Week in Review - November 25, 2016

NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers
November 25, 2016                                                Vol 12 Issue # 47



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 Inclusion Series


Exceptional Students

Introduction

Exceptional Students: When we speak about exceptional students we are talking about 3 categories of students:

*Students classified under the Individuals with Disabilities Act 2004 who receive special education because of a significant disability

*Students classified under Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act (herein called Section 504) which provides services to students with a documented disability who may not be severely impaired enough for special education but could benefit from modifications and accommodations

*Students with Special Educational Needs: Students at risk or who have exceptional skills that are not included under special education Read More


NASET's Educating Children with Severe Disabilities Series #44


Increasing Expressive Skills for Verbal Children with Autism

What is Communication?
Communication is a range of purposeful behavior which is used with intent within the structure of social exchanges to transmit information, observations, or internal states, or to bring about changes in the immediate environment. Verbal as well as nonverbal behaviors are included, as long as some intent, evidenced by anticipation of outcome, can be inferred. Therefore, not all vocalization or even speech can qualify as intentional communicative behavior (9).
Read More


Neighborhoods May Be Key to Teens' Mental Well-Being

Teenagers living in cohesive neighborhoods -- where trusted neighbors get involved in monitoring each other's children -- experience fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, a new study suggests. The researchers also found consistent results across different cities regardless of family composition and neighborhood income, indicating strong neighborhoods help teen mental health across various populations. Along with common risk factors, neighborhood environments should probably be given more attention when looking for potential factors linked to teen mental health problems, said study author Louis Donnelly. He's a postdoctoral research associate at the Bendheim-Thoman Center for Research on Child Wellbeing at Princeton University in Princeton, N.J. Read More

Odds of Having Asthma 53 Percent Higher in Food Deserts

Living in a food desert -- an urban area where it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food -- means you're at increased risk to have asthma. Children who were studied who did not have access to fresh fruits and vegetables had higher rates of asthma than children who did have access. A study being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting examined the charts of 2,043 kids aged 6-18 years who were seen for well child visits. They determined that 57 percent of the children lived at least half a mile from a grocery store, and 10 percent lived at least one mile away. "We found that 21 percent of the children who lived in a food desert had asthma, compared to a 17 percent rate for the children who didn't live in a food desert," says allergist DeVon Preston, MD, ACAAI member and lead study author. Read More

Drug Stelara May Ease Crohn's Disease

People with moderate to severe Crohn's disease who haven't responded to other treatments may benefit from the drug ustekinumab (Stelara), a new study suggests. Stelara is a monoclonal antibody that blocks the action of the inflammatory agents interleukin-12 and interleukin-23. The drug had been approved for the treatment of psoriasis and is now approved for treating Crohn's disease as well. Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn's usually affects the end of the small bowel and the beginning of the colon. But it may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus, according to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). Read More
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More U.S. Kids Getting Drug-Resistant Infections

Antibiotic-resistant infections are on the rise among American children, a new study finds.Researchers analyzed blood samples collected from kids aged 1 to 17 who received outpatient, inpatient, intensive care unit and long-term care between 1999 and 2012. During that time, the rates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria samples that were resistant to at least three types of antibiotics rose from about 15 percent to 26 percent, the investigators found. Meanwhile, the rate of bacteria samples resistant to carbapenems -- a class of antibiotics considered one of the treatments of last resort for highly resistant infections -- rose from just over 9 percent to 20 percent.

Moms' Rheumatoid Arthritis May Be Linked to Epilepsy Risk in Kids

Some children born to mothers with rheumatoid arthritis may have higher-than-average odds of developing epilepsy, a new study suggests. Children born to mothers with rheumatoid arthritis were one-third more likely to develop epilepsy by age 4 than other children. The risk of epilepsy later in childhood was one-quarter higher for those born to moms with rheumatoid arthritis, the study found. But, experts stressed that the findings don't prove that a mother's rheumatoid arthritis causes epilepsy. So far, only an association has been found. Read More

Guidelines May Have Helped Curb ADHD Diagnoses in Preschoolers

In a bit of good news, the rate of diagnoses for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among U.S. preschoolers has leveled off, a new study finds. At the same time, the prescribing rate of stimulant medications for these young patients has also stayed steady, a promising trend that researchers credit to treatment guidelines that were introduced in 2011. The guidelines, issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), called for a standardized approach to diagnosis, and recommended behavior therapy -- not drugs -- as the first-line therapy for preschoolers. "There [was] a concern that preschoolers get too much behavioral diagnosis and medications for behavior problems," explained study author Dr. Alexander Fiks. He is associate medical director of the Pediatric Research Consortium at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Read More

Tracking Blood Sugar in Pregnancy Might Lower Heart Defect Risk for Baby

Increases in a woman's blood sugar levels during early pregnancy may affect her baby's risk of congenital heart defects, a new study suggests. Researchers led by Dr. Emmi Helle of Stanford University in California measured blood sugar levels of more than 19,000 pregnant women during their first trimester. For every 10 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) increase in blood sugar, the risk of delivering a baby with a congenital heart defect rose about 8 percent, the study found. The study couldn't prove cause-and-effect. But, the research team said it's the first study to show a link between a mother's blood sugar levels early in pregnancy and a baby's risk of heart defects. Read More

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to: Olumide Akerele, Patsy Ray, Pamela Downing-Hosten, Tracey Christilles, Sharon Johnson Hiltz, Denise Keeling and Teresa Stauffer who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question.

QUESTION:
According to the latest reports from the March of Dimes and U.S. Department of Education, have the rate of premature births in the United States increased, decreased or remained the same for the first time in 8 years?

ANSWER:  INCREASED

This week's question: According to the latest research published by the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, even after a year on a gluten-free diet, approximately what percent of children with celiac disease continue to have intestinal abnormalities (enteropathy) on repeat biopsies?
If you know the answer, email us at contactus@naset.org by November 28, 2016.  We will acknowledge your correct answer in the next edition of NASET's Week in Review

Depression on the Rise Among U.S. Teens, Especially Girls

Depression is on the rise among American teens and young adults, with adolescent girls showing the greatest vulnerability, a new national survey reveals. Back in 2005, the risk of major depressive disorder for teenage boys was pegged at 4.5 percent, and 13 percent for teenage girls. By 2014, however, boys' risk of depression rose to 6 percent, but for girls it soared to more than 17 percent, the survey found. "These are episodes during which the adolescent experiences five or more depressive symptoms for a period of two weeks or longer," explained study author Dr. Ramin Mojtabai. He is a professor in the department of mental health at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. Read More

Charter Schools Enroll More Girls, with Boys More Likely to Leave

Charter schools -- particularly middle and high schools -- enroll a larger share of girls than do traditional public schools, in part because boys are more likely to exit charter schools, finds a new study by New York University researchers. The study, published in the journal Educational Policy, is the first to examine gender differences in charter school enrollment. "As the charter school sector has grown, so has the gender gap with traditional public schools," said study author Sean Corcoran, associate professor of economics and education policy at NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development and co-interim director of the NYU Institute for Education and Social Policy. "This gap seems to be a function of both more girls choosing to enroll in charter schools and boys being less likely to stay in these schools." Read More
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E-cigarettes May Harm Teens' Lung Health

E-cigarette use among teenagers is growing dramatically, and public health experts are concerned that these devices may be a gateway to smoking. Now, new research indicates that even if these young e-cigarette users do not become tobacco smokers, e-cigarettes may harm their health. In "Electronic-cigarette Use and Respiratory Symptoms in Adolescents," published online ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, lead author Rob McConnell, MD, professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, and colleagues report an association between e-cigarette use and persistent cough, bronchitis and congestion or phlegm in the Southern California Children's Health Study. Read More

Multi-Drug Resistant Infection Spreading Globally Among Cystic Fibrosis Patients

A multi-drug resistant infection that can cause life-threatening illness in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) and can spread from patient to patient has spread globally and is becoming increasingly virulent, according to new research published today in the journal Science. The study, led by the University of Cambridge and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, also suggests that conventional cleaning will not be sufficient to eliminate the pathogen, which can be transmitted through contaminated surfaces or in the air. Mycobacterium abscessus, a species of multidrug resistant mycobacteria, has recently emerged as a significant global threat to individuals with cystic fibrosis and other lung diseases. It can cause a severe pneumonia leading to accelerated inflammatory damage to the lungs, and may prevent safe lung transplantation. It is also extremely difficult to treat -- fewer than one in three cases is treated successfully. Read More

Opportunity to Participate in Special Education Teacher Research Survey

Dear Special Educator

You are invited to participate in a research survey about teacher preparation in special education. This study is being conducted by Dr. LaRon Scott and Lauren Puglia (doctoral student) from the Department of Counseling in Special Education in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. The survey is intended for special education in-service and pre-service teachers. The survey is aimed at special education teachers' perceptions about their preparation process for certification in special education.
We appreciate if you would complete the electronic survey at the link below. We also ask that you forward the survey to other special education teachers (pre-and-in service) so they are able to complete the survey. We hope that this study will benefit special education teachers and preparation programs seeking information refine how special education teachers are trained for 21st century classrooms.
Your participation in this study is voluntary and no identifiable information will be collected. A decision to participate in the study will have no impact on your academic or professional standing. While you will not experience any direct benefits from participation, information collected in this study may benefit higher education programs seeking to develop online teaching programs.
If you have any questions regarding the survey or this study, please contact Dr. LaRon Scott at scottla2@vcu.edu. Your participation in this study is voluntary.
Thank you for participating and thank you for forwarding the survey to other potential participants. Survey link:

A Lesson for Preschools: When It's Done Right, The Benefits Last

Is preschool worth it? Policymakers, parents, researchers and us, at NPR Ed, have spent a lot of time thinking about this question. We know that most pre-kindergarten programs do a good job of improving ' specific skills like phonics and counting, as well as broader social and emotional behaviors, by the time students enter kindergarten. Just this week, a study looking at more than 20,000 students in a state-funded preschool program in Virginia found that kids

A Father's Influence Makes for Better Grades

The warmth of a father's love has a special influence on young people, and makes them feel optimistic and determined to strive for greater things. It also boosts the math grades of teenage girls and the language ability of boys, says Dr. Marie-Anne Suizzo of the University of Texas in the US, in an article in Springer's journal Sex Roles. Adolescents from low-income families in particular are more likely than their middle-class peers to underachieve and to drop out of school. Studies have shown, however, that a positive attitude towards school work and the support and encouragement from their parents can help at-risk youngsters to overcome the economic barriers and lack of resources they face. Most of the evidence about the effects of parental involvement comes from research on mothers. Little is known, however, about how adolescents experience their fathers' warmth and the beliefs and behaviors that are most affected by it. Read More

Teacher Communication with Parents Consistent with Racial Stereotypes

Teachers communicate with parents not just based on a student's academic performance and behaviors, but also based on parents' racial and immigrant backgrounds, finds a study by NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. "The patterns of communication we saw are consistent with stereotypes that teachers may subscribe to different racial and ethnic groups," said Hua-Yu Sebastian Cherng, assistant professor of international education at NYU Steinhardt and author of the study published in the journal Teachers College RecordRead More

Depression During Pregnancy is Associated with Abnormal Brain Structure in Children

Depressive symptoms in women during and after pregnancy are associated with reduced thickness of the cortex -- the outer layer of the brain responsible for complex thought and behavior -- in preschool-age kids, according to a new study published in Biological Psychiatry. The findings suggest that a mother's mood may affect her child's brain development at critical stages in life. "Mothers generally want to do everything they can to give their offspring the best possible chance of success in life. They often make sure to eat well and to take special vitamins," said John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. "This new study now suggests that another thing they may be able to do is to make sure that they are treated for their depression." Read More

Teenage Binge Drinking Can Affect Brain Function of Future Offspring

Repeated binge drinking during adolescence can affect brain functions in future generations, potentially putting offspring at risk for such conditions as depression, anxiety, and metabolic disorders, a Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine study has found. "Adolescent binge drinking not only is dangerous to the brain development of teenagers, but also may impact the brains of their children," said senior author Toni R. Pak, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Read More

Fun, Comfort with Exercise Helps Young People with Conditions like Autism and ADHD Remain Active

The best way to help young people with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder get more exercise is to make it fun, according to a small international sampling of adults living with them. "We found that a child having fun was a much greater indicator of how likely he or she was to continue exercising," said Matthew Lustig, senior medical student at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Lustig is enrolled at the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership in Athens, a four-year campus of the medical school. Read More

Teens with Asthma Almost Twice as Likely to Smoke as Their Healthy Counterparts

Curiosity is a driving factor in why most kids start smoking, and the same is true for kids with asthma. A study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting found adolescents with asthma were twice as likely to smoke as kids without asthma. And they continue to smoke well into their teen years, even though they know smoking is particularly bad for their lungs. "The study found 22 percent of the kids with asthma smoked, while only 12 percent of kids without asthma smoked," said allergist Bradley Chipps, MD, ACAAI Fellow, and asthma expert. "The researchers discovered that curiosity about cigarette smoking is the main reason why kids with asthma start smoking. They then develop a greater dependence (22 percent) to nicotine compared to kids the same age who don't have asthma (12 percent)." Dr. Chipps was not involved with the study. Read More

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Syracuse Teams Open Up 'A Whole New World' for Students with Disabilities

Craig Lawrence sits dutifully on the sidelines, watching the Syracuse High School football team run through tackling drills. Craig is a team manager - a somewhat glorified title for what many would simply call a "water boy." But make no mistake, it's an important job. He helps make sure his fellow students remain hydrated during physical exertion. The 16-year-old has autism and a learning disability, so he doesn't say much while sitting on the sideline, and he makes only minimal eye contact. Ask him a direct question and he awkwardly looks away. Sometimes, if you're lucky, you can coax out a one-word "yes" or "no" answer, or a subtle nod of the head. But more often than not, he simply averts his eyes, and you get the impression he's convincing himself that when he looks back, you'll be gone. Read More

Subtle Signs May Lead to More Precise ADHD Diagnosis

Researchers are making progress toward characterizing different subgroups of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Experts believe this differentiation could aid in determining optimal treatment options for patients based on their specific symptom profile. In a new study, Penn State investigators discovered young adults diagnosed with ADHD may display subtle physiological signs that could lead to a more precise diagnosis. Specifically, researchers discovered young adults with ADHD, when performing a continuous motor task, had more difficulty inhibiting a motor response compared to young adults who did not have ADHD. The participants with ADHD also produced more force during the task compared to participants without ADHD. Read More
jobs

LATEST JOB LISTINGS POSTED ON NASET


*Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Special Education - The position will be housed in the early childhood education PK-4 program in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, but will also teach special education for the secondary math education program housed in the School of Science. To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Teacher - Teaches in a Level V educational setting, serving children with severe emotional and behavioral disabilities, often accompanied by learning disabilities. The Special Education Teacher is responsible for developing and implementing plans for meeting the educational needs of students and for improving psychosocial development. To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Teacher - Youth Villages' Residential Treatment programs serve children with emotional and behavioral problems.  Our residential campuses provide the setting for an intensive treatment program that combines the unique balance of structure and freedom. To learn more - Click here
*Teacher Mild/Mod. & Mod./Sev. (Elem. & MS) - The Education Specialist, will serve as classroom teacher in both general education settings as a co-teacher and leading a Learning Center to support students with IEPs in the least restrictive environment. Case management, professionalism, communication, and ability to co-teach/collaborate with colleagues are cornerstones to this position. To learn more - Click here
*Assistant/Associate Professor - Special Education - The Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum (TLC) in the School of Education of Drexel University seeks to appoint an Assistant or Associate Professor tenure-track or tenured faculty member in the area of Special Education. The individual should hold expertise to conduct or have an established record of scholarly or applied research. To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Teacher - The Hoffman Academy is a special education, private, academic school for students identified with social and emotional disorders.  The school is aligned with, and located on the grounds of, Hoffman Homes for Youth- a psychiatric residential treatment facility outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  The Hoffman Academy educates approximately 100 students. To learn more - Click here
*The Special Education Specialist- (SPED) provides technical assistance across one or more contracts in administering assessment programs for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Develops special education content materials for professional development, item development and the administration of alternate assessments. To learn more -Click here
*Special Education Specialist - The primary responsibility of the Special Education Specialist is to provide instruction and other related services to Special Education students. The Special Education Specialist will also facilitate diagnostic assessment including administration, scoring and interpretation. 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 - 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
*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

If you are an Employer looking for excellent special education staff - Click here for more information

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

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.
Oprah Winfrey


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