| New This Week on NASETNASET's Educating Children with Severe Disabilities Series Hearing Impairments: An Overview
Definition The Education of the Handicapped Act (P.L. 94-142), includes "hearing impairment" and "deafness" as two of the categories under which children with disabilities may be eligible for special education and related services programming. While the term "hearing impairment" is often used generically to describe a wide range of hearing losses, including deafness, the regulations for IDEA define hearing loss and deafness separately. Hearing impairment is defined by IDEA as "an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance." Deafness is defined as "a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification." Thus, deafness may be viewed as a condition that prevents an individual from receiving sound in all or most of its forms. In contrast, a child with a hearing loss can generally respond to auditory stimuli, including speech.
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NASET's HOW TO Series March 2015 How To Create a Positive Classroom Environment Part I
Introduction
Developing a sense of confidence will be crucial right from the start. Children with disabilities all too often lack a sense of confidence in their academic ability. Further, this lack of confidence may have a direct effect on their perception, cooperation, willingness to try etc. Children with low confidence tend to be more rigid, more sensitive, over-reactive, more insecure, and more vulnerable. How do teachers expect children with low self-confidence to absorb anything, when most of their energy is going into self-protection? Therefore, you may want to consider the concept of Positive Restructuring. Creating a classroom environment to ensure successful experiences is referred to as Positive Restructuring. There is no doubt that Positive Restructuring requires a great deal of work. However, the long term effects and benefits greatly outweigh any amount of work. Why would any teacher not want to guarantee success and develop a child's overall sense of confidence? As educators, we have an obligation to question any teaching style that frustrates children, makes them feel like failures, reinforces their inadequacy, promotes negative self-worth, exposes them to ego deflating experiences, and promotes teacher "ego" at the expense of student failure (belittling students in front of others).
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NASET's HOW TO Series March 2015
How To Create a Positive Classroom Environment
Part II
Introduction Confident children seem to share certain characteristics. In their relationships with both teachers and parents, they show in many ways that they are empowered, hopeful, autonomous, resilient, and secure. They are also accomplished, receive recognition for their accomplishments, and persevere even when things don't go as they would like. Finally, for the most part they genuinely seem to enjoy life, both at school and at home. The ideas described here, if practiced in the classroom, will help students enjoy the environment they are in and believe in themselves as they never have before. The building of confidence in your students should be a process rather than a hit and miss approach. The following suggestions will enhance the factors in the human condition that lead to a sense of self worth and overall confidence. Remember, confidence is based on actual successful experiences, not just telling a student that he or she is intelligent, creative etc. so providing these opportunities will be crucial. The main goals in building confidence are to provide tasks and an environment that results in sense of completion and a sense of accomplishment.
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| Autism-Linked Genes May Be Tied to Slightly Higher IQ Genes believed to increase the risk of autism may also be linked with higher intelligence, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed the DNA of nearly 10,000 people in Scotland and also tested their thinking abilities. On average, those who had genes associated with autism scored slightly higher on the thinking (cognitive) tests. Having autism-linked genes doesn't mean that people will develop the disorder, the researchers noted. Similar evidence of an association between autism-linked genes and intelligence was found in previous testing of 921 teens in Australia, according to the study published March 10 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. To read more,click here |
| Basketball Players Walk Off Court To Defend Girl With Down Syndrome When some in the crowd began taunting a cheerleader with special needs during a school basketball game, a group of players decided to put a stop to it. Three players for the Lincoln Middle School team in Kenosha, Wis. walked off the court in the middle of their game to defend cheerleader Desiree Andrews, who has Down syndrome. "The kids in the audience were picking on D, so we all stepped forward," one of the players, Chase Vazquez, told WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee. Since that game, the players and other students at the school have affectionately taken Andrews under their wing. To read more,click here |
| Black Children May Fare Worse With Crohn's Disease Race may play a role in outcomes for children and teens with Crohn's disease, with black patients faring worse than whites, a new study suggests. "We found racial inequalities exist among children and adolescents with Crohn's disease, likely due to a combination of genetic and environmental differences," Dr. Jennifer Dotson, a gastroenterologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital and principal investigator in the Center for Innovation and Pediatric Practice, said in a hospital news release. Researchers analyzed data from more than 4,000 white and black patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease. They were all aged 21 or younger. All had been hospitalized due to the digestive system disease between 2004 and 2012. To read more,click here |
|  NASET MEMBER'S BENEFIT - Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET MembersThrough 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. For more information on Board Certification in Special Education,click here |
| Parents' Depression Can Lead to Toddlers in Trouble A father's depression during the first years of parenting -- as well as a mother's -- can put their toddler at risk of developing troubling behaviors such as hitting, lying, anxiety and sadness during a critical time of development, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.This is one of the first studies to show that the impact of a father's depression from postpartum to toddlerhood is the same as a mother's. Previous studies have focused mostly on mothers with postpartum depression and found that their symptoms may impact their children's behavior during early, formative years. To read more,click here |
| Special Education Law SymposiumThe 40th Anniversary of the IDEA: The Past is Prologue
REGISTER NOW: June 21 - June 26, 2015
Lehigh University's intensive one-week institute provides a practical analysis of legislation, regulations, and case law relating to the education of students with disabilities.The symposium is designed for special education coordinators and teachers, principals, psychologists, parent advocates, attorneys (on both sides), hearing officers, state officials, and other individuals interested in legal literacy concerning the education of students with disabilities.
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": Settlement Process, Exiting Special Education, "Meaningful" Parental Participation, Inadequate IEP Implementation as a FAPE Denial, Transition Services, Noncustodial Parent Issues, and State Complaint Resolution Process.
The experienced program faculty features attorneys Laura Anthony (Ohio), Edward Bauer (Florida), Maria Blaeuer (Washington, DC), Esther Canty-Barnes (New Jersey), Andrew Cuddy (New York), Laura Gillis (Massachusetts), Zvi Greisman (Maryland), Dana Jonson (Connecticut), Michael Joyce (Massachusetts), Isabel Machado New Jersey), Deborah Mattison (Alabama), Kevin McDowell (Indiana), Michael Stafford (Delaware), and-from Pennsylvania--Andrew Faust, Joshua Kershenbaum, Dennis McAndrews, Gabrielle Sereni, and Dr. Perry Zirkel.
The symposium begins on Sunday evening with a dinner and keynote lecture by Dr. Melody Musgrove, Director, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education.
The workshop is offered for graduate and continuing education credit. Weekly and daily options are available. Full information is now available on our website:coe.lehigh.edu/law. For any questions, email or call Shannon Weber or Donna Johnson atspecialedlaw@lehigh.eduor (610) 758-5557. |
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| TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEKGuess the answer to this week's trivia question and we'll recognize you in next week's Week in Review.
Congratulations to: Ellen Tannebaum, Bernetta Washington, Joanne Healy, Karen Bornholm, Olumide Akerele, Cecily Murdock, Gene D'Alessandro, Ope-Oluwa Olubela, Evelyn McNelis, Pamela R. Downing-Hosten, Prahbhjot Malhi and who all knew the answer to last week's Trivia Question: What was the name of the food elimination program developed in the 1970s which appeared to link food additives with hyperactivity; by eliminating these additives the diet was supposed to alleviate the condition. Popular in its day, the diet has since been referred to as an "outmoded treatment"; there is no good evidence that it is effective. ANSWER: THE FEINGOLD DIET
THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Based on the latest research in the field, approximately what percent of childrenworldwidehave attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ? All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, March 23, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. |
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| Young, Rural Americans at Greater Risk of Suicide: Study Young people who live in rural areas of the United States die by suicide nearly twice as often as those who live in cities, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed national data from 1996 through 2010 and found that nearly 66,600 young people aged 10 to 24 took their own lives during this period. Guns were used in half of those suicides, although the researchers also found that hanging is rising among this age group.The study was published online March 9 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. There are a number of possible reasons why young people in rural areas are more likely to kill themselves, including less access to mental health services, greater social isolation and greater availability of guns, said study co-author Cynthia Fontanella, of Ohio State University, and colleagues. To read more,click here |
| Disability Advocate Wins Acclaimed International PrizeAn award that's previously gone to the likes of the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa will this year honor a man who's focused on making life better for people with developmental disabilities. Jean Vanier will receive the 2015 Templeton Prize, officials with the John Templeton Foundation said Wednesday at a ceremony in London. Vanier, 86, founded L'Arche, a network of communities where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together. Today, there are 147 such communities in 35 countries, including 18 in the United States. To read more,click here |
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| Don't Delay School for Summer-Born or Premature Kids: Study Delaying the start of school for a year for children with summer birthdays or those born prematurely may lead to worse academic performance later, new British research suggests. "Our study shows that delaying school entry has no effect on Year 1 teacher ratings of academic performance. But it is associated with poorer performance in age-standardized tests of reading, writing, mathematics and attention as the children get older," the study's corresponding author, Professor Dieter Wolke, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick, said in a university news release. To read more,click here |
| Injured Spinal cord: Regeneration Possible?Damage to the spinal cord rarely heals because the injured nerve cells fail to regenerate. The regrowth of their long nerve fibers is hindered by scar tissue and molecular processes inside the nerves. An international team of researchers led by DZNE scientists in Bonn now reports in Science that help might be on the way from an unexpected quarter: in animal studies, the cancer drug epothilone reduced the formation of scar tissue in injuries to the spinal cord and stimulated growth in damaged nerve cells. Both promoted neuronal regeneration and improved the animals' motor skills. To read more,click here |
| Overindulgent Parents May Breed Narcissistic Children Kids who think too highly of themselves likely developed their narcissism because their parents put them on a pedestal and doled out unearned praise, a new study claims. Parents who "overvalue" their children -- believing they are "God's gift to man" -- tend to raise youngsters with an overblown sense of their own superiority, researchers report in the March 9 online edition of theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "It comes pretty naturally," said senior study author Brad Bushman, a professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University. "Most parents think their children are special, and deserve better treatment. But when our children receive special treatment, they become narcissistic and come to believe they deserve more and are superior to others." To read more,click here |
| NASET - Members Only SavingsNASET is pleased to provide our members with exclusive access to discounts on products and services. These savings are available to all currentNASETmembers. To find out more about savings from Life Lock, Avis, Budget, Cruises Only, Orlando Vacations and more -Click here |
| Face-to-Face Bullying Worse than Cyber-Attacks, Students Say Face-to-face bullying is more cruel and harsh than online attacks, a survey of school students found. The findings of this study indicate that significantly more victims perceived traditional bullying to be more harsh and cruel than cyberbullying. "It clearly indicates the feelings of the children and the very real threat they have of being physically harmed by another child," the lead investigator said.To read more,click here |
| Aggressive Boys Stronger Than Other Teens, Study Says Aggressive boys tend to develop more physical strength when they're teens than nonaggressive boys do, a new study finds. Researchers examined data from twins in Minnesota whose levels of aggression and hand-grip strength were assessed at ages 11, 14 and 17. Hand-grip strength is closely associated with other types of muscle strength, the researchers explained. Aggressive-antisocial behavior was assessed through teacher and self-report ratings. At age 11, aggressive and nonaggressive boys were equally strong. But aggressive boys had larger increases in physical strength during their teens than nonaggressive boys, the study found. This was not the case among girls. To read more,click here |
| Repeated Exposure of Children to Secondhand Smoke is Child Abuse, Expert Argues Purposefully and repeatedly exposing children to secondhand smoke -- a known human carcinogen -- is child abuse, according to an opinion piece written by Adam Goldstein, MD, MPH, a professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Drawing from his experience as a family physician caring for families with children who have suffered severe respiratory illness due to secondhand smoke exposure, Dr. Goldstein says it is time for society -- including doctors -- to do much more. Dr. Goldstein argues his point in an essay published in the Point/Counterpoint feature in the March/April 2015 issue of Annals of Family Medicine.To read more,click here |
| NASET MEMBER'S BENEFIT - Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET MembersThrough 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. For more information on Board Certification in Special Education,click here |
| Depression During Pregnancy Linked to Child's Asthma Risk A child may face an increased risk of asthma if the child's mother experienced depression during her pregnancy or she took an older antidepressant to treat her condition, new research suggests. However, more than 80 percent of the women in the study who were prescribed antidepressants were given one of a newer class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). And those medications were not linked to any increased risk for asthma in the child. "How maternal depression affects asthma risk in the offspring is unknown, but the mechanism could involve hormone changes or changes in lifestyles," said study lead author Dr. Xiaoqin Liu, an epidemiologist at Aarhus University in Denmark. "The most significant finding in our study is that we found that [overall] antidepressant use during pregnancy did not increase the risk of asthma in general." To read more,click here |
| Preterm Babies Continue to Receive Inhaled Nitric Oxide Despite Guidance Discouraging Its Use, Study Says Inhaled Nitric Oxide (iNO) is a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration that is commonly used in term and near-term neonates who have severe respiratory failure caused by pulmonary hypertension. Over the last decade there have been multiple large studies trying to determine a clinical use for iNO in preterm neonates, but despite evidence of short-term benefit, this drug has not been shown to improve long-term outcomes in preemies. Still, the drug is commonly being used in this population, experts say.To read more,click here |
| Study Suggests Link Between Adult Diabetes, Exposure to Smoke in Womb Women who were exposed to tobacco smoke in the womb may be at increased risk for diabetes, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at about 1,800 women with diabetes, aged 44 to 54, in California. They found a strong link between their diabetes and parental smoking during pregnancy. Smoking by mothers was associated with a stronger risk of diabetes than smoking by fathers, the researchers said. The link between parents' smoking and higher diabetes risk remained even after the researchers compensated for factors such as race or a woman's birth weight or current body-mass index. To read more,click here |
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| Study Finds Merit In Autism Blood Test A blood test may be able to accurately identify children with autism as young as 12 months, new research suggests. In a study of more than 200 toddlers, researchers were able to distinguish between those with and without the developmental disorder in at least three-quarters of cases by testing blood samples. Currently, autism is diagnosed through clinical observation and most kids on the spectrum are not identified until after age 4, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Finding a biomarker or other method to pinpoint autism at earlier ages is critical, researchers say, in order to help children get treatment while they're young when it can be most effective. To read more,click here |
| Disney Faulted In Disability Access Complaints A civil rights commission has found reason to believe that Disney discriminated against theme park visitors with developmental disabilities after altering its disability access policy. In five cases, the Florida Commission on Human Relations has found that "reasonable cause exists to believe that unlawful public accommodation practices occurred" at Disney parks. The panel's determinations, dated Feb. 13, but released publicly this month, represent a blow to Disney. The company has insisted that proper accommodations have been offered to guests with disabilities despite making significant changes to its access policy in 2013. To read more,click here |
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