Week in Review - December 6, 2019


NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

December 6, 2019                     Vol 15 Issue #49



Dear NASET Members and Guests,


Welcome to NASET's WEEK 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,


NEW THIS WEEK ON NASET

December 2019 - Special Educator e-Journal

Table of Contents


  • Special Education Legal Alert. By Perry A. Zirkel
  • Group Work Matters: Reducing Stigma in Special Education Students. By Clara West, DSW
  • The Role of Educators in Using Play to Improve Social Skills Among Children with Autism. By Sarah Al-Sharif
  • Implementing the LRE Provision of the IDEA: Current Status in Florida Schools. By Gordon Brobbey, Abdulmajeed Alzahrani, and Aliyah Killion
  • Book Review: Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement (Second Edition). By Judith Tremble
  • Book Review: Leading in a Culture of Change. By Lisa Johannes
  • Book Review: What Great Principals Do Differently. By Nicole Phillips
  • Buzz from the Hub
  • Acknowledgments 

To access full journal. Read More


Sensory Troubles May Yield Key Clues to Autism's Origins

Disruptions in sensory processing are a core trait of autism, according to the criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. And so studies of the sensory system could provide unique insight into brain mechanisms underlying autism. They also may point to potential treatment targets and ways to test drugs or behavioral therapies. Sensory disruptions may lead to sensory hypersensitivity, insensitivity or an unusual interest in sensory stimuli. More than 90 percent of people with autism have some form of sensory issues. Because sensory problems are nearly universal among children with autism, they may reflect differences that lie at the heart of the condition. Differences in signaling pathways and cell function that underlie autism should affect sensory processing. And after birth, sensory input is the sole input into the brain, so sensory-processing differences are likely to affect the development of many brain areas. Read More



More Complaints Filed Against Airlines from Travelers with Disabilities

Passengers with disabilities have filed approximately 900 formal complaints against U.S. airlines in the past year, according to a News4 I-Team review of federal transportation records. The complaints were an increase from prior years and were filed during a time period in which the federal government reviewed several new requirements for airlines to better serve passengers with disabilities. The U.S. Transportation Department tracks the number of complaints filed against U.S. air carriers, including those referencing access issues for the disabled. An I-Team review of 2019 and 2018 federal data shows an approximately 10 percent increase in those complaints between October 2017 and September 2019. Read More


Major Changes in IEP Diagnosis and Classification for Children with Disabilities Proposed by NASET

The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) is proposing major changes to the existing system in which children with disabilities are diagnosed and classified on EPs (Individual Educational Programs). This new system will provide all professionals working in the field of special education, college students preparing to work with children with special needs, administrators, college professors, parents, and students with disabilities the information necessary to adequately determine the most comprehensive, detailed, and precise diagnoses of disabilities or disorders seen in infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents, particularly in the educational environment. 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

This Week's Trivia Question:

Mesa, Arizona has become the first city in the United States to become certified in a particular diagnosis. Mesa was awarded the designation by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, the city recently announced. The year-long initiative, spearheaded by Visit Mesa, came to fruition after about 60 businesses and organizations in the city completed certification training in this disorder. About 4,000 total community members have completed the certification training in this disorder, according to the release. With Visit Mesa" leading the charge, Mesa, Arizona is rolling out the welcome mat for individuals with this disorder. What is the disorder? 

If you know the answer to this week's trivia questions, email it to us at contactus@naset.org by December 9, 2019. If you are correct, you will be acknowledged in next week's NASET's Week in Review 



Paving the Way for Physicians with Disabilities

Medical schools and teaching hospitals are striving to support learners with disabilities, yet they often need more information and resources to help create fully inclusive environments. Furthermore, the quality and extent of supports for these learners vary quite significantly from institution to institution across the country. Those are among the findings of an AAMC report released in 2018 that captures the insights and lived experiences of learners and physicians with disabilities. The report is the product of months of delving into research studies and interviewing administrators and learners at more than 30 institutions. It offers practical considerations and resources to help ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to medical education and the profession of medicine. Read More


How AI is Changing the Way We Treat Diseases and Disabilities 

The age of artificial intelligence is allowing us to rethink the way that we treat diseases and disabilities. The combination of AI and Big Data, in addition to helping with medical diagnosis, coupled with biological delivery systems, such as gene therapy delivery system  can significantly alter the way we treat a host of diseases that are, according to modern science, incurable: cancer, autism, some mental illnesses, and rare genetic illnesses. Specifically, combining AI, big data, robotics, gene therapy, and medical research has unleashed a host of possibilities to cure these types of diseases. At the same time, the combined innovation efforts are helping people with disabilities live their lives better.  Read More

 



As Diagnoses Rise, More Colleges Add Services for Students with Autism

Jared Jellicorse made the dean's list in his first year at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, an achievement that still makes his mother, Marla, tear up. "That was just amazing," she gushed proudly as she recounted it. "Oh come on," Jared Jellicorse, a biology major who goes by JJ, muttered, with a son's typical embarrassment over a parent's public display of pride. This story also appeared in Knoxville News Sentinel, The Tennessean, and USA Today But there was something bigger behind this brief exchange. Jellicorse has autism, which can put up even more obstacles in college than those faced by students who aren't on the autism spectrum - and which few higher education institutions have historically accommodated, despite a huge jump in the number of people diagnosed with it. Read More


Demand for Special Education Grows, But Shortage of School Psychologists Slows Progress

In the last three years, Fort Bend schools have seen the demand for special education almost double. More teachers and parents are asking for children to be tested for a disability - which district leaders say is a huge step forward since the end of a Texas policy that denied services to tens of thousands of children for over a decade. The problem is they don't have enough qualified staff to perform those detailed and technical evaluations, according to Fort Bend Independent School District leaders. In particular, the large suburban district needs more licensed specialists in school psychology, also known as LSSPs. "It's a ton of pressure," says Jennifer Byrne, the district's assistant director for special education. "I'm constantly thinking about it, at night, in the shower  - What else can I do? What can we try differently? Every year we've tried something different." Read More


Best Buddies Raises Millions for People with Disabilities

Best Buddies International held their annual gala at Mana Wynwood to raise money for the work they do for people with disabilities. After a bike ride on Friday and the star-studded gala, Best Buddies raised $2.9 million. According to their website, "Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)". Some of the volunteers for the event were differently abled people who have benefited from the services Best Buddies provides. When asked what his favorite part about the program was, Ambassador Michael Escardo replied: "Everything. They treat us nice. They treat us with respect." Read More


What Frozen Taught Me about Raising a Child with Disabilities 

Let it go, let it go!" my son, Sam, sang into his Frozen microphone. Even though he's a 6-year-old boy, he enthusiastically shouted "Yes!" and burst into song when I recently asked him if he wanted to go see the sequel, Frozen 2. And as he sung, I thought about how far we've come since we both first heard that tune. Although Sam wears hearing aids, he loves to sing and is very musically inclined. But as a toddler, he was unruly, strong-willed, and for me as a parent, impossible to control. Kind of like Elsa. "Elsa's ability to make snow and ice makes her different from her parents, her sister Anna and everyone else around her. As a result, others treat her differently. Read More


Studies Argue Against Fidget Spinners in the Classroom

The fidget spinner craze may have come and gone. So 2017, right? But the research process is slow and methodical, and finally in 2019, there is more conclusive evidence that the whirring lobes of plastic are harmful to learning. Results from at least three scientific studies argue against allowing students to use fidget spinners in the classroom - even among children with attention disorders - despite marketing claims that the objects can be helpful. To be sure, many teachers and school administrators figured out on their own that fidget spinners were a mesmerizing distraction. Some schools banned them from classrooms well before researchers had the proof. Seeking alternatives, teachers and students introduced more fidget objects, from squeeze balls to squishy putty, into classrooms. Read More



Concussions in High School Athletes May Be a Risk Factor for Suicide

Concussion, the most common form of traumatic brain injury, has been linked to an increased risk of depression and suicide in adults. Now new research published by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) suggests high school students with a history of sports-related concussions might be at an increased risk for suicide completion. The research, which recently appeared in the November issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders, examined the link between self-reported history of concussion and risk factors for suicide completion. It was the first study to include a nationally representative sample of high school students. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second-leading cause of death in Americans ages 10 to 34. Read More


Houston Airport System Launches App to Help Kids with Intellectual, Developmental Disabilities

The Houston Airport System has launched a new app to help children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. "The waiting, all the monitors and the noise, sensory overload," said Karl Singleton about what he faces in an airport. Singleton was diagnosed with autism at three years old, but it doesn't stop his love now for traveling. "I want to be able to explore America. I want to be able to take as many flights as I can to as many cities as I can all across America," said Singleton. At times though, it was difficult. "It was really hard. It was one of the more traumatic experiences that I had," said his mother Cynthia Singleton. To help those like Karl Singleton, Hobby and Bush Airports have a new app called Access Houston Airports. Read More


Acetaminophen Use in Pregnancy Linked to Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder in Children

Pregnant women's use of acetaminophen may increase the odds of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in their children, according to an analysis of cord blood from nearly 1,000 children. The study design has a major limitation: Cord blood provides only a short window of exposure to acetaminophen because the drug is metabolized in hours. Still, the findings "warrant additional investigations," says lead investigator Xiaobin Wang, director of the Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, is a pain reliever and fever reducer. It is often marketed as Tylenol in the United States. Read More


Honor Society for Special Education Teachers

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3-D Printing Helps Special Education Classrooms

Education students at Boise State might not have had previous knowledge or interest in 3D printing. Still, the ability to individualize assistive technology has made drastic improvements in the day-to-day for the students they serve. "I'm going into special education, and I'm seeing all these needs students have, and I have all these ideas to help them but no idea how to design or implement those types of things," said Boise State senior Maggie Dillon. That's where the Maker Lab comes in. Education students at Boise State currently working in local high school special education classrooms saw and need, and printed a solution. For Maggie, she designed and printed an assistive device specifically designed to make an important component of every school day stress-free: lunch. "The student I'm focusing on, her independence is really important to her, she has fairly significant disabilities but making it through the lunch line without having to take someone with her makes all the difference," said Dillon, "she just wants to eat lunch with her friends." Read More


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Up to 3.6 Million Students Should Be Labeled Gifted, But Aren't

As many as 3.6 million gifted children are being overlooked in school - more than the 3.3 million U.S. public school children already labeled as gifted. That's according to a report from Purdue University's Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute, GER2I, released this month at the annual convention of the National Association for Gifted Children, or NAGC. Four of 10 children attended public schools where not a single student was identified as gifted, even though most states legally require schools to find and serve gifted children and provide money to do so. Read More



LATEST JOB LISTINGS POSTED ON NASET

* Teacher Assistant - The Teacher Assistant assists the classroom teacher in carrying out the academic and behavioral objectives set forth in the child's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) by providing direct instructional services to students and performing non-teaching support duties under the supervision of the classroom teacher. To learn more - Click here

* Resource Specialist - The Resource Specialist is a certificated, exempt position with Element Education, Inc. (EEI) which operates Dimensions Collaborative and Community Montessori Charter Schools. The Resource Specialist directly reports to the Director of Special Education. The Resource Specialist will work directly with the Director of Special Education to implement the EEI's Special Education programs and provide support and guidance to Educational Facilitators and parents of students with special needs. To learn more - Click here

* Teacher for Children with Autism - NECC serves students between the ages of 3 and 22 diagnosed with autism, learning disabilities, language delays, intellectual disability, behavior disorders, and related disabilities. The Center provides a full range of educational, residential and treatment programs designed to help children reach their full potential. The goal of maximizing independence serves as the foundation of all Center programs. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher - Surprise, AZ - The Invo-Progressus Team has incredible opportunities for Special Education Teachers.  We are currently seeking full-time Special Education Teachers for a Structured Teaching 4-8 Classroom, a Preschool Classroom, and a SPED Resource Teacher for a K-8 classroom in Surprise, AZ. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher - Philadelphia, PA -Invo-Progressus Team has incredible opportunities for Special Education Teachers...or, as we like to call them, Superheroes.  If you use your super powers to help ensure that children have access to the best education possible in the least restrictive environment, we would love for you to join the Invo-Progressus team!  We are currently seeking full-time Special Education Teachers in Philadelphia, PA for the 2019-2020 School Year. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher - Eastern Illinois Area of Special Education (Charleston, IL). Spec. Ed. Teacher. Develop materials for indiv. programs, goals/objectives for students, and evaluate acad/therapeutic/social growth for Spec. Ed students (K - age 21). Keep records and progress reports. Give standardized tests, other evaluative materials, maintain IEPs. To learn more - Click here

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


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

When you can do a common thing in an uncommon way; you will command the attention of the world.  

                                                        George Washington Carver


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