WEEK IN REVIEW

NewNASETPublications and Articles of Interest in Special Education and Disabilities That Were Reported This Week

November 29, 2013 - Vol 9, Issue 47

New This Week on NASET

Teens' Mental Disorders Often Untreated in U.S., Study Finds

Less than half of American teens with mental health disorders receive treatment, and those who do get help rarely see a mental health specialist, a new study indicates. The findings underscore the need for better mental health services for teens, said study author E. Jane Costello, associate director of the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy in Durham, N.C. "It's still the case in this country that people don't take psychiatric conditions as seriously as they should," Costello said in a Duke news release. This remains so, despite a wave of mass shootings in which mental illness may have played a role, she and her colleagues noted. To read more,click here

Concerns Raised About Overlapping Autism Research

Most federally-funded autism research is "potentially duplicative," according to a new government report that finds coordination and oversight lacking. No less than 12 federal agencies allocated $1.4 billion for autism research, awareness projects, trainings and other related activities between 2008 and 2012. In many cases, however, the efforts of these agencies may have overlapped. In a report released this week, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that 84 percent of autism research projects during the four-year period had the potential to be redundant. To read more,click here

Mother's Exercise May Boost Baby's Brain

If a woman is physically active during pregnancy, she may boost the development of her unborn child's brain, according to a heart-tugging new study of expectant mothers and their newborns. The findings bolster a growing scientific consensus that the benefits of exercise can begin to accumulate even before someone is born. It has long been suspected that a mother-to-be's activity - or lack of it - affects her unborn offspring, which is not surprising, given how their physiologies intertwine. Past studies have shown, for example, that a baby's heart rate typically rises in unison with his or her exercising mother's, as if the child were also working out. As a result, scientists believe, babies born to active mothers tend to have more robust cardiovascular systems from an early age than babies born to mothers who are more sedentary. To read more,click here

Research Probes Autism's Origins in the Brain

Two research teams say they have pinpointed how changes in genes linked to autism act together to disrupt normal brain development. Their studies, published Nov. 21 in the journal Cell, represent a leap forward in understanding the complex condition, said an expert who was not involved with the research. "This gives us a moment in time when genetic risk for autism actually gets put into motion," said Robert Ring, a neuroscientist and chief science officer for the nonprofit advocacy group Autism Speaks. "This is very important." To read more,click here

Laser Toys Can Damage Eyes: Report

Popular laser toys can cause serious and potentially permanent eye damage, a new report warns. The high-powered blue laser gadgets, sold over the Internet, are increasingly sought after by male teens and young adults, according to the researchers. The study authors report on 14 cases of laser-caused eye damage treated at Saudi Arabia's King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital between 2012 and 2013. The injuries were caused by high-power blue laser gadgets and included four cases of perforations of the retina, the part of the eye responsible for detailed central vision. "We fear our experience may mark the beginning of an alarming trend and may portend a growing number of young people suffering serious eye damage as these high-power lasers become more ubiquitous," Dr. J. Fernando Arevalo, chief of the hospital's retina division and professor of ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, said in a Hopkins news release. To read more,click here

Parents Clueless About Dangers of iPods, Other Noise Hazards: Study

One in six teens has some degree of preventable hearing loss, but few parents warn their kids to turn down their iPods or avoid other sources of excessive noise, new research finds. "High-frequency hearing loss, which is typically noise related, has increased among U.S. adolescents," said study researcher Dr. Deepa Sekhar, assistant professor of pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine. Yet Sekhar's poll of about 700 parents found that the overwhelming majority -- more than 96 percent -- believed their teen was not at risk or only slightly at risk of developing hearing problems from too much noise. More than two-thirds said they hadn't talked to their teen about noise hazards because of that perceived low threat. To read more,click here

People With Autism May Recognize Faces in Different Way: Study

Neurons in the area of the brain responsible for face recognition respond differently in people with autism than in those without the disorder, a new, small study finds. Autism is a complex disorder of brain development that affects social interactions, communication skills and behaviors. For this study, published in the Nov. 20 issue of the journal Neuron, brain scientists collaborated to decipher why people with autism focus more on someone's mouth and less on the eyes to collect and process information. The researchers examined the firing of individual nerve cells in the brains of two patients with a high-functioning form of autism and in people without autism as they looked at pictures of entire faces or parts of faces. Each face showed either fear or happiness, and the participants were asked to decide which emotion was being expressed. To read more,click here

To Erase Stigma, Advocates 'Undressing Disability'

A new calendar featuring scantily-clad models with disabilities is designed to squash preconceived notions about sexuality among those with special needs.Dubbed "Undressing Disability," the calendar produced by the British disability advocacy group Enhance the UK includes images of people who are deaf, blind and those with cerebral palsy, among other conditions, showing off their physiques. Sporting little more than lingerie or swimsuits, the models are featured in studio portraits and on location, posing in an iconic London taxi and in front of British landmarks like Big Ben and the Tower Bridge. To read more,click here

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Concussion's Damage to Brain Lingers After Symptoms Fade: Study

Months after concussion symptoms such as dizziness, headaches and memory loss fade, the brain continues to show signs of injury, a new study suggests. Comparing 50 concussion patients with the same number of healthy people, researchers found that the brains of those suffering concussions showed abnormalities four months later. This happened despite the fact that their symptoms had already eased to some degree. The findings may sway conventional thinking about when it's safe to resume physical activities that could produce another concussion, the study authors said. To read more,click here

Scans Show Brain-Connection Differences in Those With Epilepsy

People with a certain type of epilepsy have widespread, abnormal brain connections that could provide clues for diagnosis and treatment, new research suggests. The study included 24 people with left temporal lobe epilepsy, the most common form of focal (partial) epilepsy. Partial seizures do not involve the entire brain. People with temporal lobe epilepsy experience seizures that start in the temporal lobe. These are located on each side of the brain, just above the ears. Researchers used MRI to compare the brains of the epilepsy patients and a group of 24 people without epilepsy. Epilepsy patients had 22 percent to 45 percent fewer long-range connections in the brain's "default-mode network" compared to people without the condition. To read more,click here

Human Error Usually the Cause of Lack of Oxygen During Childbirth

Human error is the most common cause of infant asphyxiation at birth, according to a new Norwegian study. Birth asphyxia occurs when a baby doesn't receive enough oxygen before, during or immediately after birth. It can lead to brain damage and death. In this study, researchers looked at 161 compensation claims for birth asphyxia made in Norway between 1994 and 2008. In those cases, 54 infants died and 107 survived, including 96 who suffered brain damage. Human error was the most common cause of birth asphyxia. Half of the cases were due to inadequate fetal monitoring, 14 percent were due to lack of clinical knowledge, 11 percent were due to failure to follow clinical guidelines, 10 percent were due to failure to ask for senior medical staff assistance and 4 percent were due to errors in drug administration. To read more,click here

Autism Often Accompanied By 'Mixing Of The Senses'

Many with autism also experience a condition that causes unusual sensory triggers, a new study indicates, such that hearing music or seeing a color may conjure a taste or a smell. The condition known as synaesthesia involves people experiencing a "mixing of the senses." Researchers report that it's nearly three times as common in people with autism compared to those without. The finding - which the study authors said came as a surprise - offers new clues to understanding the biology of autism and the experiences of many with the developmental disorder. To read more,click here

New Push by Doctors to Limit Antibiotic Use in Kids

American children get too many unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for upper respiratory infections, a medical group says. Now the organization is urging both providers and parents to take steps to ensure that antibiotics are used only when truly needed. More than one in five pediatric office visits results in an antibiotic prescription, according to the authors of a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). And about 10 million antibiotic prescriptions are written every year for upper respiratory infections that likely won't improve from antibiotic use. In addition, physicians often prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics. These are medications that can kill a wide variety of bacteria, rather than narrow-spectrum drugs that target certain types of bacteria. Narrow-spectrum drugs generally are preferred so bacteria don't become resistant to broad-spectrum drugs that may be needed to battle more serious infections. To read more,click here

Bedroom TV, Video Games Linked to Less Sleep in Boys With Autism

Exposure to television and video games could play a role in the sleep problems of children with autism, new research suggests. Boys with the neurodevelopmental disorder who have TVs and game consoles in their bedrooms get less sleep than other boys with equal screen access, the study authors found. "If parents of children with autism are noticing that their child struggles with sleep, they might consider monitoring -- and perhaps limiting -- pre-bedtime exposure" to video games and TV, said study lead author Christopher Engelhardt, a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Missouri Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Columbia, Mo. To read more,click here

Exposure To Common Chemical May Raise Risk of Preemie Delivery: Study

Pregnant women who are exposed to common chemicals known as phthalates may be at greater risk for delivering prematurely, a new study suggests. Phthalates can be found in a variety of common products such as lotions, perfumes and deodorants, the researchers said. People can also be exposed to the chemicals through tainted food and water. The research team believes steps should be taken to reduce pregnant women's exposure to phthalates, which have been tied to disrupted thyroid hormone levels, breast cancer and the uterine disorder known as endometriosis. To read more,click here

Kids' Cancer Treatments May Cause Heart Trouble, Study Says

Children who survive cancer often have treatment-related changes to their arteries that may put them at risk for heart disease while still in childhood, a new study says. The finding suggests doctors need to monitor these patients earlier, and manage their risk factors for heart diseases while they are still young. "Research has shown childhood cancer survivors face heart and other health problems decades after treatment," study author Donald Dengel, a kinesiology professor at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, said in an American Heart Association news release. "But researchers had not, until now, looked at the heart health effects of childhood cancer treatment while survivors are still children." To read more,click here

New York Times Columnist Sorry For 'R-Word,' Pledges $25K

When a mother of a boy with Down syndrome noticed that The New York Times' "Ethicist" had a history of using the word "retard," she took him to task. And boy did he respond. Kari Wagner-Peck sent an email to "Ethicist" Chuck Klosterman asking "what are the ethics of using the r-word?" The Portland, Maine mom says she was compelled to contact Klosterman after finding multiple examples of him using variations of the word "retard" over the years. "Today people with cognitive disabilities and their allies are asking members of society to refrain from using the word 'retarded,'" Wagner-Peck wrote to the columnist and author in a letter that she posted on her blog. To read more,click here

Children Born Prematurely Face Up to 19 Times Greater Risk of Retinal Detachment

Children born extremely prematurely have up to a 19 times greater risk of retinal detachment later in life than peers born at term, according to a Swedish study published this month in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. In the first large population-based, long-term investigation of the association between preterm birth and later retinal detachment, the research determined that birth before 32 weeks is associated with increased risks of retinal detachment in childhood, adolescence and young adult life. The study's findings indicate the need for ophthalmologic follow-up in children and adults born extremely and very prematurely. The United States has the sixth largest number of premature births, with more than 500,000 premature babies born each year.To read more,click here

Honor Society for Special Education Teachers

Impulsivity, Rewards and Ritalin: Monkey Study Shows Tighter Link

Even as the rate of diagnosis has reached 11 percent among American children aged 4 to 17, neuroscientists are still trying to understand attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One classic symptom is impulsivity -- the tendency to act before thinking.Scientifically, impulsivity can appear as a choice for a small but immediate reward over a larger one that requires some delay. Choosing between present and future rewards is a fundamental need in schooling, says Luis Populin, associate professor of neuroscience at University of Wisconsin-Madison. "If you say to an impulsive child, 'Do your homework so you will get a good grade at the end of the quarter,' that has less appeal than 'Let's play baseball this afternoon instead of studying chemistry.'" To read more,click here

iPads Help Children With Autism Develop Language

New research indicates that children with autism who are minimally verbal can learn to speak later than previously thought, and iPads are playing an increasing role in making that happen, according to Ann Kaiser, a researcher at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development.In a study funded by Autism Speaks, Kaiser found that using speech-generating devices to encourage children ages 5 to 8 to develop speaking skills resulted in the subjects developing considerably more spoken words compared to other interventions. All of the children in the study learned new spoken words and several learned to produce short sentences as they moved through the training. To read more,click here

AIDS Guidelines for Children May Not Improve Death Rates but May Improve Treatment Access

Recent changes to World Health Organization guidelines for starting anti-AIDS drugs (antiretroviral therapy -- ART) in young children are unlikely to improve death rates but may increase the numbers of children receiving ART by simplifying access to treatment, according to a study by international researchers published in this week'sPLOS Medicine. The findings from a study, led by Michael Schomaker from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, suggest that, among southern African children aged 2-5 years at HIV diagnosis, there was no difference in three year death rates between children in whom ART was started immediately and those in whom starting ART was deferred until their CD4 count and percentage (markers of progression of HIV infection) fell below 750 cells/mm3 and 25% respectively. To read more,click here