Week in Review - September 4, 2020

 

 


NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

September 4, 2020                    Vol 16 Issue #35


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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 Special Educator E-Journal September 2020

Table of Contents

  • Special Education Legal Alert. By Perry A. Zirkel
  • Buzz from the Hub
  • Use of Visual Performance Feedback to Increase Teacher Use of Behavior-Specific Praise among High School Students with Severe Disabilities. By Michelle L. Simmons, Ed.D., Robin H. Lock, Ph.D., Janna Brendle, Ph.D., and Laurie A. Sharp, Ed.D.
  • The Changing Role of the Itinerant Teacher of the Deaf: A Snapshot of Current Teacher Perceptions. By Holly F. Pedersen, Ed.D., Minot State University and Karen L. Anderson, Supporting Success for Children with Hearing Loss
  • Book Reviews
    • Leading With Intention: 8 Areas for Reflection and Planning in Your PLC at Work. By Dawn M. Denton
    • If You Don’t Feed the Teachers, They Eat the Students!. By Jovana Maximilien Berrouet
    • Smart Leaders Smarter Teams: How You and Your Team Get Unstuck to Get Results. By Sarojanie Samlal
  • Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET 
  • Acknowledgements

Read More

 


 

Study: Black Children’s Autism Diagnosis Typically Delayed 3 Years

Black children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were diagnosed an average of more than three years after their parents expressed concerns about their development, a new study found. “These delays are believed to play a significant role in an even more serious health disparity which involves the proportion of children with autism who additionally are affected by intellectual disability (ID),” author John N. Constantino, M.D., director of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center at Washington University, said in a video abstract. The AAP recommends developmental screenings at 9, 18 and 30 months and screening for autism at ages 18 and 24 months. Researchers analyzed data on 584 Black children with autism enrolled in an autism research network at one of four sites and found that on average, children were diagnosed at 65 months, according to “Timing of the Diagnosis of Autism in African American Children”. Read More

 

Legal Aid Center Shares Education Rights While Students with Special Needs Face Challenges

Distance education remains a learning curve for many Clark County School District families. Those with special needs students, though, are seeming to find the situation especially challenging. “She is already struggling, and it’s already only the third day,” said Renee Parker, mother with a special needs daughter. Parker worries about her daughter Victoria, an eighth-grade student with an Individualized Education Program, or IEP.  “It was verified that she has to be able to see it, hear it, and then actually have somebody there to show her how to do it,” Parker explained. It’s an issue during full-time distance education at home. Read More

 

Parents’ Lawsuit Alleges CCSD Ignoring Students with Special Needs

Parents of students in special education are suing the Clark County School District in federal court over distance learning, charging that CCSD failed to provide their children with an adequate education during school closures. The class action lawsuit, filed on Aug. 21 in District Court, was brought by eight CCSD parents on behalf of their children, all of whom receive special education services defined by Individualized Education Plans. It also names Superintendent Jesus Jara, Region 1 Superintendent Dustin Mancl, the CCSD trustees and the district as defendants. It alleges that since schools closed, CCSD has failed to provide a free and appropriate public education as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and in conformity with students’ individual plans, which define such things as how many instructional minutes each student is supposed to receive, what kinds of supports they’re entitled to and any additional services or therapies deemed necessary. Read More

Special Times for Special Education

While students in the Santa Barbara Unified School District head back to school via distance learning, educators are overcoming new hurdles to ensure students in special education are not being left behind. Bradley Brock, principal of La Cumbre Junior High School in Santa Barbara, told the News-Press he and his staff have recognized how the rapid transition to online learning has disenfranchised marginalized groups such as students with disabilities as well as those learning English as a second language. Due to this, he said the staff has been working tirelessly over the summer to make sure the school is providing adequate support for students who may be having a harder time adjusting to distance learning. Read More

Families with Special Needs Students Share Challenges of Online Learning

Virtual learning at home is in full swing for students across the Central Coast, but for families who have students with special needs, the lack of hands-on help has hindered some learning practices. “Just him not getting the socialization that he’s used to and the interaction with his peers has been the hardest," said parent Brianna Beech. Her son, Hunter, has autism and started his first year at Atascadero Middle School this year. "He misses the team of people that help him. Now it’s kind of just me trying to do everything," Beech said. She says her son has been able to get virtual therapies, speech assistance, occupational therapy, and adaptive physical education -- but the lack of social interaction has been a battle. Read More

 

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

Parents Seek In-Person Special Education Services

Many parents of students with special needs are running out of patience with the Grosse Pointe Public School System administration. Noting regression among their children since the loss of in-person services last March, they are awaiting concrete plans from the school district on when face-to-face instruction will resume in the school buildings. For Julie Moe, Susan Sutorka and Jill Wurm, virtual services do not work for their elementary-age children. Moe’s son has Down syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and Sutorka’s and Wurm’s children each received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, combined with ADHD in Wurm’s case. Sutorka said she understands the district is working on a tiered approach (see sidebar), with students in categorical autism spectrum disorder and cognitive impairment programs brought in first to receive one-on-one and small group direct services one time a week for speech language pathology, occupational and physical therapies at all elementary schools. Read More

Social Media Linked to ADHD

Whether using social media platforms or other online programs, people who overdo their tech time may experience impaired attention span. Research indicates that adolescents who spend too much time on their smartphones are at greater risk for developing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported on approximately 2,600 high school students who did not have symptoms of ADHD at the study’s onset. The investigators recorded the frequency at which the students accessed a variety of online apps, including Facebook and Twitter. They also measured the volunteers’ texting habits, use of search engines, and streaming of videos. Read More

 

Study Evaluates Immersive Virtual Reality as a Sleep Aid for Teens

While teens are encouraged to turn off electronics before bedtime, a new study suggests that visiting a virtual environment may benefit their sleep health. Researchers evaluated the efficacy of a novel intervention based on virtual reality and slow breathing to promote bedtime relaxation and sleep in high school students. Preliminary results show that perceived sleepiness increased, alertness decreased, and heart rate dropped following the relaxation and virtual reality intervention. Teens also fell asleep an average of 6 minutes faster and experienced a 3% increase in sleep efficiency -- the percentage of time spent asleep while in bed -- compared with a baseline night of quiet activities before bedtime. Read More

Creative Teens with Disabilities are Finding Ways of Giving Back During the Pandemic

Sophie Stern, an Arizona teen with Down syndrome, is working toward a career as a dance teacher. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic—knowing she had to do 10 hours of community service to satisfy her high school's health class requirement—she put on her black t-shirt and leggings and began teaching a free Zoom class in ballet and contemporary dance at home three days a week. "My grandmother is a dance teacher, and she inspired me," Sophie explains. Across the country, young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been volunteering during the pandemic. With schools and Special Olympics practice cancelled and places of employment shuttered, they're working in community gardens and helping to care for elderly relatives. Read More

California OKs School Return for Kids with Disabilities

More California children with specialized needs, such as students with disabilities or those who are homeless, will be allowed back in classrooms even as most schools remain shut for in-person learning under new state guidance released Tuesday. Schools in most counties are closed for in-person learning because of the coronavirus. But the new guidance would allow the return to school for some children in grades K-12 in groups of up to 14 students. The limited return to school applies to students needing special care, such those with disabilities, English language learners, kids at risk of abuse or neglect or students who are homeless. It's aimed at ensuring the students can access services like occupational therapy, speech and language services and individualized education programs. Read More

Special Education in the Midst of a Pandemic

School starts for kids in the Eau Claire Area School District on September 1, and with that will come a new set of challenges amid the pandemic for the district's 1,800 special education students. “We’re trying to ensure kids are learning every day, that is kind of the main thing, every day we want kids to learn,” says Special Education Teacher at Putnam Heights Elementary School Lindsey Anderson. Teaching special education during the COVID-19 pandemic will be a challenge for teachers this year, especially having to teach some sessions virtually which they had not done before the pandemic. “One of the changes in special education is that we as a school district will be delivering our services within the blended learning model,” says ECASD Special Education Director Mandy Van Vleet. “Those are two days in person and three days of remote learning, or all virtual depending on what the families chose.” Read More

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

This Week's Trivia Question: The history of this form of communication goes all the way back to the early 1800s. A man named Charles Barbier, who served in Napoleon Bonaparte’s French army, developed a unique system known as “night writing” so soldiers could communicate safely during the night. As a military veteran, Barbier saw several soldiers killed because they used lamps after dark to read combat messages. As a result of the light shining from the lamps, enemy combatants knew where the French soldiers were and inevitably led to the loss of many men. Barbier based his “night writing” system on a raised 12-dot cell; two dots wide and six dots tall. Each dot or combination of dots within the cell represented a letter or a phonetic sound. The problem with the military code was that the human fingertip could not feel all the dots with one touch. Who took the work of Barbier to then form a new system of communication?

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

If you know the answer to this week's trivia questions, email it to us at contactus@naset.org by August 24, 2020. If you are correct, you will be acknowledged in next week's NASET's Week in Review



 

The K-12 Edtech Market Is at an Inflection. But Where Is It Going?

The K-12 education technology market is at an inflection point. State and local educational agencies are reinventing themselves around remote learning, and tightening school budgets are magnifying the importance of cost effectiveness in spending decisions. Among parents, there’s a growing appetite for tools that engage and educate their children. But where is the inflection going? The lessons from the spring chaos, along with recent edtech investment trends, suggest that there’s not only an opportunity to intertwine parent and institutional business strategies, but also to improve the health of the K-12 edtech market by making it more attractive to investors and transparent for school officials. Read More

Virtual Learning Resources for Parents of Special Needs Young Adults

Parents across the US are struggling with virtual learning for their children, but imagine how difficult it is for parents of young adults with disabilities who are no longer under the umbrella of Tulsa Public Schools special ed programs. NewsChannel 8's Sunny Leigh talked with a local mom, Debbie Delgadillo, and her son, Joey, who has Down's Syndrome. He previously attended Pathways Adult Learning Center, where he learned math, science, journaling, and language, in addition to life skills and religious education. Since many of Pathways young adults are immune-compromised, the program has had to switch to virtual instruction using Zoom. Joey prefers in-person learning, and at times, gets frustrated because he misses his friends and teachers. Read More

 

 

Parents Concerned about Impact of Virtual Learning on Students with Autism

Tom Rowse’s 19 year old son, Greg was very involved in school at Thomas S. Wootton High, activities and his jobs at CVS and Food Lion. However, Greg has autism and when the pandemic began he couldn’t understand why everything stopped. He came down with a few medical issues including an ear infection and his parents think it was all just too much. "He started to combat the stress and trauma with catatonic freezes," says Rowse. Greg was diagnosed with a condition called Autism Related Catatonia. There is little known about the condition but doctors say it is serious. Greg who had never in his life spent the night away from home has been in the hospital 46 days and counting. His parents are unable to visit due to the COVID outbreak. Read More

Remote Learning Presents Challenges for Northeast Ohio Families with Special Education Needs

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine--who won national praise for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic last spring--now faces a revolt from within his own party over his leadership decisions. Republican lawmakers drafted articles of impeachment against DeWine claiming his orders were unconstitutional and violated the civil rights of Ohioans. John Becker, an Ohio Representative from Clermont County in southwestern Ohio introduced a measure detailing 10 articles of impeachment against the governor.  Those articles include claims that DeWine violated the separation of powers by creating new laws by having the Ohio Department of Health enact sweeping orders.  The articles state DeWine: overstepped by ordering the closure of schools, unconstitutionally closed businesses leading to record unemployment and violated Ohioans' rights by issuing a stay at home order. Read More

 

Girls are Diagnosed with Autism Later than Boys, Study Says

About 1 in every 59 U.S. children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Now, a recent study shows, on average, girls are typically diagnosed with autism about a year and half later than boys. Dr. Veena Ahuja, of Cleveland Clinic Children’s, who did not take part in the study, said girls are likely diagnosed later because autism traits are often more subtle for them. “When boys come in, often times the complaint is that they’re not able to sit in their seat; they’re wandering away, they’re doing things that are, kind of, in people’s faces where you realize it more,” she said. “Girls are definitely more likely to be able to blend in a little bit more, until they get to an older age where you start to realize that they’re not interacting as much as their peers.” Read More


JOB POSTINGS

* (Remote) Special Education Teacher - Special Education Teacher provide instruction, support and guidance, manage the learning process, and focus on students’ individual needs as defined by each student’s IEP.  The special education teacher is also responsible for the compliance documents required in serving students with special needs. To learn more - Click here

* Early Childhood Specialist - Willamette Education Service District is accepting applications for multiple full-time (1.0 FTE) EI/ECSE Specialist positions with the Special Education Department’s Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) program. The positions are for the 2020-2021 school year and may be based in Marion, Polk and/or Yamhill County.  Successful candidates will will follow a 190-day calendar and will begin on August 21, 2020. To learn more - Click here

* Special Ed Teacher - The Home at Walpole seeks a Special Education Teacher for their Massachusetts Chapter 766 Special Education School, Clifford Academy. Clifford Academy provides a year-round engaging and comprehensive program focused on education, career development, recreation/fitness, and an individualized therapeutic approach.Under direction of a Principal, participate in the implementation of individualized educational programs for special needs children at varying academic levels. To learn more - Click here

* Executive Director of Special Education - Garland ISD seeks an Executive Director of Special Education with the following qualifications, Master’s Degree, Special Education Certification, Principal/Mid-Management Certification, three (3) years’ teaching experience; special education preferred, experience in successful leadership role at the District or State level, earned or in progress doctorate. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher - Is sought who demonstrates a commitment to the success of all SLA students and specifically to raising the academic achievement of children in high-poverty communities and/ or children with special needs. Has a desire to grow professionally and seek out new opportunities to learn; and integrity and clarity in all communications and interactions. 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 significant achievement gains for DCPS students. To learn more- Click here

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


FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.

William Morris

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