Week in Review - September 30, 2016

NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

September 30, 2016                                              Vol 12 Issue # 39



Dear NASET News,


Welcome to NASET'sWEEK in REVIEW.  Here, we provide you with the latest publications from NASET to 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 the WEEK in REVIEW at news@naset.org. Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

NASET News Team

NEW THIS WEEK ON NASET

NASET LD Report #25

Practical Understanding and Intervention of Dyscalculia By Brittany Ann Ross

This issue of NASET's LD Report was written by Brittany Ross of Regent University. The paper seeks to explore both neurological and psychological aspects of developmental dyscalculia while recommending leading intervention strategies that can be used at home and in classroom environments. Many educational institutions and professionals are now recognizing the proportionally high rates of students diagnosed with this disorder. Leading underlying factors of dyscalculia will be analyzed in terminology appropriate for average, nonmedical professionals, aiming to assist those working directly with the children to make academic gains. Some possible intervention strategies for this area will be evaluated such as computer software and games, classroom engagement strategies, anxiety minimizing techniques, and general assisting tools. This paper will attempt to distinguish important aspects of the disorder in noncomplex terminology and make practical intervention strategies teachers and parents can utilize when assisting students with these needs.Read More

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Ouch! Avoiding Failure Leads to Missed Opportunities for Children with ADHD

Growing up is a challenging task full of great achievements and missteps. Sometimes it is not clear what the best course of action might be, but people around us -- parents and teachers -- help by giving us feedback about our behavior. Generally, we repeat the actions that get rewarded, and try not to engage in the ones that get reproved. However, it is hard to always make the best choice. Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are potentially more exposed to reproaches than typically developing children. Their difficulties with focusing, elevated activity levels and impulsive actions often get them into trouble with their parents, teachers and friends. This makes it important to find out how punishment affects the behaviour of children with ADHD. Are they more sensitive to punishment, or are they less sensitive to punishment? A team of researchers from Japan and New Zealand presented children with ADHD and typically developing children with a computer-based game that involved reward and punishment. The results of this study are published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Read More

Siblings of those with Schizophrenia at Greater Risk for Same Diagnosis: Study

People who have a brother or sister with schizophrenia are 10 times more likely to develop the mental illness, a new study out of Israel suggests. Researchers also found increased risks for bipolar disorder when a sibling had been diagnosed with it. Lead researcher Dr. Mark Weiser, from the department of psychiatry at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv, called the results "quite striking." "This is a large study which allows us to put meaningful figures on the risks of developing mental disorders after they have arisen in a brother or sister," he said. However, the study only found an association between mental health disorders and risk to siblings; it did not prove cause and effect. The study involved siblings of more than 6,000 Israeli patients who were diagnosed and hospitalized with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or depression. They were compared to about 75,000 healthy peers from an Israeli population database. Read More

Study: Autism Moms Face Greater Risk of Heart Disease

Raising a child with autism may take a deeper toll than previously thought with new research suggesting that such moms face a heightened risk of heart disease. Mothers of kids on the spectrum who have chronic stress were more likely than less-stressed moms of neurotypical children to experience cardiovascular risk factors. The findings reported this month in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity come from a study looking at 31 moms of kids with autism and 37 mothers of typically-developing children. All of the women were nonsmokers between the ages of 20 and 50 and both groups included moms of similar ages with comparable body mass indexes and other risk factors. Read More

Experimental Immune Cell Rx Shows Promise for Leukemia

An experimental therapy that revs up the immune system's cancer-fighting ability may help treat some leukemia patients who face a grim prognosis, a small study suggests. The treatment involves infusions of "natural killer" (NK) cells taken from a healthy donor and chemically "trained" to go after tumor cells. Researchers found that of nine patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who received the therapy, four went into complete remission for as long as six months. The findings are preliminary, and the therapy remains experimental, the researchers pointed out. But experts said the results are encouraging considering the outlook these AML patients faced before the trial. Their cancer had either failed to respond to standard chemotherapy or had come back, and they had run out of options. Read More

A Low-Cost Sensor for Cystic Fibrosis Diagnosis

A new, inexpensive method for detecting salt concentrations in sweat or other bodily fluids has been developed by Penn State biomaterials scientists. The fluorescent sensor, derived from citric acid molecules, is highly sensitive and highly selective for chloride, the key diagnostic marker in cystic fibrosis. "Salt concentrations can be important for many health-related conditions," said Jian Yang, professor of biomedical engineering. "Our method uses fluorescent molecules based on citrate, a natural molecule that is essential for bone health." Read More

Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET Members

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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.Read More

Early Introduction of Eggs, Peanuts May Cut Kids' Allergy Risk: Study

Introducing babies to eggs or peanuts early on may help reduce their risk of food allergies, a new analysis finds. Researchers reviewed 146 previous studies that examined when babies were given foods that often trigger reactions, as well as their risk of food allergies or autoimmune diseases. They discovered that the timing of food introduction may affect allergy risk, but they found no similar link for autoimmune disease. The researchers reported with "moderate certainty" that babies who were given eggs when they were 4 months to 6 months old had a lower egg allergy risk. And children given peanuts between 4 months and 11 months of age had a lower peanut allergy risk than those who were older. Read More

Uber Improving Access For Wheelchair Users

Jonathan Thompson's black Dodge Caravan is noticeably different from other vehicles of its make only when viewed from behind. The rear bumper hangs a little lower than normal. The reason is apparent when Thompson opens up the rear hatch to reveal a hinged wheelchair ramp that can be manually swung down to street level. The vehicle, one of a number of adapted Caravans in service in Philadelphia now, is Uber's answer to the ongoing problem of providing car service to people with mobility issues. Read More

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to: Laura Moretti, Pamela Downing-Hosten, Olumide Akerele and Patsy Ray who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question:

QUESTION: An analysis of last year's 100 top-grossing Hollywood films finds that people with disabilities are rarely portrayed and, when they are, they often have minimal roles. According to the Media, Diversity & Social Change Initiative at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, approximately what percentage of characters with speaking or named parts were presented with a disability?

ANSWER:  APPROXIMATELY 2.4%

THE TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK WILL RETURN ON OCTOBER 7, 2016

New Explanation Offered for Symptoms of Fragile X Syndrome

Until recently, scientists thought they understood one of the underlying causes of fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability in the United States. The syndrome, which is associated with autism, was believed to be linked primarily to overactivity in a molecular pathway in the brain. But then, in 2014, two large-scale, multinational clinical trials aimed at treating fragile X by inhibiting that pathway failed. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found another possible explanation for some of the symptoms of fragile X syndrome. The study, published Sept. 20 in Cell Reports, provides a new way of looking at the underlying causes of the syndrome and suggests new targets for treatment. Read More

Close Bond Between Kids, Parents Has Long-Term Health Benefits

A strong and loving bond with parents may help protect kids' health for decades, a new study suggests. A well-off home also benefits long-term health, but only if the children also have a warm and healthy relationship with their parents, the Baylor University study found. "Previous research has associated high socioeconomic status with better childhood nutrition, sleep, neighborhood quality and opportunities for exercise and development of social skills. But good parent-child bonds may be necessary to enforce eating, sleep and activity routines," researcher Matthew Andersson said in a university news release. Andersson is an assistant professor of sociology in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences, in Houston. Read More

Suicide Can Strike Children as Young as 5: Study

A startling new study warns that some preteen children -- even as young as 5 years old -- may be at risk of suicide. Black elementary school-age boys seem to have a higher risk, even though black teens and young adults have lower rates of suicide than whites, the study authors noted. "Adults need to realize that school-age children as young as 5 kill themselves," said Dr. Gregory Fritz, director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Brown University's Warren Alpert Medical School. He was not involved with the study, but is familiar with the findings. However, the study authors stressed that it's rare for young children to die by suicide. Kids between the ages of 5 and 11 have a suicide rate of 0.17 per 100,000 children. For teens from 12 to 17, that number rises to 5.18 per 100,000, according to background information from the study. Read More

Problems Plague Vocational Rehabilitation

Wendy Thompson always knew she wanted her son to go to college, but she didn't realize so many people would disagree. Her son was born with cerebral palsy, a condition that has him using a wheelchair, but has little impact on his academic abilities. He graduated from high school with a Regents diploma in 2013 - a feat accomplished by only 18 percent of students with disabilities in New York City that year, compared to 70 percent of students without disabilities. Read More

Codeine Not Safe for Kids, Pediatricians Warn

Codeine is unsafe for children and should no longer be given to them, a new report from a leading pediatricians' group warns. Codeine has been used to treat kids' pain and coughs for decades "because we thought it was safer than other narcotics," said report author Dr. Joseph Tobias. But doctors have learned that the way codeine is processed in the body is very dangerous for children and can result in death, said Tobias, chief of anesthesiology and pain medicine for Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Codeine is converted by the liver into morphine, but genetic differences between people can prompt the liver to create too much morphine in some and too little in others, he explained. Read More

H1N1 'Swine Flu' Vaccine Unlikely to Raise Birth Defect Risk

Swedish researchers report that the vaccine against the H1N1 "swine flu" strain of influenza doesn't seem to have a link to birth defects. One obstetrician who reviewed the research said the findings should ease concerns women might have about the vaccine. "This year's flu vaccine includes protection against an H1N1-like virus," noted Dr. Jennifer Wu, an ob/gyn with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She pointed out that the H1N1 strain made headlines in 2009-2010 as "swine flu" reached pandemic levels in the United States. But the new Swedish study "indicates that first trimester administration of H1N1 vaccine does not seem to increase congenital birth defects," Wu said. Read More

Over $24 Million Tagged For Disability Employment

The U.S. Department of Labor is sending millions of dollars to states and organizations, all earmarked to improve the employment odds facing people with disabilities. The federal agency said this month that nearly $15 million will go to six states to improve job opportunities for adults and youth with disabilities. Funding will be targeted to enhance job training for this demographic, help young people transition into the workforce and develop strategies to assist individuals with significant disabilities find work, among other efforts, the Labor Department said. Read More

Honor Society for Special Education Teachers

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FDA OKs 1st Drug to Treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted preliminary approval to the first drug for a rare form of muscular dystrophy. Exondys 51 (eteplirsen) was granted accelerated approval to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder that progressively weakens the muscular systems of its victims. Most are in a wheelchair by their teens and do not survive past their 20s or 30s. "Patients with a particular type of Duchenne muscular dystrophy will now have access to an approved treatment for this rare and devastating disease," Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in an agency news release.Read More

Healthy Diet May Be Key to Kids' Reading Skills

Healthy eating may offer young children an unexpected benefit -- it might help them become better readers, a new study suggests. Researchers in Finland found students' reading skills improved more between first grade and third grade if they didn't eat a lot of sugary foods or red meat, and if their diet consisted mainly of vegetables, berries and other fruits, as well as fish, whole grains and unsaturated fats. The study included 161 Finnish students. They were between the ages of 6 and 8 (first grade to third grade). The researchers reviewed the children's diets and their reading ability using food diaries and standardized reading tests. Read More

Kids with Bipolar Disorder More Likely to Abuse Drugs, Alcohol: Study

For some teens with bipolar disorder, the risk that they will abuse alcohol and drugs may increase as they get older, a new study suggests. The research included 105 young people with bipolar disorder and 98 without the illness (the "control" group). Their average age was 14 when they first enrolled in the study. Bipolar disorder causes unusual shifts in mood, energy and activity levels, and also affects the ability to carry out everyday tasks. Initially, 34 percent of the young teens with bipolar disorder also had "substance use disorder," which means they had a problem with drug or alcohol abuse. Only 4 percent of the kids in the control group abused alcohol or drugs, the study showed. Read More

Tourette Threat Surges for Babies When Mom Smokes in Pregnancy

Children born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy are at increased risk for Tourette syndrome and other chronic tics, a new study suggests. Tics are repeated twitches, movements or sounds that people are unable to control. For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 73,000 births in Denmark. The investigators found that children whose mothers smoked 10 or more cigarettes a day during pregnancy had a 66 percent increased risk of developing a chronic tic disorder. Heavy smoking during pregnancy was also linked to a twofold to threefold increase in a child's risk for chronic tics in combination with other neuropsychiatric conditions, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Read More

ADHD Symptoms Persistence into Adulthood

Sixty percent of children with ADHD in a recent study demonstrated persistence of symptoms into their mid-20's, and 41 percent had both symptoms and impairment as young adults. Investigators noted that rates of ADHD persistence into adulthood have varied greatly in earlier studies, depending on how information is collected and analyzed. In a 16-year follow-up of the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (the "MTA"), they found that a combination of parent and self-reports plus a symptom threshold that is adjusted for adulthood (rather than based on traditional childhood definitions of ADHD) may be optimal. "There has been a lot of recent controversy over whether children with ADHD continue to experience symptoms into adulthood," said Dr. Margaret Sibley, lead author of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry study. "This study found that the way you diagnose ADHD can lead to different conclusions about whether or not an adult still has the disorder that started in childhood. First, if you ask the adult about their continued symptoms, they will often be unaware of them; however, family members or others who know them well often confirm that they still observe significant symptoms in the adult." Read More

People with Epilepsy Face Increased Risks of Discrimination and Other Negative Life Events

In a recent analysis, people with epilepsy were seven-fold more likely to have reported experiencing discrimination due to health problems than the general population. This risk was greater than other chronic health problems such as diabetes, asthma and migraines. People with epilepsy also had a greater likelihood of experiencing domestic violence and sexual abuse than the general population. The analysis also found that such psychosocial adversities could help explain why individuals with epilepsy are at an increased risk of developing depression and anxiety disorders. Read More
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LATEST JOB LISTINGS POSTED ON NASET


*Special Services Manager - This is an exciting opportunity to support school district staff as they increase the post-secondary successes of students with disabilities through job exploration, work-based learning, post-secondary education exploration, workplace readiness training, and instruction in self-advocacy. To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Teacher - is sought by Barstow Unified School District in Barstow CA. At present there is a single job opening for a full time position for 7 hours a day 185 days per year. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. To learn more - Click here
*NYS Special Ed Certified Teacher- Catapult Learning is seeking Special Education Teachers in New York for the 2016-17 school year at locations in New York - Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island. To learn more -Click here
*Teacher of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing (HS) - Plans and implements classroom instruction, specializing within one or more areas of curriculum, to specifically meet the educational needs of students and to encourage the best possible student educational experience. To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Coordinator - The Special Education Coordinator 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. The Special Education Coordinator holds primary responsibility for providing academic, emotional, and physical services for students who require additional support to thrive within the school's core academic program. To learn more - Click here
* Assistant Professor of Education - The Moravian College Education Department invites applications for tenure-track positions in mathematics, literacy, and special education. The positions begin Fall Term 2017. Members of the Moravian College Education Department view and carry out their work in the context of the College"s liberal arts ethos. To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Teacher - Is sought who will support HUSD Vision, Mission & Goals, implements instructional activities that contribute to a climate where students are actively engaged in meaningful learning experiences and identifies, selects, and modifies instructional resources to meet the needs of the students with varying backgrounds, learning styles, and special needs. To learn more - Click here
*Curriculum Coordinator - Is responsible for coordinating the curriculum resources (print, technology, and created) for the school in order to meet the needs of our students in accordance with the COMAR regulations set forth by the Maryland State Department of Education.  The CC serves as the school Test Coordinator for all state mandated testing (Alt-MSE, NCSC, etc).  To learn more  - Click here
*PRINCIPAL - STEM3 ACADEMY - We are seeking an engaged, knowledgeable, enthusiastic individual to take on the position of Principal for a new STEM Academy for students with social and learning differences, including autism. STEM3 Academy is for students in grades 9 through 12 who have a talent and passion for STEM-related activities. To learn more -Click here
*Intervention Specialist, Grades 9-12 - At Life Skills High Schools we strive to provide our unique students with the best education possible. It is our goal each and every day to Educate, Innovate, Inspire, and Love each and every individual that comes to our schools. We pride ourselves in knowing that our students are not only receiving the best education that they deserve, but also developing the necessary life skills needed in this day and age to become the successful person that is in us all. To learn more - click here
*Special Education Teachers - The special education teacher will develop, implement and monitor the students' Individualized Education Programs in collaboration with parents and other IEP Team members. The teacher will promote a collaborative relationship with school staff and parents that will foster inclusionary practices. To learn more - Click here

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

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.

Muhammed Ali


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