Week in Review - February 24, 2017

NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

February 24, 2017                                              Vol 13 Issue # 8




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

Autism Spectrum Disorder Series - Issue #45

Adaptive Functioning for Adolescents with Autism After High School:  A Review of Literature.
By Lena Alonso

This issue of NASET's Autism Spectrum Disorder series was written by Lena Alonso. Several adults with autism struggle to perform functional skills independently upon graduating from high school. Challenges in performing daily living skills may result in limited levels of independence. The purpose of this literature review is to examine the efficacy of high school curriculums and diploma options in order to determine valuable evidence-based practices which will improve the lives of individuals struggling to perform functional tasks. Read More

NASET's HOW TO Series - Issue #40


How TO Set Boundaries Several Times a Day
Purpose
The purpose of this tool is to establish behavioral boundaries with your students in a realistic manner several times a day. Read More

NASET's HOW TO Series - Issue #40


How TO Control Student Outcomes
Purpose
The purposes of this technique is to control student outcomes and foster a sense of task completion and sense of accomplishment.Read More

Personal Experiences Spark Career Choice for Special Education Teachers

Great passion for their jobs appears to be typical among many area teachers who have opted for careers as special education teachers, rather than spend all of their time in a regular classroom. Sheri Wernsing has taught special education and, as executive director of the La Grange Area Department of Special Education, has worked with many teachers who specialize in that area. "We certainly have to like problem solving; I think of myself as a pretty good problem solver," Wernsing said. "Being in special ed allows us to really think and stretch as teachers." Wernsing said the starting point with students for special education teachers is to identify a disability and its effect on learning. Read More

Children's Sports and Brain Injury: Youth Flag Football May not be Safer than Tackle Football

University of Iowa Health Care researchers report that the results of a study of injury rates in youth football leagues did not show that flag football is safer than tackle football. Concerns about the rate of concussions among athletes and the long term effects of repeated head injuries lead to discussion that children under the age of 12 should not participate in contact sports such as tackle football. The UI researchers studied three large youth football leagues with almost 3,800 participants. The research team compared the number of injuries, severe injuries, and concussions in players competing on flag football teams and tackle football squads. Read More

ADHD Linked to Delayed Brain Development

For the first time, scientists can point to substantial empirical evidence that people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder have brain structures that differ from those of people without ADHD. The common disorder, they conclude, should be considered a problem of delayed brain maturation and not, as it is often portrayed, a problem of motivation or parenting. In conducting the largest brain imaging study of its kind, an international team of researchers found that ADHD involves decreased volume in key brain regions, in particular the amygdala, which is responsible for regulating the emotions. Read More

George Washington Univeristy

Autism Starts Months Before Symptoms Appear, Study Shows

Parents often notice the first signs of autism in their children at around 12 to 18 months. Maybe a child isn't making eye contact, or won't smile when mom or dad walks in the door. But a new study suggests there is evidence of autism in the brain even earlier-well before a child's first birthday-and that the signs can be seen on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. "We're learning that there are biological changes that occur at [the time] or before the symptoms start to emerge," says Geraldine Dawson, a clinical psychologist and autism researcher at Duke University who was not involved in the new work. "It's the ability to detect autism at its very earliest stages that's going to allow us to intervene before the full syndrome is manifest." Read More

More Special Education Teachers Aim of New State Push in Louisiana

State education officials Tuesday launched a plan aimed at easing Louisiana's shortage of special education teachers. The state Department of Education released a Request for Applications directed at universities, non-profit groups and other teacher preparation groups approved by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. The hope is those groups will offer new ideas for improving teacher training, including ways to convince more educators to earn a certificate in special education. One model is a program at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston. Special education experiences are built into all teacher training that undergraduates experience, Amy Vessel, director of the program, said in a statement. Read More

Do Special-Ed Students Need 'Special' Teachers? Not According to Arizona's SB 1317

Imagine going to a doctor, learning you have brain damage, and being referred to a general practitioner instead of a neurologist.

Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET Members

AASEP Logo
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 Education establishes a much needed standard for professionals, across disciplines, who work with exceptional children.Read More

Parenting Significantly Impacts Development of Children with Fragile X Syndrome

University of Kansas researchers have found that certain specific parenting practices are significantly associated with the development of communication and language skills in children with Fragile X syndrome. These same parent behaviors are also associated with the growth of socialization and daily living skills of these children. Parenting even mitigated declines often reported in children with FXS beginning in middle childhood. Fragile X Syndrome is the leading genetic cause of autism and other intellectual disabilities. "Our discovery of the impact of contingent maternal responsivity on child adaptive behavior development underscores the fact that the manifestation of FXS is not just the product of biology, but is ultimately attributable to the dynamic interaction of biology, behavior and environment over lengthy periods of time," said Steven Warren, Distinguished Professor of Speech-Language-Hearing: Science & Disorders. Read More

New Discovery Could be a Major Advance for Epilepsy and Other Neurological Diseases

The discovery of a new mechanism that controls the way nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other to regulate our learning and long-term memory could have major benefits to understanding how the brain works and what goes wrong in neurodegenerative disorders such as epilepsy and dementia. The breakthrough, published in Nature Neuroscience, was made by scientists at the University of Bristol and the University of Central Lancashire. The findings will have far-reaching implications in many aspects of neuroscience. Read More

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to: Jessica Gaspar, Melody Owens, Patsy Ray, Olumide Akerele, Laura Malena, Raynelle Lanier and Ruby Brock who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question:

QUESTION:
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children with this disorder account for more than 6 million physician office visits a year in the United States. An average of 6.1 million trips to a doctor, pediatrician or psychiatrist by children aged 4 to 17 in 2013 involved treatment for this disorder. The number represents 6 percent of all kids' visits to the doctor in 2013.  What is the disorder?

ANSWER:  Attention Deficit Disorder

This week's question:
There is an abundance of foods that should be avoided during pregnancy, and a new study suggests that a certain type of candy should sit firmly in this category. Researchers have found that children born to mothers who consume large amounts of this popular candy during pregnancy may be more likely to develop behaviors associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The researchers hypothesize that glycyrrhizin (the active ingredient in this candy) may interfere with fetal neurodevelopment by increasing levels of "the stress  hormone" cortisol. What is the candy?
If you know the answer, email us at contactus@naset.org by February 27, 2017.  We will acknowledge your correct answer in the next edition of the Week in Review
George Washington Univeristy

Gene Discovery Sheds Light on Growth Defects Linked to Dwarfism

A new study shows how errors in a specific gene can cause growth defects associated with a rare type of dwarfism. During the study, published in Nature Genetics, an international team of scientists led by the University of Birmingham looked at genetic information from more than 250 people around the world with microcephalic dwarfism, a group of disorders characterized by short stature and reduced head size. They found that 29 of the individuals had faulty versions of a gene called DONSON. Tests on cells growing in the laboratory revealed that this gene plays a crucial role in ensuring DNA is copied correctly when cells divide and grow. Cells from patients with mutations in the DONSON gene had difficulty in efficiently replicating their DNA and protecting it from uncontrolled damage, ultimately leading to the growth defects typical of microcephalic dwarfism. Read More

SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW SYMPOSIUM (JUNE 18-JUNE 23, 2017)

Lehigh University's intensive one-week institute provides a practical analysis of legislation, regulations, and court decisions relating to the education of students with disabilities. The symposium is designed for special education coordinators and teachers, principals, psychologists, parent advocates, charter school personnel, attorneys (on both sides), hearing officers, state education agency personnel, and other individuals interested in a thorough exploration of the special education legal landscape.
The program offers two parallel tracks, one for basic that offers in-depth foundation knowledge about the IDEA and Section 504: eligibility, FAPE, LRE, student discipline, and remedies. The other track is for advanced participants, offering brand new "hot topics," such as child find nuances, pending Supreme Court cases, the behavioral legal alphabet soup, current parental participation parameters, and settlement strategies.
Included in the symposium is a separable two-day (June 22-23) training for school district Section 504 coordinators, including the latest litigated Section 504 disputes, an in-depth comparison of the IDEA and Section 504, and a "nuts and bolts" how-to session about how to appropriately and effectively implement Section 504.
The Symposium is offered with the options of graduate or continuing education credit for week-long participants. Shorter, including daily, registrations are also available. For full information, go to http://go.lehigh.edu/spedlaw. For any questions, email or call Shannon Weber or Donna Johnson at specialedlaw@lehigh.edu or (610) 758-5557.

New Report Paints Bleak Picture for Students with Special Needs in Nevada

Students with disabilities in Nevada face tough odds when it comes to advancing through grade school and college, according to a new report. The report, put out this week by the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities, calls attention to some stark numbers for the state. In the 2014-15 school year, a quarter of students with disabilities graduated statewide, and of those who graduated, only a quarter had enrolled in college within a year. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Silver State stands in stark contrast to the rest of the country, where around 63 percent of special-needs students graduate each year. But that's far from success, the report notes: Students without disabilities are around 20 percent more likely to graduate than their classmates with special needs. Read More

Gluten-Free Diet May Increase Risk of Arsenic, Mercury Exposure

People who eat a gluten-free diet may be at risk for increased exposure to arsenic and mercury -- toxic metals that can lead to cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurological effects, according to a report in the journal Epidemiology. Gluten-free diets have become popular in the U.S., although less than 1 percent of Americans have been diagnosed with celiac disease -- an out-of-control immune response to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. A gluten-free diet is recommended for people with celiac disease, but others often say they prefer eating gluten-free because it reduces inflammation -- a claim that has not been scientifically proven. In 2015, one-quarter of Americans reported eating gluten-free, a 67 percent increase from 2013. Read More

Naps May Help Preschoolers Learn, Study Finds

Research has shown that naps play an important role in sustaining new learning in infants. A new study from the University of Arizona suggests naptime could have a similar effect on language learning in preschool-age children. Researchers studied verb learning in 3-year-olds and found that those who napped after learning new verbs had a better understanding of the words when tested 24 hours later. The findings, which will be published in the journal Child Development, suggest that parents may want to consider maintaining regular naptimes for preschoolers, who are at an age at which naps have a tendency to dwindle, said lead study author and UA alumna Michelle Sandoval, who conducted the research as a doctoral student in the UA Department of Psychology. Read More

Math Learned Best When Children Move

Children improve at math when instruction engages their own bodies. This is one of the findings from a recent study coming from the University of Copenhagen's Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports. The results also document that children require individualized learning strategies. The project have investigated whether different types of math math learning strategies changes the way children solves math problems. On the picture mounting of the hood which is used for recording brain activity during solving of math problems. Read More

One Year of High-Quality Early Education Improves Outcomes for Low-Income Infants, Toddlers

Children from low-income families are at substantial risk in terms of their social-emotional and academic skills at school entry, with fewer than half considered ready for school at age 5. A new study has found that infants and toddlers from low-income families who attended a high-quality center-based early education program do better in language and social skills after only one year than children who do not attend the program. The study appears in the journal Child Development. It is based on research conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Chicago, the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Read More

MIT Gets $20 Million to Study Autism

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced on Thursday a new center for autism research, launching with $20 million in initial funding courtesy of Boradcom (BRCM)chief executive officer and MIT alum Hock Tan and former investment banker Lisa Yang. The Hock E. Tan and K. Lisa Yang Center for Autism Research, which will fall under the rubric of MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research, will investigate "the genetic, biological, and neural bases of autism spectrum disorder," according to MIT. An estimated one of 68 children (and one in 42 boys) in the U.S. are affected by autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Read More

Ground-Breaking Research on the Side Effects of Therapy

While many people who suffer from depression and anxiety are helped by seeing a psychologist, others don't get better or actually get worse. Psychological treatment can have negative side effects, like any medicine. This unexplored territory is the focus of a new dissertation out of Stockholm University. 'We know now that therapy is an effective treatment for different forms of mental illness. What we don't know so much about is whether certain patients can actually get worse or have other types of side effects from their treatment,' says Alexander Rozental, licensed psychologist and PhD in psychology. Read More
Continuing_Ed

Controversial ADHD Prescription Rule Scrapped from Georgia Bill

A provision of a Georgia Senate bill that would have required adults and children on ADHD medications to get new prescriptions every five days has been scrapped. The proposed changes were presented before the Georgia Senate's Health and Human Services Committee on Thursday afternoon. State Sen. Renee Unterman, the committee's chairwoman, had created a bill aimed at curbing the abuse of prescription opioids in Georgia. But controversy erupted as word spread of the provision that would have imposed restrictions on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medications, as well as other prescriptions of controlled substances. Read More

Honor Society for Special Education Teachers

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LATEST JOB LISTINGS POSTED ON NASET


*Special Education Teacher - The Special Education Teacher for the middle school 6:1:2 program promotes and develops successful learning for: students who demonstrate severe interfering behaviors; students on the autism spectrum; or other behavioral disabilities.  To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Coordinator (K-12) - 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
*Special Education Teacher - We offer a competitive compensation package, including a salary significantly above the district scale and comprehensive health benefits. Aside from extensive professional development, all our teachers are equipped with a laptop computer, email, high-speed internet access, library budget, and all necessary instructional supplies. To learn more -Click here
*Special Education Teacher - Alliance is seeking teachers who are passionate about education excellence, committed to transforming the lives of children in communities where they are needed most, and want to join a team "where Exceptional is the Rule". As the largest nonprofit charter school network in Los Angeles, Alliance is closing the achievement gap at scale in the second largest city in the country. To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Teacher - Our public school students need your expertise, passion and leadership. We are looking for highly motivated and skilled talent to join our team at District of Columbia. Public Schools (DCPS). We seek individuals who are passionate about transforming the DC school system and making a significant difference in the lives of public school students, parents, principals, teachers, and central office employees. To learn more - Click here
* Children's Quality Reviewer - Conduct external quality review activities for Children's Long Term Support Waiver. Access multiple electronic health record systems and read member/participant records to evaluate compliance with certain federal and state requirements. To learn more -Click here
*Arizona: Special Education Teacher - $46,000/school year (180 days).  Summers off with year round pay.  Special Education Teachers needed in Arizona (Phoenix and surrounding cities). Needs are in the self-contained and resource settings serving students with emotional disabilities (ED), Autism (A), Severe/Profound (S/P), and Intellectual Disabilities (ID).  To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Teacher - Provide special education services in small community/ies in northwest Alaska. Work with team, complete required paperwork, follow IEPs, assist with 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

If you are an Employer looking for excellent special education staff - Click here for more information
Food For Thought..........
For the timid, change is frightening; for the comfortable, change is threatening; but for the confident, change is opportunity.
Nido Qubein, President of High Point University
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