Week in Review - December 29, 2017

NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

December 29, 2017                     Vol 13 Issue #51

Continuing_Ed


Dear NASET News,

Welcome to NASET'sWEEK in REVIEW.  Here, we provide you with the latest publications fromNASET 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 IEP Component Series
Updated Information and Resources Regarding Special Factors in IEP Development
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) lists five special factors that the IEP team must consider in the development, review, and revision of each child's IEP. Read IDEA's exact words. The importance of these special factors in the education of children with disabilities and the need for individualized consideration of these factors in IEP development and revision cannot be underestimated. The special factors are: (1) Behavior; (2) Limited English proficiency; (3) Blindness or visual impairment; (4) Communication needs/Deafness; and (5) Assistive technology. This edition of NASET's IEP Components series will provide you updated information and resources regarding special factors in IEP development. Read More

Taking Folic Acid in Late Pregnancy May Increase Childhood Allergy Risk

A new study suggests that taking folic acid in late pregnancy may increase the risk of allergies in offspring affected by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). The article is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology -- Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. Folic acid, a type of B vitamin, has been shown to prevent defects in the neural tube -- the precursor to the central nervous system -- in a developing fetus. The neural tube develops in the first month of pregnancy; medical professionals typically recommend women take a folic acid supplement during the first trimester of pregnancy. Continued supplementation, however, may not be needed in the late stages of pregnancy and may actually increase the risk of allergies in offspring. Read More

Brain Waves May Predict and Potentially Prevent Epilepsy

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have discovered a promising biomarker for predicting and potentially preventing epileptic seizures in patients with brain injuries using EEG (electroencephalographic) recordings of theta brain waves. Their findings, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, demonstrate how using EEGs to identify changes in brain wave patterns over time can predict which post-injury patients will develop epilepsy. A neurological disorder that disturbs nerve cell activity in the brain, epilepsy causes seizures during which people experience uncontrolled shaking and movement or loss of consciousness. Read More
Weekly Fish Consumption by Children Linked to Better Sleep, Higher IQ

Children who eat fish at least once a week sleep better and have IQ scores that are 4 points higher, on average, than those who consume fish less frequently or not at all, according to new findings from the University of Pennsylvania published this week in Scientific Reports, a Nature journal. Previous studies showed a relationship between omega-3s, the fatty acids in many types of fish, and improved intelligence, as well as omega-3s and better sleep. But they've never all been connected before. This work, conducted by Jianghong Liu, Jennifer Pinto-Martin and Alexandra Hanlon of the School of Nursing and Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor Adrian Raine, reveals sleep as a possible mediating pathway, the potential missing link between fish and intelligence. Read More
Eggs Improve Biomarkers Related to Infant Brain Development

A study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis finds infants who were in introduced to eggs beginning at 6 months showed significantly higher blood concentrations of choline, other biomarkers in choline pathways, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). "Eggs have been consumed throughout human history, but the full potential of this nutritionally complete food has yet to be recognized in many resource-poor settings around the world," said Lora Iannotti, associate dean for public health and associate professor at the Brown School. She is lead author of the study, "Eggs Early in Complementary Feeding Increase Choline Pathway Biomarkers and DHA: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Ecuador," published this month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Read More
Aggression in Childhood: Rooted in Genetics, Influenced by the Environment

Over the past few months, many local cases of assault and harassment have come to light and been widely discussed in the news, both here and in the U.S. and Europe. Why do people have these types of aggressive impulses? To look for an answer, Stéphane Paquin, a PhD candidate in sociology at Université de Montréal working under the supervision of Éric Lacourse and Mara Brendgen, led a study on 555 sets of twins to compare incidence of proactive and reactive aggressive behavior. His results demonstrate that, at age 6, both types of aggression have most of the same genetic factors, but the behavior diminishes in most children as they age. Increases or decreases in aggression between the ages of 6 and 12 appear to be influenced by various environmental factors rather than genetics. Read More
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 Educationestablishes a much needed standard for professionals, across disciplines, who work with exceptional children.Read More

Dysfunctional Gene May be Culprit in Some Crohn's Disease Cases

This holiday season, millions of people will gather at airports ready to board planes for destinations around the world. Depending on the environment at their destination, their suitcases may be filled with sunscreen and bathing suits, or heavy parkas and mittens. Now, a new study from the lab of biologist Mark Sundrud, Ph.D., on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), provides evidence that circulating immune cells may similarly adapt when they enter different tissues, which are like different environments in our bodies. Moreover, the researchers found that inability to adapt may lead to disease. The scientists hope understanding how immune cells adapt as they enter different tissues will spur the design of better, more specific, medicines. Read More
Some Newborns with Spina Bifida Show Signs of Serious Sleep Problems at Birth

New parents often hear about how important sleep is for their babies' development -- but some newborns may have more serious sleep challenges than others. A research team at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Michigan Medicine is studying infants at the highest risk of sleep disorders, including those with chronic illnesses. The team's latest research focuses on newborns with spina bifida, which is the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the U.S. All 20 babies in the study had myelomeningocele, the most serious form of spina bifida, and each was diagnosed with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) right after birth, according to the team's findings published in the Journal of Pediatrics. SDB, which includes conditions like sleep apnea, can prevent children from having healthy sleep critical to their growth, learning and behavior. Read More
China's Scholastic Success Could Begin with Storybooks, Research Suggests

The lessons from childhood storybooks are decidedly different in China and the United States, and align with the lessons the respective countries impart in the classroom, UC Riverside research finds. There is a widely held perception -- and some research to affirm it -- that East Asian schools outperform schools in North America. A recent study published by UC Riverside psychologist Cecilia Cheung skirts the link between storybooks and school performance, but asserts that the lessons taught in Chinese schools could start early. "The values that are commonly conveyed in Chinese (vs. U.S.) storybooks include an orientation toward achievement, respect for others -- particularly the elderly -- humility, and the importance of enduring hardship," Cheung said. "In the U.S. storybooks, protagonists are often portrayed as having unique interest and strength in a certain domain, and the themes tend to be uplifting." Read More
How Can We Best Help Vulnerable Young People?

According to new research, the recipe for success relies on three ingredients being permanently in place. Working with children and young people: Vulnerable children and young people are entitled to obtain help from the municipalities in which they live. However, there are major differences in the ways municipal measures work and are integrated together. SINTEF has recently completed a research project involving the evaluation of five different municipal projects targeted at vulnerable children and young people. This group struggles with problems related to their parents' substance abuse and mental health issues, social problems, learning difficulties and truancy, as well as their own illnesses and substance abuse problems. There are also young people who have ended up outside the school system and are now in the hands of the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV). Read More
Exercising at Own Pace Boosts a Child's Ability to Learn

A child's attention and memory improves after exercise according to new research conducted with primary school pupils and supported by the Universities of Stirling and Edinburgh. Researchers found that pupils' best responses to tests came after physical activity that was set at their own pace, as opposed to exhaustive exercise. The study is part of the BBC Learning's Terrific Scientific campaign -- designed to inspire schoolchildren to pursue a career in science -- and part-funded by the University of Edinburgh and the Physiological Society. In the sixth investigation of the series, more than 11,000 school pupils across the UK conducted a scientific investigation to discover the impact of taking a short break from the classroom to complete a physical activity on their mood and cognitive abilities. Read More
Obesity Can Add Five Weeks of Asthma Symptoms Per Year in Preschoolers

Asthma affects almost 1 in 10 children in the U.S. and is a leading cause of emergency room visits and hospitalizations in preschoolers. According to new research from Duke Health and collaborators, symptoms may be worse for children ages 2 to 5 who are overweight. In a study publishing Dec. 19 in the Journal of Clinical Immunology, preschoolers with a body mass index (BMI) beyond the 84th percentile who weren't using an inhaler had 70 percent more days with asthma symptoms per year than untreated peers of a healthy weight. Compared to healthy-weight peers, asthma sufferers who were untreated and overweight suffered 37 more symptom-days -- more than five extra weeks -- per year. Researchers also found untreated children who were overweight had more asthma attacks than untreated peers of a healthy weight. Read More
After Searching 12 Years for Bipolar Disorder's Cause, Research Team Concludes it Has Many

Nearly 6 million Americans have bipolar disorder, and most have probably wondered why. After more than a decade of studying over 1,100 of them in-depth, a University of Michigan team has an answer -- or rather, seven answers. In fact, they say, no one genetic change, or chemical imbalance, or life event, lies at the heart of every case of the mental health condition once known as manic depression. Rather, every patient's experience with bipolar disorder varies from that of others with the condition. But all of their experiences include features that fall into seven classes of phenotypes, or characteristics that can be observed, the team reports in a new paper in the International Journal of Epidemiology. Read More

Exposure to Larger Air Particles Linked to Increased Risk of Asthma in Children

Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University report statistical evidence that children exposed to airborne coarse particulate matter -- a mix of dust, sand and non-exhaust tailpipe emissions, such as tire rubber -- are more likely to develop asthma and need emergency room or hospital treatment for it than unexposed children. A report of the findings, published Dec. 15 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, highlights the long-term negative effects of such relatively large airborne pollutants -- a common fact of everyday inner-city life -- on lung health, especially in children under 11 years of age. Read More
Higher Blood Sugar in Early Pregnancy Raises Baby's Heart-Defect Risk

Higher blood sugar early in pregnancy raises the baby's risk of a congenital heart defect, even among mothers who do not have diabetes, according to a study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The study is published in The Journal of Pediatrics. For many years, physicians have known that women with diabetes face an increased risk of giving birth to babies with heart defects. Some studies have also suggested a link between nondiabetic mothers' blood sugar levels and babies' heart defect risk. However, the new study is the first to examine this question in the earliest part of pregnancy, when the fetal heart is forming. Read More
Food-Induced Anaphylaxis Common Among Children Despite Adult Supervision

At least a third of reactions in children with food-induced anaphylaxis to a known allergen occur under adult supervision, according to a new study led by AllerGen researchers in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta. The findings, published in the November issue of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, reveal that inadvertent exposures to a known food allergen in children are frequent, and in the majority of supervised reactions, adults other than the child's parents were present. "Food accounts for the majority of anaphylaxis cases in children presenting to the emergency department," says the study's senior author Dr. Moshe Ben-Shoshan, a pediatric allergist and immunologist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and at the Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC. Read More
Honor Society for Special Education Teachers
Omega-gamma-chi-logo

jobs
LATEST JOB LISTINGS POSTED ON NASET


* Learning Specialist/Learning Program Teacher- Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is seeking a certified learning specialist to teach in the school's Learning Program. The position is full-time, and the start date is immediately. Requirements include a master's degree or post-graduate work in education with emphasis in varied exceptionalities or learning disabilities.To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher (2018-2019 School Year) - Alliance is an ideal place for educators who thrive in an environment of high expectations and collaboration in service of strong results for our students. Alliance educators collaborate and mentor one another, and they embrace professional development and coaching to grow and hone their craft. Alliance's social justice mission also supports our restorative justice approach to student discipline, keeping students where they learn best-in classrooms.To learn more - Click here
* Private Teacher - Are you an unencumbered teacher at a top public or private school looking for a new opportunity? Do you want to step out of the classroom and use your experience to support the academic journey of a young teen with a promising future? If so, we have an excellent Private Teacher opportunity to oversee the overall curriculum, education, and college preparation for a young teen's high school career. You will assist this bright adolescent in all subject matters, in addition to helping formulate strategies and taking the time to help the student manage their language based learning disability. - Click here

* Special Education Teacher - The Adolescent Care Unit (ACU) at Tséhootsooí Medical Center on the Navajo Nation seeks a Special Education Teacher to work with 8 to 10 teens aged 13-17 with mild emotional or behavior issues in a subacute 60-day inpatient program. ACU combines western therapy with Native American traditional cultural methods to foster health and Hozho or harmony, and is located in northeastern AZ. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher - Various Positions Open: 2 positions for Special Education Resource 5th - 8th, Special Education Resource K-3rd, SPED - Social Skills le-4th, SPED - Social Skills 6th - 8th, Arizona certification required. To learn more - Click here

* Lead ED Special Education Teacher - The Lead Special Education Teacher for Cornerstone is an integral member of the academics team whose focus is to guide students in their social-emotional and academic development. To learn more -Click here

If you are an Employer looking for excellent special education staff - Click here for more information
Food For Thought..........
We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
Edith Lovejoy Pierce


Return to Week in Review Main Page - Click here

forgot username or password?