is handing out more than $12.6 million designed to enhance employment outcomes for people with disabilities. The money from the agency's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services will be divvied among agencies in 10 locales across the country to "help improve the outcomes of individuals with disabilities - from cradle through career," the Education Department said. Some of the grants are for centers that offer technical assistance while other funds will go toward programs aimed at pairing people with disabilities looking for jobs with employers struggling to find workers with specific skills. To read more,click here

Standby Drug for Adult Bipolar Disorder May Be Safe, Effective in Children

A new study suggests that lithium -- for years a go-to medication for adults with bipolar disorder -- may be safely used in children with the condition, at least for the short term. As the researchers explained, lithium has long been the drug of choice for treating adults with bipolar disorder, which is characterized by extreme mood swings. The condition affects about 1 percent of teens and is a leading cause of disability in the teenage years. Bipolar disorder typically begins in the teens or young adulthood, the researchers noted. While lithium is a standby medication for adult patients, it has "never been rigorously studied in children," lead researcher Dr. Robert Findling, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, said in a university news release. To read more,click here

3D-Printed Head Helps Doctors Determine How To Save Baby's Life During Birth, Could Prevent Future Pregnancy Complications

When it comes to pregnancy, there are many things that can go wrong from conception until birth - and beyond. Thankfully, science has taken great strides in making pregnancy safe for both the mother and the newborn. A recent case study, published in Pediatrics, describes how 3D printing was able to help one Michigan mom after experiencing a big surprise during her 30-week ultrasound. During her ultrasound, Megan Thompson learned her child had a walnut-sized lump on his face that would prevent him from breathing once he was born. She was referred to the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, where doctors would decide whether her son, Conan, would be delivered via C-section or through a rare and complex procedure. Turns out 3D printing helped make their decision easier. 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

Lazy Eye Treated By Watching Movies: Keeps Kids Entertained While Strengthening Weak Eyes

For decades, children with amblyopia, or a "lazy-eye," have been treated by wearing a patch over the stronger eye to strengthen the weaker eye. Lazy eye is the most common cause of vision problems in children, who end up having a harder time reading a blackboard, completing schoolwork, and participating in gym class. But a new study, published in the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, reveals a new treatment that could improve a child's lazy eye and put the patch approach to rest. To read more,click here

Frequent School Changes Linked to Poorer Performance

Frequently changing schools can hurt the math grades, behavior and attention of low-income children, researchers say. A Chicago-based study found that low-income kids who remained in the same school for five years had better thinking skills and superior performance in math compared to those who moved a lot. "Simply stated, frequently changing schools is a major risk factor for low-income children's school success," said the study's lead author, Allison Friedman-Krauss, of New York University in New York City. The study, published Oct. 8 in Developmental Psychology, involved 381 public school children who were followed from preschool until fourth grade. All came from low-income families. After participating in the Head Start program, the children were enrolled in the city's School Readiness Project. The researchers said 68 percent of the children were black, and 27 percent were Hispanic. To read more,click here

Baby Talk Patterns Give Clue into Early Language Acquisition: Children Use Previous Vocabulary to Help Learn New Words

Although a toddler may not be able to dress himself or tell the difference between food and garbage, he can surely learn an entire language without much help. The way children soak up languages has long fascinated researchers, and a recent study has shed light on the captivating technique that toddlers use to build their impressive vocabularies. My first word was "cookie." Obviously, I had my priorities straight from a young age. My younger brother, on the other hand, chose to one-up me and go for "dinosaur." He's now studying engineering at Cornell University. While "first word" recaps make for good stories, according to the recent study, what my brother and I chose for our venture into the linguistic world had an impact on how we went on to develop the rest of our vocabulary. To read more,click here

Weight, Growth Early in Life May Affect Adult Brain

Birth weight and growth during childhood could affect hearing, vision, thinking and memory later in life, a new study suggests. "Sensory problems and illness such as dementia are an increasing problem, but these findings suggest that issues begin to develop right from early life," said the study's leader, Dr. Piers Dawes. He is a lecturer in audiology at the University of Manchester's School of Psychological Sciences in England. "While interventions in adulthood may only have a small effect, concentrating on making small improvements to birth size and child development could have a much greater impact on numbers of people with hearing, vision and cognitive [mental] impairment," Dawes said in a university news release. To read more,click here

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Neglect May be as Harmful As A Slap to a Child: Emotional Abuse has Real Consequences

Emotional abuse may be equally harmful to a child as physical abuse and neglect, the results of a McGill University study suggest. Importantly, the researchers also say, sexually abused children are usually mistreated in other ways as well. "Child maltreatment" is the psychological umbrella covering child physical abuse (affecting 8.0 percent of the world's children), sexual abuse (1.6 percent), emotional abuse (36.3 percent), and neglect (4.4 percent). Through Mt. Hope Family Center, Dr. Dante Cicchetti of University of Minnesota and Dr. Fred Rogosch of University of Rochester have been running, for over 20 years, a summer research camp as a way to study low-income, school-aged children between the ages of 5 and 13. Using data from this unique study, Dr. David Vachon, a professor in the department of psychology, and his co-researcher explored the effects of child abuse by examining the behavior of nearly 2,300 boys and girls who attended the camp. To read more,click here

1 in 8 U.S. Kids Not Protected Against Measles: Report

In a finding that underscores the dangers of not vaccinating all children for measles, researchers estimate that one in eight American children are vulnerable to this highly infectious disease. The statistics are even more troubling for younger children: Almost a quarter of those under the age of 3 are susceptible to catching measles. "We simply cannot take our eye off of this disease," said Dr. David Kimberlin, a professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who was not involved in the study. "These new data show that we have not done as well with this as we should." To read more,click here

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Repetition May Hinder Learning in Those with Autism

Repetitive drills are often used to help individuals with autism learn new skills, but new research suggests that this approach may do more harm than good. Rather than enhance their abilities, training those on the spectrum to follow predictable patterns may actually inhibit their ability to apply new skills in the real world, according to findings published online this month in the journal Nature Neuroscience. For the study, researchers measured speed and accuracy as a group of adults - some typically-developing and some with high-functioning autism - looked for three diagonal bars surrounded by horizontal lines on a computer screen. The activity was repeated daily over eight days, with the bars remaining in the same location on the screen for the first four days before they were moved to a second location for the remaining time. To read more,click here

Bike Helmets Protect Against Severe Brain Injury, Study Says

Wearing a bicycle helmet significantly reduces the risk of serious brain injury and death from a crash, a new study shows. Researchers analyzed the medical records of more than 6,200 people who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a cycling crash. Of those patients, just over one-quarter were wearing helmets. Compared to those without a helmet, patients with a helmet were 58 percent less likely to have severe brain injury. They were also 59 percent less likely to die, 61 percent less likely to require surgery to remove part of the skull to expose the brain, and 26 percent less likely to have facial fractures, the study found. To read more,click here

Disabilities No Barrier At All-Inclusive Preschools

Teaching assistant Jillian Link looked over just in time to see the little girl, with her dark hair braids bouncing against her tan glasses, crawling away from the other children. "Hey, you can't crawl away," Link playfully scolded. "If you're going to go somewhere, you have to walk away." Link scooped up the child, decked out in her pink Hello Kitty jumpsuit, and placed her gently within the confines of her miniature sparkle-gold walker. The girl knew what to do instantly, marching her way around the classroom while she leaned on the sides of the walker. To read more,click here
jobs

NASET's Latest Job Listings

* 1-to-1 Assistant Educator for Autistic Student - Special needs teacher to work as one-to-one assistant with a student in an international school setting in Rome, Italy. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Coordinator - Coordinates and implements pupil personnel services and programs; planning, organizing and implementing programs, activities, and curriculum for special education students. To learn more - Click here

* 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 under performance due to emotional and/or physical challenges so that they can succeed in the school's rigorous academic program. 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

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

Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.
Og Mandino
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