Week in Review - June 22, 2018

NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

June 22, 2018                     Vol 14 Issue #24

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

Whats new on NASET
NASET's Professional Development Course

SOCIAL AND SEXUAL ISSUES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: A GUIDE FOR HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATORS - Today, because of the work of advocates and people with disabilities over the past half-century, American society is acknowledging that those with disabilities have the same rights as other citizens to contribute to and benefit from our society. This includes the right to education, employment, self-determination, and independence. We are also coming to recognize, albeit more slowly, that persons with disabilities have the right to experience and fulfill an important aspect of their individuality, namely, their social life and sexuality. As with all rights, this right brings with it responsibilities, not only for the person with disabilities, but also for that individual's parents and caregivers. Adequately preparing an individual for the transition to adulthood, with its many choices and responsibilities, is certainly one of the greatest challenges that parents, and others face.

In the course of human development, there is probably no greater need than to attach, connect or build gratifying human relationships. This human need is felt by all, whether with a disability or not. It is vital that all children be given the opportunities to learn and practice the social skills considered appropriate by society. All children must learn how to conduct themselves in ways that allow them to develop relationships with other people. Parents must keep in mind that social skills pervade an individual's entire life, at home, in school, in the community, and at the workplace. An example of the significance of a deficit in social skills appears to be that a large percentage (nearly 90 percent) of employees lost their jobs because of poor attitude and inappropriate behavior, rather than the lack of job skills.

Children with disabilities may find developing these skills more difficult than their peers without disabilities. Because of a variety of learning or other cognitive disabilities, visual or hearing impairments, or a physical disability that limits their chances to socialize, children with disabilities may lack the exposure and experiences required to develop appropriate social skills. Most, however, are capable of learning these important "rules" (Duncan & Canty-Lemke, 1986) and should be given opportunities to learn and practice them by professionals, parents and professionals.

The focus of this NASET Professional Development Course will be to address various concerns related to individuals with disabilities and their social and sexual issues. After taking this course, you should understand the following:
  • The importance of developing social skills
  • Acquiring social skills
  • How families can help widen social experiences
  • Avoiding social mistakes
  • Fostering relationships: Suggestions for young adults
  • Misconceptions about sexuality and disability
  • Defining sexuality
  • How sexuality develops
  • Sexuality education
  • Suggestions for teaching children and youth about sexuality
  • Early Signs of Puberty
  • Issues to address with the adolescent
  • The Importance of Developing Social Skills
American Sign Language and English language Learners: New Linguistic Research Supports the Need for Policy Changes
A new study of the educational needs of students who are native users of American Sign Language (ASL) shows glaring disparities in their treatment by the U.S Department of Education. The article, "If you use ASL, should you study ESL? Limitations of a modality-b(i)ased policy," by Elena Koulidobrova (Central Connecticut State University), Marlon Kunze (Gallaudet University) and Hannah Dostal (University of Connecticut), will be published in the June, 2018 issue of the scholarly journal Language. The US legal system offers various protections to children for whom English is an additional language, such as access to focused English instruction to facilitate mastery of the academic curriculum. However, these laws do not protect all multilingual students in the US. One population of bilingual students has been systematically excluded from these protections are those whose native language is ASL. Read More

Adolescents Who Consume Diet High in Saturated Fats May Develop Poor Stress Skills
A new study published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity shows that adolescent rats who consume a diet high in saturated fats have a harder time coping with stress as adults. Moreover, researchers from Loma Linda University in California found that the areas of the brain that handle the fear/stress response were altered to the point that subjects began exhibiting behaviors that mirror post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). "The teen years are a very critical time for brain maturation, including how well (or not) we'll cope with stress as adults," said Dr. Johnny Figueroa, Assistant Professor, Division of Physiology, Department of Basic Sciences and Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine. "The findings of our research support that the lifestyle decisions made during adolescence -- even those as simple as your diet -- can make a big difference in our ability to overcome every day challenges." Read More
Digital Devices During Family Time Could Exacerbate Bad Behavior
Parents who spend a lot of time on their phones or watching television during family activities such as meals, playtime, and bedtime could influence their long-term relationships with their children. This is according to Brandon T. McDaniel of Illinois State University and Jenny S. Radesky of the University of Michigan Medical School, both in the US, who say so called "technoference" can lead children to show more frustration, hyperactivity, whining, sulking or tantrums. The study in the journal Pediatric Research, which is published by Springer Nature, examines the role and impact digital devices play in parenting and child behavior. Technoference is defined as everyday interruptions in face-to-face interactions because of technology devices. Recent studies estimate that parents use television, computers, tablets and smartphones for nine hours per day on average. A third of this time is spent on smartphones, which due to their portability are often used during family activities such as meals, playtime, and bedtime -- all important times involved in shaping a child's social-emotional wellbeing. Read More
Childhood Vaccination Exemptions Rise in Parts of the U.S.
Non-medical exemptions from childhood vaccinations are rising in some areas of the United States, creating a risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, argue Peter Hotez, Melissa Nolan, Jackie Nolan, and Ashish Damania in a Policy Forum article in PLOS Medicine. Eighteen US states currently permit non-medical exemptions from childhood vaccinations owing to "philosophical beliefs." The team from the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development analysed routine data from these states, and found an increase since 2009 in the number of children enrolling in kindergarten with a non-medical exemption in 12 of the states. They identified several metropolitan areas across the country that stand out as "hotspots" of vaccination exemptions, including major metropolitan areas in the Pacific Northwest, Texas, Utah, and Arizona, as well as less populated and rural counties in Idaho. In a further analysis, the authors found that higher rates of non-medical exemptions in individual states were associated with lower rates of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination coverage. Read More
Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET Members
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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

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Congratulations to: Lynn Fuschillo, Patsy Ray, Julia C. Blair, Cindi Maurice, Olumide Akerele, Laurine Kennedy, Sharon Johnson-Hiltz, and Diane Campbell-Mitchell who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question:

Starting in 1946 at the University of Illinois, a new version of a sport was played primarily between AmericanWorld War II veterans with disabilities. Dr. Timothy Nugent founded the National Association of this game in 1949. Today, there are 82 National Organizations for this sport throughout the world, with this number increasing each year. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people play this sport from recreation to club play and as elite national team members. What game is it?
ANSWER:  WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL
This week's question:
According to a U.S. Department of Education report, titled the Condition of Education 2018, what percentage of all students, ages 3-21 years of age, are currently receiving special education today?
If you know the answer, email us at contactus@naset.org by June 25, 2018.  We will acknowledge your correct answer in the next edition of the Week in Review

Mu­sic Play­school En­hances Chil­dren's Lin­guistic Skills
Several studies have suggested that intensive musical training enhances children's linguistic skills. Such training, however, is not available to all children. Researchers at Cognitive Brain Research Unit in the University of Helsinki studied in a community setting whether a low-cost, weekly music playschool provided to 5-6-year-old children in kindergartens affects their linguistic abilities. The children (N=66) were tested four times over two school-years with phoneme processing and vocabulary subtests, along with tests for perceptual reasoning skills and inhibitory control. According to the results, published in Scientific Reports, music playschool significantly improved the development of children's phoneme processing and vocabulary skills, compared to their peers either attending to similarly organized dance lessons or not attending to either activity. Read More
Scientists Discover Schizophrenia Gene Roles in Brain Development
A USC research team identified 150 proteins affecting cell activity and brain development that contribute to mental disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar condition and depression. It's the first time these molecules, which are associated with the disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) protein linked to mental disorders, have been identified. The scientists developed new tools involving stem cells to determine chemical reactions the proteins use to influence cell functions and nerve growth in people. "This moves science closer to opportunities for treatment for serious mental illness," said Marcelo P. Coba, the study author and professor of psychiatry at the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. The findings appear in Biological Psychiatry. Read More
Beyond the 'Reading Wars': How the Science of Reading Can Improve Literacy
A new scientific report from an international team of psychological researchers aims to resolve the so-called "reading wars," emphasizing the importance of teaching phonics in establishing fundamental reading skills in early childhood. The report, published in in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, shows how early phonics skills are advanced with a rich reading curriculum throughout the school years. Scientists Anne Castles (Macquarie University), Kathleen Rastle (Royal Holloway University of London), and Kate Nation (University of Oxford) report their conclusions as part of a thorough, evidence-based account of how children learn to read. They synthesize findings from more than 300 research studies, book chapters, and academic journal articles published across a variety of scientific fields. Read More
David vs Goliath: How a Small Molecule Can Defeat Asthma Attacks
An invisible particle enters your lungs. The next thing you know breathing becomes difficult. You are having as asthma attack. Asthma is one of the most common and difficult to endure chronic conditions. About 30 million Americans experience asthma attacks and 3 million have a severe, therapy-resistant form of the disease. In some cases, the condition can be fatal. "Despite the prevalence of asthma around the world, therapy for this condition has not significantly changed, with a few exceptions, in the last 70 to 80 years," said Dr. David Corry, professor of medicine-immunology, allergy and rheumatology at Baylor College of Medicine. "For the most part, we are still treating the symptoms of the disease, not the underlying causes. In this work we present a novel new way to target a pathway we think is at the core of this allergic condition." Read More
Block Play Could Improve a Child's Math Skills, Executive Functioning
Semi-structured block play among preschool-age children has the potential to improve two skills -- mathematics and executive functioning -- critical to kindergarten readiness, according a new study by Purdue University researchers. "As an early childhood expert, I feel like I'm constantly being asked by parents and teachers, 'What can I do with my child to support their school readiness skills?'" said Sara Schmitt, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. "What I find myself saying a lot, among other things, is block play. But there's actually not a lot of empirical evidence to support this statement, particularly with regard to mathematics and executive functioning development. That's why I wanted to do this study: I wanted to understand if these suggestions I was making to parents and teachers were actually valid." Read More
Mother's Attitude to Baby During Pregnancy May Have Implications for Child's Development
Mothers who 'connect' with their baby during pregnancy are more likely to interact in a more positive way with their infant after it is born, according to a study carried out at the University of Cambridge. Interaction is important for helping infants learn and develop. Researchers at the Centre for Family Research carried out a meta-analysis, reviewing all published studies in the field, in an attempt to demonstrate conclusively whether there was a link with the way parents think about their child during pregnancy and their behavior towards them postnatally. The results of their work, which draws data from 14 studies involving 1,862 mothers and fathers, are published in the journal Developmental Review. Read More
Researchers Map Brain of Blind Patient Who Can See Motion
Neuroscientists at Western University's Brain and Mind Institute, have confirmed and detailed a rare case of a blind woman able to see objects -- but only if in motion. A team led by neuropsychologist Jody Culham has conducted the most extensive analysis and brain mapping to date of a blind patient, to help understand the remarkable vision of a 48-year-old Scottish woman, Milena Canning. Canning lost her sight 18 years ago after a respiratory infection and series of strokes. Months after emerging blind from an eight-week coma, she was surprised to see the glint of a sparkly gift bag, like a flash of green lightning. Then she began to perceive, sporadically, other moving things: her daughter's ponytail bobbing when she walked, but not her daughter's face; rain dripping down a window, but nothing beyond the glass; and water swirling down a drain, but not a tub already full with water. Read More
Urban Violence Can Hurt Test Scores Even for Kids Who Don't Experience It
Children who attend school with many kids from violent neighborhoods can earn significantly lower test scores than peers with classmates from safer areas, according to a new Johns Hopkins University study. In schools where more kids have a high exposure to violence, the study found, their classmates score as much as 10 percent lower on annual standardized math and reading tests. The findings, which demonstrate how urban violence and school choice programs can work together to spread "collateral damage," appear today in the journal Sociology of Education. "Exposure to neighborhood violence has a much bigger impact that we think it does," said the lead author, Johns Hopkins sociologist Julia Burdick-Will. "It seeps into places that you don't expect. It can affect an entire school and how it's able to function." Read More
Continuing_Ed
Criticism from Parents Affects How Children's Brains Respond to Emotional Information
Children of highly critical parents show less attention to emotional facial expressions, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University at New York. "These findings suggest that children with a critical parent might avoid paying attention to faces expressing any type of emotion," said Kiera James, graduate student of psychology at Binghamton University, and lead author of the paper. "This behavior might affect their relationships with others and could be one reason why children exposed to high levels of criticism are at risk for things like depression and anxiety." The researchers wanted to examine how exposure to parental criticism impacts the way that children process and pay attention to facial expressions of emotion. One way to look at attention is through a neural marker called the Late Positive Potential (LPP), which provides a measure of how much someone is paying attention to emotional information, such as a face that is happy or sad. Read More
Former Special Education Teacher Leaves $1 Million to School District
A school district in New Jersey received a big gift from a former teacher. Genevieve Via Cava left a million dollars to the school district in Dumont, New Jersey after she passed away. People that knew her had no idea she had that kind of money, WCBS reported. Richard Jablonski, a friend of Genevieve said she spent her afternoons clipping coupons. She lived a very minimal lifestyle, with no vacations or even outfit changes. "She would wear the same clothes," said Jablonski. It came as a complete shock when he learned his friend of more than 30 years had an estate worth well over a million dollars. "I mean she floored me with that. I didn't know she had that type of money," said Jablonski. Genevieve had no immediate family. When she died in October of 2011, she left her home and everything in it to Jablonski. His son and grandkids now live in the house. Read More
Overcoming Barriers by Disabilities through the Nora Project
But for kids with disabilities, it's even easier to be left out. Now, a new program at one north suburban middle school is changing that, one friend at a time. CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez has the story of the Nora Project. A group of 4th graders greet their friend Fin with smiles and high fives. He and Conor are part of a project that connects children with mental and physical disabilities with buddies. In this case at Sunset Ridge Middle School in Northfield. Each encounter, like this bowling outing with Conor is a lesson in empathy. It all started with a simple request from Amanda Martinsen's cousin after she got news that her tiny baby Nora had suffered brain damage during surgery. Read More
Honor Society for Special Education Teachers
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Do Antipsychotic Medications for Children Raise Diabetes Risk?
Widely used antipsychotic medications for troubled kids and teens can trigger weight gain and decrease insulin sensitivity, putting them at increased risk for diabetes, according to a new study. Antipsychotic medications are used in youngsters to treat nonpsychotic disorders associated with disruptive behavior, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the researchers noted. It was known that these drugs increase the risk for diabetes, but how they did so was unclear. "Over the past two decades, the U.S. has seen a dramatic increase in the use of antipsychotic medications in children ... part of a national phenomenon where children who have nonpsychotic disorders with disruptive behaviors are increasingly being treated with antipsychotic medications," said study senior author Dr. John Newcomer. He's a psychiatrist and professor of integrated medical science at Florida Atlantic University. Read More
free IEP
S is for Self-Regulation: Lessons in ADHD Emotional Control from "Sesame Street"
Whether you're 4 or 74, chances are you know how to get to Sesame Street. Since its debut in 1969, "Sesame Street" has defined educational television, delighting generations of kids (and their parents) with its friendly Muppets, diverse cast, and honest, comforting lessons. Through the nonprofit Sesame Workshop, the show uses research-backed curricula to teach social skills, emotional regulation, and the academic building blocks that prepare its preschool audience for school, independence, and more. During its 43rd season (2012-2013), the show's creators began to overtly focus on executive functioning and self-regulation and executive function skills. Research has shown the importance of these fundamental skills for children's academic, social-emotional, and health development - fundamental skills that few children (and adults) are ever formally taught. Read More

jobs
LATEST JOB LISTINGS POSTED ON NASET

* Special Education Teachers - The Teacher is responsible for providing an educational atmosphere where students have the opportunity to fulfill their potential for intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual and psychological growth. This person is responsible for organizing and implementing an instructional program that will maximize the learning experience of students with special needs, in academics, interpersonal skills and activities of daily living by implementing district approved curriculum; documenting teaching and student progress/activities, outcomes; addressing students' specific needs; providing a safe and optimal learning environment. To learn more - Click here

* Special Ed Teachers/Special Ed Lead Teachers - $1000 sign on payable. Maintains an up-to-date, in-field certificate issued by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission; salary and length of contract to be established by the Board of Education. To plan for and to provide appropriate learning experiences and educational opportunities for students with disabilities assigned to the classroom. To learn more - Click here

* PRESIDENT - St. Rita School for the Deaf - The President provides leadership to achieve the fullest attainment of the mission of St. Rita School for the Deaf (SRSD). The President serves as an administrative officer of the Board of Limited Jurisdiction and serves on the board as ex-officio member without vote. The President is the overall leader and facilitator of the school and bears ultimate responsibility for the integration of faith and culture, consistent with the mission and core values of St. Rita School for the Deaf. To learn more - Click here

* Science Test Developer, Alernate Assessment -The Science Test Developer will lead state assessment projects and tasks that include the development and management of Science Assessment programs. Responsibilities include: Managing the review, revision, and delivery of Science test items and ensuring item quality. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teachers-All Areas - Stafford County Public Schools is actively seeking certified Special Education-All Areas Teachers for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year. We also offer Travel Reimbursement for out of state applicants available ONLY with a signed contract. To learn more - Click here

If you are an Employer looking for excellent special education staff - Click here for more information
Food For Thought..........

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
Mark Twain

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