Week in Review - January 10, 2020


NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

January 10, 2020                    Vol 16 Issue #2


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

NASET's Autism Spectrum Disorder Series

Exploring the Challenges Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Face in the Special Education Decision Making Process


This issue of NASET's Autism Spectrum Disorder series explores the challenges that parents or guardians of children with disabilities face in the education system when the child is placed in a special education setting. The results of the research were quite negative. According to the data collected by the researcher's parents face many challenges in the special education decision making process for lacking the support and knowledge necessary to become informed advocates. Parents or guardians felt that their child's needs were not met in the special education setting depending on the child's functional needs. In one article the researchers interviewed 144 parents who concluded that the parents were concerned about the amount of knowledge teachers had when educating children with disabilities. Researchers used Log binomial regression to examine the relative risk for the child's unmet needs. This review explores the fact that parents face issues in the school system as much as they do in their social lives. Read More


New Saliva Test May Detect Autism Earlier in Toddlers

Early diagnosis and intervention can really make a difference when it comes to autism. A group of researchers in Upstate New York are hopeful a new saliva test aimed at toddlers will help doctors detect autism earlier, "without requiring a thorough behavioral assessment that could take a year and a half to two years to get an appointment to perform," said Dr. Frank Middleton of SUNY Upstate Medical University. Middleton has been behind the research since it started six years ago. It's still ongoing, but the need was so high, the company Quadrant Bio-Sciences released the test last month, giving more children access to it now. "Our whole goal with Clarify SD is to change the average age of diagnosis for autism spectrum disorder from the fifth year of life to hopefully the second or third year of life," said Richard Uhling, CEO of Quadrant Biosciences Inc. "Early detection and early intervention is the deciding factor." Middleton said. Read More



Nonprofit Helps Those with Disabilities Become Self-Reliant

Less than a year ago, Barjona Barnes could hardly hold a conversation, let alone a job. The 20-year-old with autism now works part time sweeping floors, busing tables and doing dishes at Big Mama's Soul Food in the Daniel Village shopping center. Meagan Cooper cried for hours when her mother dropped her off for her first day as a temp at Burkes Outlet in North Augusta. Now the 19-year-old is a full-fledged employee at the discount department store. Both would likely be unemployed if not for Easterseals East Georgia's workforce development programs, which help people with mental and physical disabilities find jobs and work toward independence. The nonprofit places anywhere from 80 to 110 area residents - from teenagers to senior citizens - into the labor force each year. 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

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 



TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to: Sheri Yonenaka, Katherine L. Horn, Patsy Ray, Olivia Strozier, Jenifer Womble-Ericson, Stephenie Blakemore, Katie Venable, Al Slater, Julee Abrahamson, Karen Frantz-Fry, Charlette Pettis, Nicole Scariano, and Cindi Maurice who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question:

Ever since humans domesticated the dog, the faithful, obedient and protective animal has provided its owner with companionship and emotional well-being. Now, a study from Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests that being around "man's best friend" from an early age may have a health benefit as well -- lessening the chance of developing a specific psychiatric disorder as an adult. What is the disorder?

Answer: SCHIZOPHRENIA 

This Week's Trivia Question:

Joss Kendrick debuted on Good Morning America and is the first doll ever created with a hearing loss. According to the company, Kendrick is a competitive cheerleader and surfer from Southern California who was born deaf in her left ear, but still retains some hearing ability in her right ear with the help of a hearing aid - which comes as an accessory with the doll. "Whether she's on her surfboard or in the gym, Joss shows girls the importance of trying new things, pushing past stereotypes, and being a good team player," the company said in a statement to GMA. What is the name of the company? 

If you know the answer to this week's trivia questions, email it to us at contactus@naset.org by January 13, 2020. If you are correct, you will be acknowledged in next week's NASET's Week in Review 



Vegas Streamer Ready to Be a Voice for Gamers with Disabilities

When chasing your dreams, sometimes the biggest hurdle is getting started. The 1,000 Dreams Fund is out to help young women find the resources they need to chase their dreams. "We want to find those talented young women who have big dreams and goals for themselves but lack the critical resources needed to succeed," founder and CEO Christie Garton said. The national nonprofit stopped in Las Vegas earlier this month to announce its fall 2019 Twitch Broadcaster Grant recipients and revealed information about its BroacastHER Academy program. Read More


Practical Strategies to Help Make Transitions Easier for All

We all make transitions many times a day. Transitions are when you must change from one activity or setting to another. They require a certain level of understanding of expectations, along with the ability to shift attention from one task or routine to another. These are skills that many individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) find exceptionally difficult. Transitions can be increasingly challenging when your child has to stop doing something or leave somewhere that they are enjoying, to do something they enjoy less. The child may not want to stop playing in the living room to start his/her bedtime routine in their room, for example. Here are some practical strategies to help make transitions easier. Read More



Missouri Launches Apprenticeship Program for People with Disabilities

A new Registered Apprenticeship pilot program in for hospitality has launched for individuals with disabilities. The program is put on by the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development's Office of Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning. Work Able Missouri is a collaboration with Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It will help a unique population of Missourians that are not typically associated with Registered Apprenticeships enter a career path. "We are working to remove barriers and help more people enter the workforce," said Director of Workforce Development, Mardy Leathers. "This pilot program is another opportunity to be inclusive in how we modernize and expand apprenticeships in Missouri." Read More


MIGA Swimwear - Initially Exclusively Designed for Disfigurement - Expands to Include Designs for Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses

On a frigid December night in Manhattan's East Village, as you approached the entrance of Short Stories, one of the neighborhood's newest bar and restaurant, you noticed an unusual thing for this area- a wheelchair ramp. The East Village, along with other New York City's historic neighborhoods, is notoriously known for its wheelchair-inaccessible buildings and hard-to-navigate cobblestone streets. On this night, in particular, MIGA Swimwear,  a swimsuit line specifically for people with disfigurements, chronic illnesses and disabilities, was having a launch party for its second line. In order to be inclusive of guests, MIGA's CEO and founder, María Luisa Mendiola, made sure the venue was wheelchair accessible, prompting the owner to place a ramp in the entrance. Read More


Severity of Autism Symptoms May Vary in Monozygotic Twins

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is markedly heritable, with probandwise concordance of 96 percent, but there is variation in the severity of symptomatology above the diagnostic threshold, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in Behavior Genetics. Lauren Castelbaum, from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and colleagues used three existing data sets involving 366 pairs of uniformly-phenotyped monozygotic (MZ) twins with and without ASD to examine twin-twin similarity for autistic trait severity. The researchers found that probandwise concordance was 96 percent for ASD. For pairs with ASD trait burden below versus above the threshold for clinical diagnosis, MZ trait correlations differed markedly, with R²s on the order of 0.6 and 0.1, respectively. For ASD diagnosis, categorical MZ twin discordance was rare, and more appropriately operationalized by standardized quantification of twin-twin differences. Read More


Disability Life in Ten Years: Fears and Hopes For 2030 

As we start a new decade, we can see hopeful signs of improvement for people with disabilities. At the same time, it's hard not to notice more negative trends - evidence that in some ways we may be heading in the wrong direction on disability issues and culture. What will life be like for disabled people ten years from now? Will today's worrying trends turn into frightening realities? Or will we finally achieve some of the access, equality, and opportunity breakthroughs we have been working on for decades? Let's first look at three ways things could end up much worse for disabled people in 2030, given current trend. Read More


Employer Guide to Workers with Disabilities

Diego Demaya spends most of his day answering questions about the federal Americans with Disabilities Act from the other side of a toll-free information and technical assistance telephone line. Many of his calls are from employers hoping to learn more about how to comply with the law during the hiring process. As a non-practicing attorney, Demaya serves as the Southwest ADA Center's human resources adviser, specializing in labor, education and health care issues for a five-state region that includes New Mexico. "The world is ripe with inappropriate inquiries," and especially in employment, Demaya said in a recent webinar on the disability law. If you are interviewing a job applicant, he advised, don't ask questions that have nothing to do with the job. For instance, if the job doesn't involve driving, don't ask or require job applicants to have a valid driver's license. Read More



5 Tips for Designing a Home for Persons with Disabilities

Designing a home takes on a new meaning when someone in the family has special needs. Function has to be an important consideration to make it easy for every family member. So, we must ensure that the house provides the support they need to lead a safe, fuss-free and happy life.Here are things to keep in mind when designing a home for our loved ones with physical disabilities. One should easily enter, exit, and move around rooms in the house especially for those with wheelchairs and walkers. A 36"-42" door frame should do the trick. That's why French doors are a popular option. Depending on the home, widening doors may require extensive remodeling. Before removing any door frame completely, consider installing either wide throw hinges or swing clear hinges, both of which can help add space to the doorway. Read More


Proposed South Carolina Bill Seeks to Give More Employment Opportunities to those with Disabilities

Thousands of people in Horry County have been diagnosed with some form of autism or other disability, and it's not always easy for them to find a job. A proposed bill that was recently filed, however, aims to give them more job opportunities. The bill, which was filed this month by two South Carolina state representatives, aims to create more employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Across the state, there are more than 720,000 people with disabilities. The employment rate for this part of the population is the sixth worst in the nation, with 67 percent of people with a disability being unemployed. The proposed bill would give tax incentives to businesses across the state and a commission would be formed to help guide businesses, along with the government, on how to support people working with disabilities. Read More


Striving for 'the Truth': Students, Teachers Work to Create More Inclusive Curricula

In the middle of a bulletin board in Tony Jennaro's La Follette High School classroom is a question: "How do we tell the full history of all Americans?" It's a question for his students, but it's one he and other teachers and administrators around the Madison Metropolitan School District are trying to answer, too, as they work to create more inclusive curricula. "If social studies is about creating citizens, it's imperative to show all of our students the ways that they and (people of different backgrounds) have contributed and continue to contribute to our society," said Jennaro, in his fourth year at LHS. Read More


Honor Society for Special Education Teachers

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Researchers Report Association between Nature-Based Greenness at Schools and ADHD

Natural green environments surrounding schools may reduce ADHD symptoms in young children, according to study results published in JAMA Network Open. "Given that attention is a critical prerequisite for learning, greenness in school settings may be of great public health significance," Bo-Yi Yang, PhD,of Sun Tat-sen University School of Public Health in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues wrote. "Our findings, therefore, are relevant to policy makers and health care authorities for translating evidence into feasible and achievable target interventions (eg, planning for green spaces around schools and kindergartens) to mitigate the burden of ADHD in children." The population-based cross-sectional study included 59,754 children and adolescents across 94 randomized schools and kindergartens, with the data evaluated from April 2012 to January 2013. Researchers used DSM-IV ADHD scales to evaluate ADHD symptoms in the students. Parents completed the ADHD DSM-IV survey of nine inattention symptoms and nine hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms. Read More


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People with Disabilities: An Untapped and Diverse Labor Pool 

With nationwide unemployment at a 50-year low, some employers are struggling to fill jobs. Businesses recruit workers from a variety of sources, including online job postings, other companies, job fairs, universities, technical schools and networking events. But with the nation at full employment, finding applicants with the right skill sets isn't always easy. There's one pool of qualified professionals that remains largely untapped - people with disabilities. Mari-Anne Kehler, chief marketing and strategy officer with Green Hasson Janks, a Los Angeles-based accounting, tax and consulting firm, believes businesses are overlooking a hidden workforce. "People with disabilities are truly an untapped market and this hiring could address the ever-painful need to find great talent while filling much-needed gaps in a company," Kehler said. "Unfortunately, many of today's leaders are not familiar with incorporating this kind of diversity in the workplace." Read More


People with Disabilities: An Untapped and Diverse Labor Pool 

With nationwide unemployment at a 50-year low, some employers are struggling to fill jobs. Businesses recruit workers from a variety of sources, including online job postings, other companies, job fairs, universities, technical schools and networking events. But with the nation at full employment, finding applicants with the right skill sets isn't always easy. There's one pool of qualified professionals that remains largely untapped - people with disabilities. Mari-Anne Kehler, chief marketing and strategy officer with Green Hasson Janks, a Los Angeles-based accounting, tax and consulting firm, believes businesses are overlooking a hidden workforce. "People with disabilities are truly an untapped market and this hiring could address the ever-painful need to find great talent while filling much-needed gaps in a company," Kehler said. "Unfortunately, many of today's leaders are not familiar with incorporating this kind of diversity in the workplace." Read More



LATEST JOB LISTINGS POSTED ON NASET

* Teacher - Special Education Coordinator - Maintains a safe and healthy learning environment. Provides developmentally appropriate curriculum to promote the physical and intellectual growth of the student's/patient's. Provides positive guidance to support the social and emotional development of the student/patient. To learn more - Click here

* 2020 Arizona Education Job Fairs -  The Arizona Department of Education will be hosting the 2020 Arizona Education Job Fairs. Arizona public schools will be looking for administrators, teachers, related service providers, and support staff. To learn more - Click here

* The Newark Board of Education is Hiring Now! - Newark Board of Education (NBOE) is now accepting applications for Special Education Teachers for the 2020-21 school year and still has openings for the 2019-20 school year. Certified teachers, career changers, and recent graduates should apply by January 31 for early priority for the 2020-21 school year, and as soon as possible for consideration for the 2019-20 school year. To learn more - Click here

* Head of School - The Westview School seeks a dynamic, enthusiastic and engaging leader who is excited by the school's distinctive mission, history, culture, and values. The appointee will have strong leadership skills and a genuine knowledge and love for children on the autistic spectrum. To learn more - Click here

* Long Term Sub Special Education 4th Grade STEM Teacher - The Quad Preparatory School is an alternative, non-profit, K-12 college preparatory school dedicated to the education of Twice Exceptional Students -- bright, neurodiverse, and creative children who learn differently. The Quad Preparatory School is a young, fast-growing school founded five years ago, and also a vibrant professional learning community for employees. To learn more - Click here

* Principal - Julie Billiart Schools - ("JB Schools") is a network of Catholic, non-public schools serving children in grades K-8 with special learning challenges. Currently operating on two campuses in Lyndhurst and Akron with plans to expand to a third campus in Greater Cleveland in August 2021, JB Schools creates unique learning environments for students with autism, ADD/ADHD, dyslexia and social learning challenges. To learn more - Click here

* Classroom Special Educators Needed - Fulltime NYS Certified Special Education Teacher needed in Manhattan, Brooklyn or Bronx private schools for children with developmental and behavioral delays. The position offers a competitive salary and benefits. The ideal candidate is a school-based professional with a friendly and team player demeanor. 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

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

 


 

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

Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.

                                                              Zig Ziglar


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