Week in Review - November 6, 2015

WEEK IN REVIEW

NewNASETPublications and Articles of Interest in Special Education and Disabilities That Were Reported This Week

November 6, 2015 - Vol 11, Issue 45


 

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In This Issue

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK




Dear NASET News,

Welcome toNASET'sWEEK in REVIEWHere, we provide you with the latest publications fromNASETto 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 theWEEK in REVIEWatnews@naset.org.Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,


NASETNews Team


NASET Sponsor - Antioch University

 



New This Week on NASET


NASET's Special Educator e-Journal
November 2015

Table of Contents
* Update from the U.S. Department of Education

* Buzz from the Hub

* Intersection: Navigating the Road to Work

* Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET

* Upcoming Conferences and Events

* Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

* Acknowledgements

To read or download this issue - Click here (login required)

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SeeNASET'sLatest Job Listings


Oxytocin 'Love Hormone' Nasal Spray Shows Promise in Kids With Autism

Oxytocin, the so-called "love hormone," may help improve social skills in autistic children, a small new Australian study suggests. "The potential to use such simple treatments to enhance the longer-term benefits of other behavioral, educational and technology-based therapies is very exciting," study co-author Ian Hickie, co-director of the Brain and Mind Center at University of Sydney, said in a university news release. Oxytocin, which occurs naturally in the human body, has been linked to social ties such as romantic coupling or the parent-child bond. To read more,click here

When Anxiety Silences a Child

It's a little-known anxiety disorder that renders one in every 150 children speechless in certain situations. Called "selective mutism," the inability to speak is not a choice for these youngsters, experts say. "It's best described as a phobia of talking," said Alison Wintgens, an advisor to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists in England, and author of a resource manual on the condition. It's usually consistent and predictable, with evident panic, stiffness and staring when a child is expected to speak away from their comfort zone, Wintgens explained. In contrast, "shyness is milder and more general, more like being slow to warm up," she added. To read more,click here

Program for Parents Helps Sustain Learning Gains in Kids from Head Start to Kindergarten

An instructional program for parents helps young children retain the literacy skills and positive learning behaviors acquired in Head Start through to the end of the kindergarten year, according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health. The program appears to offset what education researchers call "summer loss," or the tendency of children to forget during summer break what they learned during the previous year. Head Start is a federal program designed to improve school readiness among children living in poverty. In the current study, researchers evaluated the Research Based, Developmentally Informed Parent (REDI-P) program which The problem of summer loss has long been known to affect children of all ages, but it is especially pronounced among children from disadvantaged backgrounds who are just starting school. To read more,click here

National Center for Learning Disabilities Scholarships and Awards

NCLD recognizes outstanding high school students with learning and attention issues, general education teachers, schools or school-related programs and artists of all ages who have LD.

Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarships
The Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarships offer financial assistance to two graduating seniors with documented learning disabilities who are pursuing post-secondary education. The Anne Ford Scholarship was first awarded in 2002; in 2009, with a generous donation from Anne's daughter, Allegra, the award was renamed the Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship and granted to two students as two separate scholarships.

Learn more about these scholarships:click here
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NASET MEMBER'S BENEFIT -

Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET Members

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.

 

For more information on Board Certification in Special Education,click here

Pot Use Tied to Specific Type of Stroke in Young

Young adults who use marijuana are more likely to suffer strokes caused by narrowing of the arteries in the skull than those who don't use the drug, a new study finds. Prior research has identified a link between marijuana use and stroke, but this study is the first to examine differences in stroke between marijuana users and non-users. The findings may help efforts to pinpoint what causes strokes in marijuana users, the researchers said. A team led by Dr. Valerie Wolff, at the University Hospital of Strasbourg in France, examined 334 patients younger than 45 who suffered an ischemic stroke -- an attack caused by blocked blood flow to the brain. Fifty-eight of the patients were marijuana users. To read more,click here

Research Gives Clues to Why Some Benefit More From Drug for Bipolar Disorder

Some people with bipolar disorder do not respond as well as others to the standby drug lithium, and a new study hints at why that may be so. The research also brings scientists closer to understanding the origins of the psychiatric illness, which causes severe mood swings that include emotional highs and lows. Specifically, the brain cells of people with bipolar disorder seem to be more sensitive than brain cells of people without the mental illness, the small study suggests. "Researchers hadn't all agreed that there was a cellular cause to bipolar disorder," study senior author Rusty Gage, a professor in the genetics lab at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, Calif., said in an institute news release. "So our study is important validation that the [brain] cells of these patients really are different." To read more,click here

NASET Sponsor - Antioch University


TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Guess the answer to this week's trivia question and we'll recognize you in next week's Week in Review.

Congratulations to: Maryann Polesinelli, Patsy Ray, Prahbhjot Malhi, Wanda Routier, Marilyn Haile, Pamela Downing-Hosten and Olumide Akerele who all knew the answer to last week's trvia question:
Special education disputes are far more likely to be litigated in some states than others, with a new report finding that just 10 states account for nearly two thirds of all court decisions. Between 1979 and 2013, there were over 5,000 court decisions nationwide related to legal questions under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, according to an analysis published recently in the Journal of Special Education Leadership. Which state had the highest number of court decisions nationwide related to legal questions under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act?ANSWER:  NEW YORK

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
According to the U.S. department of Education, the majority of states are reporting improvement in their graduation rates for students with disabilities. Preliminary data released recently by the U.S. Department of Education indicates that graduation rates for children with disabilities increased in how many states for the 2013-2014 school year?

If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, November 9, 2015 at 12:00 p.m.

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TV Featuring Fewer Characters With Disabilities

For the first time in two years, the number of characters with disabilities on prime-time television is on the decline, a new report finds. There are just eight regularly appearing characters with disabilities expected this year on scripted prime-time programs on ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC, representing 0.9 percent of all characters. Last season, by comparison, there were 11 such characters with disabilities. The figures come from an annual report out this week from GLAAD, a media advocacy organization for the gay and lesbian community. The analysis offers an assessment of minority representation on television during the 2015-2016 season, including a look at disabilities. To read more,click here

Government Study Suggests Autism Overdiagnosed

With as many as 1 in 10 children with autism ultimately losing their diagnosis, a new government study suggests some kids placed on the spectrum shouldn't be.
Looking at data from a federal survey of parents of over 1,500 kids diagnosed with autism, researchers found that the developmental disorder may be overdiagnosed in more than 9 percent of cases. The study, published online this month in the journal Autism, was produced by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the University of Washington, the National Institutes of Health and the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. To read more,click here

People With Schizophrenia Face Much Higher Risk of Early Death

American adults with schizophrenia face a much higher risk of an early death, particularly from heart and lung diseases associated with smoking, a new study finds. The rise in risk "is evident in early adulthood and persists into later life. Especially high risks of mortality were observed from diseases for which tobacco use is a key risk factor," concluded a team led by Dr. Mark Olfson, of Columbia University in New York City. The issue is a familiar one, said one expert who reviewed the new findings. "Individuals with mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder die, on average, approximately two decades early, and primarily from cardiovascular disease and other preventable chronic illnesses," said Dr. Michael Compton, chair of psychiatry at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. To read more,click here

Airline Apologizes After Man With Cerebral Palsy Crawls Off Plane

United Airlines issued an apology after an incident in which a man with cerebral palsy crawled from his airline seat through the airplane because he had to use the bathroom. D'Arcee Neal, 29, of Washington, D.C., was returning on a United Airlines flight from San Francisco and told CBS that a mixup at the gate left him without a wheelchair that would fit in the aisles to get him off the plane. He waited 15 minutes for the other passengers to get off the plane, and then waited longer for the wheelchair that never came, but he needed to use the bathroom. To read more,click here

Narcotic Painkiller Use in Adolescence May Raise Risk of Adult Addiction

Teens who are given prescription narcotic painkillers may run a higher risk of abusing narcotics after high school, a new study suggests. Researchers said teen painkiller use was associated with a 33 percent increased risk of later abuse. And it was seen mostly among those with little to no history of drug use and those who strongly disapproved of illegal drug use. "A prescription for a pain reliever can put adolescents at risk for future pain reliever misuse," said study author Richard Miech, a research professor at the Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. To read more,click here

For 'Sesame Street,' Character On The Spectrum Years In The Making

Meet Julia. As you might have heard, she's Sesame Street's newest muppet. She has bright orange hair, big green eyes and sometimes takes a long time to answer questions. She's has autism. She's also a girl. Which might seem odd: Autism spectrum disorders affect 1 in 68 American children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But 1 in 42 boys are diagnosed with autism, compared with 1 in 189 girls - meaning about five times as many boys as girls are diagnosed with autism. So if Sesame, whose mission is "to help all children grow smarter, stronger and kinder," were truly interested in representing autism most accurately, wouldn't its new character be a boy? To read more,click here

Test Catches Asthma in Children Before Symptoms Appear

Nearly 7 million children in the United States have been diagnosed with asthma and thousands more are living undiagnosed, struggling to breathe each day. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine have found that a commonly used pulmonary lung function test can provide early detection of asthma before a child shows any symptoms of breathing problems. This early diagnosis could reduce the number of people who have serious complications of the disease later in life. Asthma affects the airways that carry air to and from a person's lungs. When a person with asthma is exposed to irritants in the air, the airways narrow and restrict the amount of air that is allowed to pass through. When a patient inhales, the air starts in the trachea and moves into two large bronchi -- the large airway. It gradually moves down into smaller bronchi -- the smaller airway. Experts say that both the large and small airways need to be clear for a person to breathe properly. To read more,click here

Bullied Teens Face Roadblocks to Mental Health Services

Nearly one-third of American teens are bullied, but fewer than a quarter of them get mental health help, a new study indicates. Victims of bullying are at risk for problems such as anxiety, depression and self-harm, said researchers led by Dr. Amira El Sherif, a pediatrician in Fayettville, N.C. Her team surveyed 440 middle and high school students in Cumberland County, N.C., and found that 29 percent said they had been bullied. This included 54 percent of children aged 11 to 14 and nearly half of those aged 15 to 18. "Bullying should become a part of the normal conversation in the [pediatrician's} office," El Sherif said. "Doctors, parents and school officials should also work together to address bullying when it occurs and to make sure mental health services are accessible when needed." To read more,click here
AASEP Logo

NASET MEMBER'S BENEFIT -

Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET Members

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.

 

For more information on Board Certification in Special Education,click here

Gene May Boost Death Risk for People With Mild Epilepsy

Researchers say they've identified a gene mutation that might increase the risk of sudden death in people with mild epilepsy. The researchers studied a four-generation family with nine members who had epilepsy caused by a mutation of the DEPDC5 gene. This form of epilepsy is considered mild. But, two of the family members suffered what is known as sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), which is statistically significant for the small number of people in the study, according to the researchers in the Adult Genetic Epilepsy Program of the Krembil Neuroscience Center in Toronto. To read more,click here

Limiting Tackling Limits Concussions: Study

Limiting tackling during high school football practices can significantly reduces players' concussion rates, a new study indicates. In 2014, new rules about tackling during football practice were introduced for Wisconsin high schools. Full contact was banned during the first week of practice, and limited to 75 minutes during the second week. After that, full contact during practice was capped at 60 minutes for every week. Full contact means that tackles are made at a competitive level and players are taken to the ground, the researchers explained. The number of concussions that occurred during practice was more than twice as high during the two seasons before the new rules began, the study said. To read more,click here

Cutting Sugar From Diet Boosts Kids' Health Immediately: Study

Cutting most of the sugar from a child's diet can immediately improve health, even if the diet still contains the same amount of calories and carbohydrates as before, a new study suggests. Researchers put a group of 43 obese kids on a nine-day diet that severely restricted sugar intake, but replaced added sugars with starchy foods to maintain the children's intake of calories and carbs. That diet caused immediate reductions in their high blood pressure and improvement in their blood sugar and cholesterol levels, the investigators found. To read more,click here

Honor Society for Special Education Teachers

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ADHD May Have Different Effects on Brains of Boys and Girls

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) manifests itself differently in the brains of girls than in the brains of boys, new research suggests. The results may help scientists better understand how ADHD affects boys and girls in unique ways, the researchers said. "The findings showed differences in the white matter microstructure between boys and girls," said study co-author Lisa Jacobson, a pediatric neuropsychologist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, in Baltimore. White matter helps different regions of the brain communicate with each other. "These structural differences were associated with observed behavioral differences," Jacobson said. "Taken together, our findings provide preliminary evidence for unique differences in the brain's white matter structure and function between boys and girls with ADHD." To read more,click here

Shaken Baby Syndrome Program Didn't Reduce Injuries: Study

A program designed to prevent "shaken baby syndrome" in North Carolina didn't reduce rates of infant head injuries caused by this form of child abuse, a new study finds. "Shaken baby syndrome, also called abusive head trauma, occurs when an infant is violently shaken, and is the leading cause of child abuse deaths in the United States," explained Dr. Minu George, an expert in pediatric care who was not involved with the study. "The consequences of shaken baby syndrome are so devastating that prevention should be the primary focus of doctors, nurses, social workers and families," George added. To read more,click here

NASET Members Only

Kids in Foster Care Have Tripled Rates of ADHD, Study Finds

Children in foster care are three times more likely to have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than those in the general population, a new study reveals. For the study, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at 2011 Medicaid data from across the United States. The investigators found that more than one in four children aged 2 to 17 in foster care had an ADHD diagnosis, compared with just one in 14 of those not in foster care. About half of the children with ADHD in foster care also had some other psychological disorder, such as depression, anxiety or oppositional defiant disorder. In contrast, only about one-third of kids with ADHD who were not in foster care had another condition, the CDC team said. To read more,click here
jobs

NASET's Latest Job Listings

* Special Education Teacher, Secondary Education - Full Time - -Thresholds is growing and seeking new talent to fill over 100 positions! Named as one of Chicago's 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For and a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace, they provide mental health services to more than 7,300 adults and youth. To learn more - Click here

*Special Education Teachers, Full time or Part time in New York- Catapult Learning is seeking Special Education Teachers in New York for the 2015-16 school year, with locations in New York - Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island. To learn more -Click here

* Special Education Teacher - New Visions is seeking a Special Education Teacher to provide instructional supports and accommodations for students with disabilities, be able to write and monitor Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and communicate regularly with Committee on Special Education (CSE) in your district and families of students with disabilities. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher (Elementary/Middle) - Excel Academy Public Charter School is seeking a Special Education Teacher to work with our Middle School Girls. A teacher at Excel is directly accountable to the Principal for student academic success, maintenance of rigorous school culture, and mission advancement. To learn more -Click here

* K-2 Bilingual Special Education Teacher - The Academy for Global Citizenship seeks an exemplary special education teacher for the 2015-2016 school year. Teachers are responsible for helping all of our children learn, classroom management, participating in professional development, providing feedback to others. To learn more - Click here

*Special Education Teacher - Are you a Special Education Teacher or a Resource Specialist? Or even a Speech-Language Pathologist? Progressus Therapy has a position for you in the Concord area of CA.  Join a team of professionals working towards positive outcomes for students. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher - Are you a Special Education Teacher or a Resource Specialist?  Progressus Therapy has a position for you in the Philly area of PA.  Join a team of professionals working towards positive outcomes for students. To learn more - Click here

* Chief of Pupil Services - On behalf of Norwalk Public Schools, the State Education Resource Center (SERC) is conducting a national level search for a full-time (12-month) position as the Chief of Pupil Services at Norwalk Public Schools.  The ideal candidate will possess a plethora of experience working in a public school district, an administrative position and in special education or a related position. To learn more - Click here

* 1-to-1 Assistant Educator for Autistic Student - Special needs teacher to work as one-to-one assistant with a student in an international school setting in Rome, Italy. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher (ES, MS, HS) - The Special Education Coordinator or Teacher is passionate about supporting the students who are at-risk for academic under performance due to emotional and/or physical challenges so that they can succeed in the school's rigorous academic program. To learn more - Click here

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

A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.
Ayn Rand
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