http://www.naset.org/ NASET News Alerts en http://www.naset.org/fileadmin/tt_news_article.gif http://www.naset.org/ NASET News Alerts TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:36:00 -0500 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2584&cHash=4ffb9869a8af260b7b76c58e52b6140b Children with autism look away from faces when thinking, especially about challenging material, according to new research from Northumbria University. Although generally encouraged to maintain eye contact as a means of enhancing their social skills, researchers found autistic children follow the same patterns as other children when processing complex information or difficult tasks. Typically developing children and adults look away when asked difficult questions and gaze aversion has been proven in the past to improve the accuracy of responses. Prof Gwyneth Doherty-Sneddon, Associate Dean for Research in the School of Life Sciences at Northumbria University, will present her findings in next month's Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. To read more, click here Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:36:00 -0500 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2580&cHash=53b78afaab1852657340f04e79a28532 Impulsive children with attention problems tend to play more video games, while kids in general who spend lots of time video gaming may also develop impulsivity and attention difficulties, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. "This is an important finding because most research on attention problems has focused on biological and genetic factors rather than on environmental factors," said Douglas A. Gentile, PhD, of Iowa State University and lead author of the study published this week in the debut issue of APA's journal Psychology and Popular Media Culture. Although the findings indicated that playing violent video games also can be linked to impulsivity and attention problems, the overall amount of time spent playing any type of video game proved to be a greater factor, according to the article. This was the case regardless of a child's gender, race or socioeconomic status. To read more, click here Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:58:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2579&cHash=aff524a8a3ad05180cbed89524ee1944 Children with autism may benefit from medications to treat children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other related disorders, but clearer guidelines are needed, a new study shows. Researchers analyzed data from more than 1,000 U.S. teens enrolled in special education programs, to assess the use of psychiatric medications in those with autism, ADHD and both conditions. Patients with both autism and ADHD had the highest rates of medicine use (about 58 percent), followed by those with ADHD only (around 49 percent) and those with autism only (about 34 percent), according to study author Paul Shattuck, an assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis, and colleagues. To read more, click here Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:51:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2577&cHash=284928d93a17aad5c5c5eec1e030bcc9 Authoritarian parents whose child-rearing style can be summed up as "it's my way or the highway" are more likely to raise disrespectful, delinquent children who do not see them as legitimate authority figures than authoritative parents who listen to their children and gain their respect and trust, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire. "When children consider their parents to be legitimate authority figures, they trust the parent and feel they have an obligation to do what their parents tell them to do. This is an important attribute for any authority figure to possess, as the parent does not have to rely on a system of rewards and punishments to control behavior, and the child is more likely to follow the rules when the parent is not physically present," said Rick Trinkner, a doctoral candidate at UNH and the lead researcher. To read more, click here Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:38:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2576&cHash=87d7e3a210e8a6f9c000fd15e53ca4b6 Increased exposure to sunlight may reduce the risk of both food allergies and eczema in children, according to a new scientific study published this week. Researchers from the European Centre for Environment & Human Health, along with several Australian institutions, have found that children living in areas with lower levels of sunlight are at greater risk of developing food allergies and the skin condition eczema, compared to those in areas with higher UV. The research team used data from a study of Australian children and analysed how rates of food allergy, eczema and asthma varied throughout the country. As well as finding a link between latitude and allergies to peanut and egg, the results showed that on average children in the south of the country are twice as likely to develop eczema as those in the north. To read more, click here Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2568&cHash=8d28716e49d70ab1992342ddedde0ea3 Dozens of adoring fans flocked to the Fair Lawn High School Library in New Jersey last Friday morning for the world premiere of a new music video by nine of the school's Bridges II students. Accustomed to the film cranes, scoop lighting and boom mics from their last shoot, the day's stars -- dressed in award show garb -- seemed unfazed by the horde of photographers and videographers on hand to capture the unveiling of their moving rendition of Miley Cyrus', "The Climb." Doreen Yates, the primary instructor for the Bridges II program, which serves 16- to 21-year olds with cognitive disabilities, said she truly considered the students superstars. "This has been an amazing journey for [the Bridges II students]," Yates said. "What began as a small idea, quickly evolved into a life-altering experience...Today you will see the students, who not only enjoy life, but now also truly believe in themselves." To read more, click here Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:03:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2567&cHash=25a268bfb3d45eee92dbccbdebc4383b When it comes to special education, a common perception is that public schools are cheaper than private ones. With many specialized private schools for the disabled today charging tuition rates in excess of $80,000 per student, that may seem like a safe assumption. But a new analysis commissioned by the private schools' trade group says otherwise. According to the study, it costs $45,358 on average to educate a student with a disability in a state-approved private school, compared to $50,146 per pupil in a local public school. The cost to send a child to a county special services school is even higher: $65,266 per student, the study says. The analysis, which draws on state education data, doesn't include transportation costs. To read more, click here Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:57:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2566&cHash=070df277f2ca4f866b38b77dd121c718 Three months ago, at age 54, Jeffery O'Keefe embarked on the career of his dreams. Not running a multinational corporation or coaching a professional sports team -- although he does toss around a football fairly often throughout the day while teaching and coaching at Apache Junction High School. O'Keefe teaches math, science and life skills to kids with severe learning disabilities and spends most afternoons working as an assistant coach for the school's freshman football team. "I love it," said O'Keefe, who left a stressful career in public administration before making the career switch. "People complain about their lives. I say 'Change it.' You can reinvent yourself at any point in your life if you have the will and the energy." A key part of O'Keefe's new life is a relatively new type of teaching certificate granted by the Arizona Department of Education to people who already have college degrees and want to become public-school teachers but don't want to go back to college for another four years. To read more, click here Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:33:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2558&cHash=6625a3dd9af8f75a6528512d0ed18e39 Decrying the state of American education, President Obama announced Friday that his administration is allowing states to be exempt from basic elements of the No Child Left Behind law if they meet certain conditions. States can now apply for waivers so that they won't face federal sanctions under the sweeping Bush-era legislation. The announcement could fundamentally affect the education of tens of millions of children. It will allow states to scrap the requirement that all children must show they are proficient in reading and math by 2014 — a cornerstone of the law — if states meet conditions designed to better prepare and test students. The president said he had to take action because Congress has tried but failed to pass an update to the law. During a White House ceremony, Obama said that's why he has to grant waivers to states that are making good faith efforts, but still can't meet the standards of the law. "Congress hasn't been able to do it. So I will. Our kids only get one shot at a decent education." - President Obama To Read More - Click Here Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:07:00 -0500 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2555&cHash=279bad340fe7f0077e88d304baa67174 Preschoolers who get less sleep are more likely to be hyperactive and inattentive in kindergarten, U.S. researchers found. Lead author Erika Gaylor, a senior researcher for SRI International, an independent, non-profit research institute in Menlo Park, Calif., says although less sleep in preschool-age children predicted worse parent-reported hyperactivity and inattention at kindergarten, but hyperactivity and inattention at preschool did not predict sleep duration at kindergarten. The study involves about 6,860 children with analyses controlled for gender, ethnicity and family income. To read more, click here Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:22:00 -0500