WEEK IN REVIEW

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

January 31, 2014 - Vol 10, Issue 5

New This Week on NASET

Testing for Smoke Exposure May Predict Rehospitalization for Asthma

Children exposed to secondhand smoke at home or in the car are more likely to return to the hospital within 12 months of hospitalization for asthma, a new study finds. The researchers said tests of tobacco exposure have the potential to help protect those kids by identifying caregivers who may need help to quit smoking. "The ability to measure serum and salivary cotinine levels [a marker for tobacco exposure] presents the possibility of an objective measure that can be obtained when a child is seen in the emergency department or in the hospital, and may be used to predict future hospitalizations," study senior author Dr. Robert Kahn, associate director of general and community pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, said in a hospital news release. To read more,click here

Autism Numbers May Decline Under New DSM

After years of escalating growth, a new study looking at data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that autism rates could drop off thanks to new diagnostic criteria for the developmental disorder. In a review of surveillance data on 8-year-olds with autism collected by the CDC in 2006 and 2008, researchers found that nearly 1 in 5 of the youngsters would not have qualified for a diagnosis on the autism spectrum under updated criteria in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. To read more,click here

First Trimester Appears Crucial for Baby's Heart Health

Children who were small during the early stages of fetal development may be at increased risk for heart problems, a new study indicates. The findings suggest that the first three months of pregnancy may be a crucial period for heart health later in life, the Dutch researchers said. They noted that the first trimester includes a period of rapid development when the heart and other major organs begin to form. The investigators assessed nearly 1,200 children at age 6 for cardiovascular risk factors such as amount and distribution of body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol and insulin levels. To read more,click here

Children Who Lose Close Relative at Risk of Mental Problems: Study

Children who experience the death of a family member are at slightly increased risk for psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia later in life, a large new study reveals. The risk is highest among children who had a sibling or parent commit suicide, according to the findings published Jan. 21 in the online edition of the BMJ. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 947,000 children born in Sweden between 1973 and 1985. Of those children, 33 percent experienced the death of a family member before they reached age 13. More than 11,000 children were exposed to death from suicide, more than 15,000 to death from accidents and more than 280,000 to death from natural causes. To read more,click here

No Rise of PTSD Seen in Children With Cancer

Children with cancer are no more likely than other children to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, new research finds. And the children may even benefit in terms of developing empathy and emotional closeness, the researchers said. "These results should be very reassuring to childhood cancer patients and their families," said study first author Sean Phipps, chair of the department of psychology at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. "A cancer diagnosis is a highly significant and challenging event, but this study highlights the impressive capacity of children to adjust to changes in their lives and in most cases do just fine or even thrive emotionally as a result," Phipps said in a hospital news release. To read more,click here

Presidential Panel Calls For Improved Voting Accessibility

Significantly enhanced efforts to accommodate people with disabilities are among several recommendations from a presidential panel tasked with improving the nation's voting procedures. In a report this week, a bipartisan commission tapped by President Barack Obama outlined a series of recommendations to streamline the voter experience after the 2012 election was plagued by long lines and other difficulties. The panel is urging an expansion of online voter registration and greater availability of early voting in addition to addressing what they dubbed an "impending crisis in voting technology" and other issues. To read more,click here

NASET Sponsor - University of Cincinnati

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Genes May Be to Blame for Hard-to-Handle Toddlers

DNA might be a key factor in excessive physical aggression in toddlers, a new Canadian study suggests. Even if a child's genes do foster such behaviors, however, all is not lost because parents can still work to curb aggression in kids, the researchers said. "It should be emphasized that these genetic associations do not imply that the early trajectories of physical aggression are set and unchangeable," study author Eric Lacourse, of the University of Montreal, said in a university news release. "Genetic factors can always interact with other factors from the environment ... explaining any behavior." To read more,click here

Extra Zzz's in Morning May Help Teens Stay Alert in Class

Delaying the morning school bell might help teens avoid sleep deprivation, according to a new study. Later school start times appear to improve teens' sleep and reduce their daytime sleepiness. For the study, investigators assessed boarding students at an independent high school before and after their school start time was changed from 8 a.m. to 8:25 a.m. during the winter term. The later start time was associated with a 29-minute increase in the students' amount of sleep on school nights, and the proportion who got eight or more hours of sleep on a school night increased from 18 percent to 44 percent, the study found. To read more,click here

In Push For Community Living, States Offered Incentives

In New Hampshire, Medicaid pays for in-home care for nearly all of its residents with developmental disabilities. For frail elders, the opposite is true. Most wind up in nursing homes. To remedy this imbalance, New Hampshire is taking advantage of Affordable Care Act funding for a program aimed at removing existing barriers to providing long-term care in people's homes and communities. Known as the Balancing Incentive Payments Program, it is one of several ACA provisions designed to keep as many people as possible out of costly institutions. Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Texas are also participating in the $3 billion incentive program. To read more,click here

Concussions Common in Middle School Girls Playing Soccer: Study

Girls who play soccer in middle school are vulnerable to concussions, new research shows. And despite medical advice to the contrary, many play through their injury, increasing the risk of a second concussion, the study found. Although awareness has increased about sports concussions, little research has been done on middle school athletes, especially girls, noted study co-author Dr. Melissa Schiff, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health in Seattle. To read more,click here

Vitamin D May Slow Multiple Sclerosis, Study Suggests

Vitamin D may slow the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) and also reduce harmful brain activity, a new study suggests. Correcting vitamin D deficiency early in the course of the disease is important, according to the report, published online Jan. 20 in JAMA Neurology. But some experts say it's too soon to recommend giving vitamin D supplements to people with the central nervous system disorder. "No one knows what the connection between MS and vitamin D is," said Nicholas LaRocca, vice president for health care delivery and policy research at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. "What they suspect is that vitamin D has some effect on the immune system." To read more,click here

Kids Teased in Physical Education Class Exercise Less a Year Later

A new study found that children who were bullied during P.E. class or other physical activities were less likely to participate in physical activity one year later.Overweight or obese children who experienced teasing during physical activity had a lower perceived health-related quality of life (referring to physical, social, academic and emotional functioning) one year later. Even children with a healthy weight who were bullied during physical activity tended to exercise less often one year later. Many previous studies have already correlated bullying with decreased physical activity among kids who are obese or overweight, but it was surprising to find that the correlation didn't end there. To read more,click here

New Medicaid Waiver Rules Set To Take Effect

In a long-awaited move, federal officials are clarifying what counts as home and community-based services for people with disabilities. Under a final rule expected to be published in the Federal Register next week, housing for those with disabilities will not only be judged by its location or physical characteristics but will also have to meet specific "outcome-oriented" criteria in order to qualify under Medicaid home and community-based services waivers. To read more,click here

Research Backs More Strategies for Children with Autism

The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders has released its much-anticipated update on evidence-based practices for children and youth with autism. Scientists at UNC's Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute spearheaded the project, screening 29,000 articles about autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to locate the soundest research on interventions for children from birth to age 22."More children than ever are being diagnosed with autism," said FPG director Samuel L. Odom, who co-headed the new review. "We're catching them earlier, with better tools, and these children need the right services." To read more,click here

Patients with Learning Disabilities or Intellectual Disabilities Become 'Invisible' in Hospitals

Hospital patients with learning disabilities face longer waits and mismanaged treatment due to a failure to understand them by nursing staff, says a new report.In one case, a patient who had problems making herself understood was accused of being drunk by hard pressed hospital staff. It is estimated that one in 50 people in England have some form of learning disabilities such as Down's syndrome. Dr Irene Tuffrey-Wijne, senior research fellow in nursing at St George's, University of London and Kingston University, said: "People with learning disabilities are largely invisible within the hospitals, which meant that their additional needs are not recognized or understood by staff. To read more,click here

Smoking Late in Pregnancy Reduces Baby's Birth Weight

A doctoral dissertation by a Professor at the Catholic University of Valencia "San Vicente Mártir" (UCV) finds that every cigarette a mother smokes a day during the third quarter of pregnancy reduces the baby's birth weight in 20 grams. Professor Rafael Vila, Faculty of Nursing, received his PhD with the distinction Cum Laude for his dissertationentitled "Anthropometric, haematological, obstetric and toxic variables that influence birth weight: a predictive model." Rafael Vila, who also works for the Health Department of La Ribera (Alzira-Valencia), Carlet health center and La Ribera Hospital (Alzira-Valencia), studied 140 pregnant women. "If a mother smokes for example between 5 and 10 cigarettes a day from the 25th week of pregnancy, the child's weight may be reduced between 100 and 200 grams," assured the Professor. This would be worrying in cases where the baby could be affected by underweight. To read more,click here

N.Y. Seeks Permission to Give Out-of-Level Tests to Students With Disabilities

New York state, which is in the process of renewing its No Child Left Behind accountability waiver, is looking for permission to give students with disabilities accountability tests based on their academic performance, not their grade level based on age.Called out-of-level testing, the state says that such tests would given to students who cannot demonstrate what they know on grade-level tests, but who are not be eligible for the alternate assessments that the U.S. Department of Education currently allows. "This subgroup of students can make significant progress, but are not likely to reach grade-level achievement in the time frame covered by their individualized education programs," the state wrote in a paper explaining its rationale. To read more,click here

In-Home Care At Center Of Supreme Court Case

The Supreme Court will hear a First Amendment case this week involving Chicago-area in-home care providers that could end up dealing a major blow to public-sector labor unions. States have long used Medicaid funds to pay salaries for in-home care workers to assist adults with disabilities who otherwise might have to be put in state institutions. The jobs were poorly paid and turnover was high. Over the last decade, more than 20,000 of these workers in Illinois voted to organize and won wage increases by joining the Service Employees International Union. To read more,click here

Gifted Education, Special Education See Funding Increases in Federal Budget Bill

The federal budget bill is being lauded by early childhood education supporters for itslarge boosts to Head Start, but the bill is also receiving praise from gifted education advocates for restoring funding to the Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act, which was defunded by Congress in fiscal 2011. Congress set aside $5 million for the program, which supports applied research to develop classroom strategies for identifying and serving gifted students. The money has been used for such projects as: identifying preschool students from racial and ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in gifted education; developing appropriate programs for gifted students with learning difficulties; and improving professional development for teachers. To read more,click here