Week in Review - July 17, 2020

<

Continuing_Ed

 


NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

July 17, 2020                    Vol 16 Issue #29



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,


WHATS NEW AT NASET

NASET’s Early Intervention Series

Part C Dispute Resolution Procedures in the Current COVID-19 Environment

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), within the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, has created a Question and Answer (Q & A) document in response to inquiries concerning implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C dispute resolution procedures in the current COVID-19 environment. This issue of NASET’s Early Intervention series will presents these questions and answers from OSEP. Read More


Univ-Cinn

 

'Chaos' in the Home Linked to Poor Asthma Control in Children

A chaotic household -- one where things just don't seem to run smoothly, there's lots of noise, little gets taken care of in a timely manner, and where relaxation is difficult -- as well as child and parent depression, are risk factors for worse asthma outcomes in urban minority children, according to a new paper published in the journal Pediatrics. "Higher levels of chaos -- lack of organization or set routines, among other things -- seems to be a pathway linking parental depression and worse child asthma control," said Sally Weinstein, associate professor of clinical psychiatry in the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and first author on the paper. Minority urban youth have higher rates of asthma and are more likely to have poor outcomes or even die of asthma compared to the general population. While much research exists on medications and prevention, researchers are just starting to understand how psychosocial factors affect asthma and how they might contribute to disparities. Read More

 

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: New Analysis Shows Drug Slows Down Respiratory Decline

Duchenne muscular dystrophy occurs in boys and is characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness leading to a decline in respiratory function. Strategies to arrest this severe progressive deterioration are needed to extend lives and improve quality of life. Results of three clinical trials using eteplirsen, an exon-skipping antisense oligonucleotide, show promising results, according to a study published in the Journal of Neuromuscular Diseases. Muscular dystrophy is a group of genetic disorders that results in increasing weakening and breakdown of skeletal muscles. Near absence of dystrophin, a critical protein, results in inflammation, necrosis, and eventual replacement of functional muscle tissue with fibrosis and fat. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe type of muscular dystrophy in boys that has a predictable disease course. Read More

 

Medical Conditions May Mark Distinct Autism Subtypes

Young children with autism fall into three groups based on the number and type of co-occurring conditions they have, according to a study of more than 3,000 autistic children. Some of these conditions, such as seizure disorders and developmental delays, may serve as early red flags for autism. Autism is notoriously heterogeneous; some researchers believe it is not one condition but many. Scientists are using genetics to try to identify biological subtypes of autism. The new work suggests a different approach: classifying autistic children by the number and type of medical conditions they have. Read More

 

This Non-Traditional Program is Changing the Way children with Developmental Delays are Treated

After weeks of rehearsals, Tommy Abelson took to the stage for his big night, something no one ever thought would be possible because of his disabilities. Tommy was born developmentally delayed. Despite the struggles that can come with the condition, being on stage is where he feels most comfortable. He and many residents and patients with autism make up the cast of a recent production of “Beauty and the Beast.” Tommy stars in a lead role as Maurice, Belle’s father.  “Oh I love acting. I love being theatrical,” Tommy, 36, said. Read More

 

Author Turns Children's Learning Disabilities into Superpowers

The saying "not all heroes wear capes" is that cliche we use when we've done the bare minimum but Dr. Tracy Alloway is turning that idea into a reality in her new children's books. Each of her four books highlights a child with a learning disability and how that disability has made them special -- super even. Dr. Alloway is a professor of psychology at the University of North Florida but her books will be touching the hearts and minds of children across the country (and Canada and the UK). “I’m really excited to be able to author this four-book series. It’s meant to kind of capture the superpower or the super memory power of kids with learning disabilities, specifically dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and anxiety," said Alloway. "Often times we focus on the difficulties but they have these incredible superpowers and I wanted to be able to bring that out to the front." The books, aimed at kindergarteners through second-graders, are learning tools in disguise. Read More

NASET ADVOCACY - Board Certification for Advocacy in Special Education (BCASE)

Hawaii Provided ‘Inaccurate’ Data on Student Restraint and Seclusion

The Hawaii Department of Education was among several large school districts cited in a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report pointing out discrepancies in the number of incidents of restraints and seclusions reported for the federal government’s civil rights data collection and the actual number of incidents that took place. By and large, school districts around the country erroneously reported “zero” instances of restraint or seclusion in the 2015-16 school year when in fact those districts had missing data or weren’t collecting such data at all. “However, only one of the 10 districts with more than 100,000 enrolled students that reported zero incidents, Hawaii Department of Education, reported to (the U.S. Education Department) that the zeros actually represented zero incidents,” the GAO report states. But the state now acknowledges that was “inaccurate.” Read More

 

As Thousands of Third-Graders Prep for Reading Retest, Districts and Literacy Coaches Work to Remove Barriers

Shameka Woods’ classroom was buzzing on a recent Monday morning, where eleven students sat at their desks and sounded out a reading passage about bees, ants and termites. The students were working through a handout to answer reading comprehension questions. When the students got tripped up over a question that required them to use the text to determine what makes the insects similar, Woods walked them through it. “OK, what did we say the word similar means?” she asked. A student raised his hand and offered a tentative answer. “Alike?” Read More

Unusual Eating Behaviors May Be a New Diagnostic Indicator for Autism

Atypical eating behaviors may be a sign a child should be screened for autism, according to a new study from Penn State College of Medicine.  Research by Susan Mayes, professor of psychiatry, found that atypical eating behaviors were present in 70% of children with autism, which is 15 times more common than in neurotypical children. Atypical eating behaviors may include severely limited food preferences, hypersensitivity to food textures or temperatures, and pocketing food without swallowing. According to Mayes, these behaviors are present in many 1-year-olds with autism and could signal to doctors and parents that a child may have autism. Read More

What to Know about Guanfacine for the Treatment of ADHD

Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that typically develops in children but can also occur in adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States, doctors had diagnosed about 6.1 million children with ADHD by 2016. The CDC also report that 62% of these children were taking medications to treat their symptoms that year. Doctors typically prescribe stimulant medications, such as methylphenidate (Ritalin), for people with ADHD. However, they may recommend trying a nonstimulant drug if other medications are unsuccessful or cause unwanted side effects. In this article, we discuss the use and effectiveness of guanfacine for the treatment of ADHD. We also cover dosage and side effects, as well as risks and considerations. Read More

Teens 'Mocked' by Their Parents are at Greater Risk for Bullying, Victimization

New evidence suggests that adolescent bullying and victimization may have origins in the home. Many bullies have parents who are hostile, punitive and rejecting. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, and Uppsala University in Sweden, have identified another type of parenting that contributes to peer difficulties: those who direct derision and contempt at their children. Derisive parents use demeaning or belittling expressions that humiliate and frustrate the child, without any obvious provocation from the child. These parents respond to child engagement with criticism, sarcasm, put-downs and hostility, and rely on emotional and physical coercion to obtain compliance. The study, published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, emphasizes the emotional underpinnings of peer difficulties. The researchers followed 1,409 children for three consecutive years from grades 7 to 9 (ages 13-15 years). Read More

NYC Vows to Address Special Education Failures Detailed in State Review

In the wake of a scathing state report that found failures at virtually every level of New York City’s special education system, city officials acknowledged some flaws and pledged to address them in a response released last Tuesday. The education department offered explanations for the systemic failures detailed in May’s state review, which found that initial evaluations for special education services are often delayed or don’t happen at all. Officials also promised a series of reforms to tackle other issues, including that mandated services go unmet and that the formal appeal process is overwhelmed with a surge in complaints, leaving students in limbo.  In the response — which didn’t impress some advocates — the city said hundreds of new staff, including additional psychologists and lawyers, would be hired to help conduct evaluations and to handle disputes about services. They also promised to beef up preschool special education programs. Read More

Teens Abusing Painkillers are More Likely to Later Use Heroin

It's an unforeseen side effect of the nation's opioid epidemic: Adolescent heroin users. A USC study in the July 8 issue of JAMA Pediatrics shows that teens who use prescription opioids to get high are more likely to start using heroin by high school graduation. "Prescription opioids and heroin activate the brain's pleasure circuit in similar ways," said senior author Adam Leventhal, a professor of preventive medicine and psychology and director of the USC Institute for Addiction Science at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. "Teens who enjoy the 'high' from prescription opioids could be more inclined to seek out other drugs that produce euphoria, including heroin." Leventhal said the study, conducted from 2013-2017, is the first to track prescription opioid and heroin use in a group of teens over time. Read More

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

 

This Week's Trivia Question: 

 

According to research done at The Ohio State University, children who do this from kindergarten to eighth grade may suffer unexpected costs as young adults. Researchers found that those who do this in the early years of school were less likely to vote, reported having greater economic difficulties and had poorer educational outcomes when they were 22 to 23 years old. There's a misconception, especially among parents, that it doesn't matter as much if kids do this early on -- that it only becomes important when they get to middle or high school. The results suggest this should be taken more seriously. What is it?

 

If you know the answer to this week's trivia questions, email it to us at contactus@naset.org by July 20, 2020. If you are correct, you will be acknowledged in next week's NASET's Week in Review

This Coffee Shop has Wheels — and an Inclusive Employment Roster

It's a unique cafe on wheels that provides a useful amenity for the community and also employs people with disabilities. Café Inclusio is a mobile coffee shop in Moncton created by three friends in order to provide employment for their sons. Suzanne Boudreau said her friend Nathalie Perron had always dreamed of owning a coffee shop. Then she heard about similar businesses operating in the United States. "She approached me and my husband and said, 'Why don't we try something like this and involve our sons?'" said Boudreau. "We both have sons with disabilities and we thought it was a great idea." Read More

Remote Lets People with Physical Disabilities Control the TV

Comcast has launched a new feature that allows customers with physical disabilities a way to control a TV using only their eyes. Xfinity X1 eye control is a free web-based remote for tablets and computers that pairs with existing eye gaze hardware and software, sip-and-puff switches and other assistive technologies. The customer can gaze at a button and the remote sends the corresponding command to the television. Customers can also “type out” voice commands with their eyes to request, for example, “action movies” or a specific TV channel. Read More

Achieving Great Success Beyond the Autism Diagnosis

Throughout most of his life, Gregory Chabolla had continuously proven that he could achieve far beyond the limits set by his diagnosis. It was back in 1998 when he was diagnosed with Pervasive Development Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Gregory was just three years old. And his mother, Michelle, was told her son would never be able even to speak, feed himself, and learn to read and write. Take him home and love him—these words summed up the recommendations of several “specialists” to Michelle after her son’s diagnosis. With the challenge of Gregory’s learning disability, plus the battle their family faced with schools, and within the society, Michelle can only describe the next 15 years after the diagnosis as pure survival.  However, any difficulty they faced was worth it, because in every challenge, they saw how amazing Gregory was. Soon enough, he was doing a lot more than what the specialists thought he could. He showed a great deal of attention to details as he was growing up. Eventually, he found an interest that turned into his career and business. Read More


JOB POSTINGS

* Special Education Teacher - Teacher needed for students ages 7-23 with intellectual disabilities. Students are in non-graded classes but do have goal work. Located in Columbia, TN (45 minutes south of Nashville), the school boasts small (4-to-1) student-to-teacher ratio class settings. Teachers enjoy extensive training opportunities, generous classroom supply budgets, benefits, and competitive non-public-school salaries. To Learn more - Click here

* Learning Specialist Teacher - The primary responsibility of the Bennett Day School Learning Specialist is to support the academic and developmental needs of the Bennett Day School community. We seek a Learning Specialist Teacher who will work in close partnership with students, faculty, and families to provide support and direction connected to academic and developmental growth of students in grades Senior Kindergarten through Seventh Grade. To learn more - Click here

* Chief Executive Officer - St. Coletta of Greater Washington is seeking an experienced Chief Executive Officer to lead and manage the organization while achieving educational and operational goals. This person will be responsible for strategically growing St. Coletta with an eye toward achieving success not only for the school, but for the children and adults that benefit from their services.To Learn more - Click here

* Asst Supt - Exceptional Children - The Assistant Superintendent for Special Education Services is a critical leadership role that directly affects the acceleration of improved student outcomes for GCS’s 10,534 students with special needs. This role directs, monitors and strengthens programs and ensures all services are implemented within federal, state, and local regulations. To learn more - Click here

* Education Specialist - We are always looking for compassionate, exceptional educators to join our SPED Team (grades K-5 or 6-8) ! You’ll work collaboratively with your colleagues to drive the achievement of all students in your grade level. You will be encouraged and supported to lead engaging, personalized, and rigorous lessons that integrate our four pillars: Heart, Smart, Think, and Act. To learn more - Click here

* High School Special Education Teacher - New Trier High School is a large, high-achieving school in the northern suburbs of Chicago with two campuses in Northfield and Winnetka, Illinois. The outstanding Special Education department is large and comprehensive. To learn more - Click here

* Diverse Learner Teacher - We are seeking experienced full-time Diverse Learner Teachers (K-8 Grades) to join CICS Avalon, CICS Basil, and CICS Washington Park Campuses for the 2020-2021 school year. A Diverse Learner Teacher holds primary responsibility for providing academic, emotional, and physical services for students who require additional support to thrive within the school’s core academic program. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher - We are looking for highly motivated and skilled Special Education teachers to join our team at District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). DCPS serves more than 51,000 students through the e?orts of approximately 4,000 educators in 117 schools. DCPS intends to have the highest-performing, best paid, most satis?ed, and most honored educator force in the nation and a distinctive central o?ce sta? whose work supports and drives instructional excellence and signi?cant achievement gains for DCPS students. To learn more- Click here

* Special Education Teacher - Environmental Charter Schools is seeking a talented and dynamic Special Education Teacher who is passionate about preparing low-income students of color for college success. The mission of the Environmental Charter Schools (ECS) is to reimagine public education in low-income communities of color to prepare conscious, critical thinkers who are equipped to graduate from college and create a more equitable and sustainable world. To learn more - Click here

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


FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.

Pablo Picasso

Return to Week in Review Main Page - Click here

forgot username or password?