Week in Review - October 21, 2016

NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

October 21, 2016                                            Vol 12 Issue # 42

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's Educating Children with Severe Disabilities Series #43

Behavior and Discipline Issues for Students with ASD

INTRODUCTION
Most students with ASD want to behave appropriately and follow the rules, but have a great deal of trouble applying their rote memory of rules to real situations, especially when they are anxious, impulsive, or confused. Students with ASD have trouble understanding how to apply school and social rules even though some students with verbal language and good memory may be able to recite the very rules they seem to break. In some cases these students may correct others who break the rules - at least the rules that are very specific and concrete. Because of this variability in understanding rules and actual performance of appropriate behaviors educators, family, and peers often are unsure about the area of discipline as it applies to students with ASD. This issue will discuss typical questions related to behavior and discipline for students with ASD including:
* How do you develop appropriate behaviors for students with ASD?
* What do we do when a student with ASD engages in inappropriate behaviors?
* Are the standards of discipline applied to students who are not disabled also applied to a student with ASD?

Mom-to-Be's Antidepressant Use May Be Tied to Speech Issues in Child

Children whose mothers used an often-prescribed type of antidepressant during pregnancy may be more likely to develop speech and language disorders, a new study suggests. Researchers found that mothers who bought selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs at least twice during pregnancy were 37 percent more likely to have a child with a speech and/or language disorder than those who did not take the antidepressants. SSRIs include medicines such as Celexa, Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft. The study was observational, meaning it couldn't prove that the drugs helped cause the language/speech problems, only that there was an association. And experts who reviewed the findings stressed that women who require an SSRI during their pregnancy may still want to stick with the drug. Read More

Autism Speaks No Longer Seeking Cure

For the first time, the nation's largest autism advocacy organization has revamped its agenda and one notable objective is no more. Autism Speaks' board of directors voted in late September to modify the organization's mission statement, marking the first such change since the nonprofit was established in 2005. The new iteration is shorter and strikes a markedly different tone. Gone are terms like "struggle," "hardship" and "crisis." Also absent is any mention of seeking a cure for the developmental disorder. Read More

People with Bipolar Disorder More than Twice as Likely to Have Suffered Childhood Adversity

People with bipolar disorder more than twice as likely to have suffered childhood adversity. A University of Manchester study which looked at more than thirty years of research into bipolar, found that people with the disorder are 2.63 times more likely to have suffered emotional, physical or sexual abuse as children than the general population. In the study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, the researchers identified 19 studies from hundreds published between 1980 and 2014 which gathered data from millions of patient records, interviews and assessments. By applying rigorous statistical analysis to the data, the researchers compared the likelihood of people with and without bipolar disorder having adverse childhood experiences, such as physical, emotional and sexual abuse. The findings revealed a strong link between these events and subsequent diagnosis. Read More

Zika Virus Can Damage Fetal Brain Late in Pregnancy: Study

The Zika virus may harm a baby's brain even if the mother is infected just before giving birth, a new study suggests. It had been believed that Zika infection posed a threat to a baby's brain only if the mother was infected during the first trimester. Since the Zika outbreak began in Brazil in April 2015, thousands of babies have been born with the devastating birth defect known as microcephaly, in which the head and brain are abnormally small. The new study included 55 Brazilian women infected by Zika during pregnancy and their infants. Medical imaging revealed that four infants whose mothers were infected with Zika between two weeks and one week before birth had central nervous system lesions characteristic of viral infections. Read More

Cities Named Most Disability-Friendly

A new analysis is ranking the nation's most populated cities based on how desirable they are for people with disabilities. Overland Park, Kan. is number one on the list followed by Scottsdale, Ariz. and Lincoln, Neb. Two other Arizona cities - Gilbert and Peoria - round out the top five. The listing comes from the personal finance website WalletHub, which assessed 25 factors ranging from availability of doctors to employment rates and park accessibility, in order to compile the ranking of 150 locales across the country. Read More

Study Finds Differences in Obesity Rates Between Children/Teens with and without Autism

Children and teens with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be more likely to be obese and stay obese during adolescence than their peers without ASD, according to a new epidemiological study led by researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine and published online in Childhood Obesity in advance of print. Previous studies have found that children with developmental disabilities, including ASD, have a higher risk of obesity than children without ASD. Using data from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health, the team of researchers found that, among children ages 10 to 17, the rate of obesity remained fairly steady in children with ASD whereas the rate of obesity decreased in children without ASD. Read More

Chronic Disease in Mom May Be Linked to Newborns' Heart Disease

Babies born to mothers with certain chronic diseases may be at increased risk for heart problems, a new study suggests. The analysis included millions of births in Taiwan. The researchers found that pregnant women who themselves had been born with heart defects or who later developed type 2 diabetes were more apt to have babies born with severe heart disease ("congenital" disease). The study didn't prove a cause-and-effect link. However, babies of mothers with these conditions should be closely monitored after birth, according to the researchers. The investigators said they also found a slightly higher risk of mild congenital heart problems in babies of mothers with several other chronic diseases, including: type 1 diabetes, high blood pressure, anemia and epilepsy. Read More

 

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to: Margie Thibodeaux, Melody Owens, Karen Bornholm, Patsy Ray, Cynthia Williams, Pamela Downing-Hosten, Olumide Akerele and Denise Keeling who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question.

QUESTION: According to research recently published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), did births to U.S. teens reach a record low, record high or remain the same last year?
ANSWER:  Record Low

This week's question:  A new national ranking of developmental disability services finds states with top offerings coast to coast, but warns that a growing number of people are facing long waits for supports. Some of the best Medicaid service systems for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are found in Vermont, New Hampshire, Michigan and Hawaii, according to the annual Case for Inclusion report released by United Cerebral Palsy. However, this is the fifth year in a row that one state has taken the number one spot on the list.  What state has been ranked #1 for five years in a row in providing the best Medicaid service systems for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities?

If you know the answer, email us at contactus@naset.org by October 24, 2016.  We will acknowledge your correct answer in the next edition of the Week in Review

Bullying Often Triggers Fight Response in Kids with Disabilities

Children with disabilities are more likely than other kids to respond aggressively to bullying, researchers say, and they often attack not only those picking on them, but others as well. In a study looking at survey responses from nearly 1,200 middle and high school students with disabilities, researchers found that bullying often led these youngsters to fight or victimize other kids. "Because students with disabilities often lack age-appropriate social and communication skills, they may act out aggressively as a response to being bullied," said Chad Rose of the University of Missouri who led the study published in the journal Remedial and Special Education. Read More

Family Stressors and Traumatic Childhood Experiences Linked to ADHD Diagnoses in Children

Children who experience family and environmental stressors, and traumatic experiences, such as poverty, mental illness and exposure to violence, are more likely to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to new research by investigators at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM), titled "Associations Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and ADHD Diagnosis and Severity," published in Academic Pediatrics. ADHD is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood. There has been a significant increase in parent-reported ADHD prevalence over the last decade, and there has also been an associated rise in stimulant medication use. Current ADHD clinical practice guidelines recommend evaluating for other conditions that have similar symptoms to ADHD, such as disruptive behaviors, impulsivity, and issues with memory, organization and problem-solving, but few pediatricians routinely ask about psychosocial factors that could be effecting a child's health during ADHD assessment. Read More

Brain Chips Help Paralyzed Man Regain Sense of Touch Using Robotic Arm

Picking up a delicate piece of cake is very different from picking up a sturdy box of cake mix. And that owes to your sense of touch -- you know from touching each that one is much more fragile than the other. This has been one of the great hurdles to creating a realistically functioning prosthetic arm, but it's a challenge that researchers in Pittsburgh are starting to overcome. A set of four brain implants -- chips half the size of a dress shirt button -- have allowed a 30-year-old man to not only control a robot arm but also feel sensations from the individual fingers of the arm, researchers with the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center report. "I can feel just about every finger -- it's a really weird sensation," patient Nathan Copeland said about a month after the surgery that implanted the chips. "Sometimes it feels electrical and sometimes it's pressure, but for the most part, I can tell most of the fingers with definite precision. It feels like my fingers are getting touched or pushed." Read More

Education Department Aims To Improve Transition Outcomes

Federal officials are funneling millions of dollars toward efforts to better prepare students with disabilities for post-secondary education and competitive employment. The U.S. Department of Education said it is awarding $39 million to five states for demonstration projects providing work-based learning experiences. States will work with vocational rehabilitation programs, local school districts and other partners on the projects which will be set in integrated environments, the Education Department said. Read More

Intestinal Diversity Protects Against Asthma

Children who develop asthma or allergies have an altered immune response to intestinal bacteria in the mucous membranes even when infants, according to a new study from Linköping University, Sweden, and Center for Advanced Research in Public Health, Spain. The results also suggests that the mother's immune defense plays a role in the development of asthma and allergies in children. "The results confirm our idea that the intestinal flora (also known as the 'intestinal microbiota') early in life plays a role during the development of allergy symptoms. We believe that diversity among the bacteria contributes to strengthening the immune defense in the mucous membranes. In our new study we saw differences in the immune response against intestinal bacteria in children who subsequently developed allergy symptoms," says Maria Jenmalm, professor of experimental allergology at Linköping University and one of the authors of the study. Read More

 

Fewer Indications of ADHD in Children Whose Mothers Took Vitamin D During Pregnancy

Children of mothers who took vitamin D during pregnancy with resultant high levels of the vitamin in the umbilical blood have fewer symptoms of ADHD at the age of 2½ years. These were the findings in a new study from the Odense Child Cohort just published in The Australia & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. "And for every 10 nmol/L increase in the vitamin D concentration in umbilical blood, the risk of a being among the 10% highest score on the ADHD symptom scale fell by 11%," explains one of the study's initiators, Professor Niels Bilenberg. 1,233 children from Odense Municipality were monitored in the study. Vitamin D was measured in umbilical blood, and mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) when their child was 2½ years old. The CBCL questionnaire can be used to identify early symptoms of ADHD, even though an ADHD diagnosis cannot be made at that age. Read More

Breast Milk Protein Safely Reduces Hospital Infections in Preemies

Responding to a call from the American Academy of Pediatrics to reduce hospital-acquired infections in neonatal intensive care units across the country, researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine and the MU Sinclair School of Nursing have found a protein in breast milk to be a safe and efficient solution. "The majority of diseases affecting newborn preemies are hospital-acquired infections such as meningitis, pneumonia and urinary tract infections," said Michael Sherman, MD, professor emeritus in the Department of Child Health at the MU School of Medicine and lead author of the study. "Not only did we find that lactoferrin, a protein found in breast milk, could reduce hospital infections among preemies, but we also measured the safety of feeding the protein to newborns." Read More

Geographic Analysis Reveals Disparities in Autism Detection

School and medical records for children with autism in largely Hispanic neighborhoods often do not reflect the children's condition. The same is true in places where few residents have college degrees1. The findings point to demographic groups that are liable to remain undiagnosed and go without appropriate services. "There are inequities in systems that identify and care for children with autism and other developmental disabilities," says Martha Slay Wingate, associate professor of healthcare organization and policy at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. The findings appeared 14 September in Autism. Read More

Study Identifies Genetic Subtypes of Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease appears to have at least two distinct genetic subtypes, which could explain why the condition is so hard to treat, a new study suggests. "The one-treatment-fits-all approach doesn't seem to be working for Crohn's patients," said study co-senior author Dr. Shehzad Sheikh. He's an assistant professor in the departments of medicine and genetics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. "It's plausible that this is because only a subset of patients has the type of disease that responds to standard therapy, whereas, for the rest of the patients, we're really not hitting the right targets," Sheikh said in a university news release. Read More

Powerful MS Drug Used Early May Reverse Some Disability

A multiple sclerosis drug usually reserved for people in the late stages of the disease seems to offer long-term remission in newly diagnosed patients, researchers report. Because of serious side effects, the drug -- Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) -- is approved in the United States only for patients who have failed other treatments. But the authors of a new study believe giving it early may slow and even reverse some disease-related disability. "The expectation in MS has always been to try to slow down the progression of the disease. Now we can tell our patients that a significant number can actually improve by reversing their disability," said lead researcher Dr. Gavin Giovannoni. He is a neurology professor at Queen Mary University of London in England. Read More
jobs

LATEST JOB LISTINGS POSTED ON NASET


*Special Education Teacher - The Durham Center for Education, a division of The Institute of Professional Practice is seeking a Special Education Teacher to join our team of enthusiastic and dedicated professionals. Reporting to the school's Director, you will join a team of educators, dedicated to "getting to the heart of every child." To learn more - Click here
* Special Education Coordinator - Uncommon Schools (Uncommon) is a nonprofit organization that starts and manages outstanding urban charter public schools that close the achievement gap and prepare students in high poverty, high need areas to graduate from college. Uncommon seeks 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. To learn more - Click here
* Special Education Teacher - We are looking for highly dedicated educators who will bring an unwavering commitment to helping children succeed. KIPP DC's teachers are responsible for delivering effective, high-quality, rigorous instruction in their content areas, producing unmatched academic results and student growth. To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Teacher - Under general supervision of the House Manager, the incumbent is responsible for teaching and supervising a class of special needs students utilizing various techniques to promote learning. Duties include planning, organizing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating class activities, developing Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and working with assigned staff, therapists and students to achieve the IEP goals and objectives. To learn more -Click here
*Assistant/Associate Prof. Special Ed/Psychology - The successful applicant will assist in the development of coursework in Applied Behavior Analysis for Board Certified Assistant Behavioral Analyst (BCaBA) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) preparation. To learn more - Click here
*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
*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..........

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

Dalai Lama

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