WEEK IN REVIEW

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

November 21, 2014 - Vol 10, Issue 47

ADHD Stimulant Drug Abuse Common Among Young Adults: Survey

Nearly one in every five college students abuses prescription stimulants, according to a new survey sponsored by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. The survey also found that one in seven non-students of similar age also report abusing stimulant medications. Young adults aged 18 to 25 report using the drugs to help them stay awake, study or improve their work or school performance. The most commonly abused stimulants are those typically prescribed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as Adderall, Ritalin and Vyvanse, the survey found. To read more,click here

Schools Must Offer Communication Supports, Feds Say

The Obama administration is reminding schools of their wide-ranging responsibilities to students with disabilities who struggle with speech and other communication difficulties. In guidance issued last Wednesday, federal officials said the nation's public schools have obligations under three separate laws to "ensure that communication with students with hearing, vision and speech disabilities is as effective as communication with all other students." While requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act vary, schools must comply with all three laws to meet individual needs. That can mean providing assistance ranging from communication boards or Braille materials to sign-language interpreter services and portable speech-generating devices, according to documents sent jointly from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice. To read more,click here

Mom's Weight Might Influence Baby's Earliest Development

A mother's weight before pregnancy may affect her embryo's early development and possibly the long-term health of the child, a new study suggests. "Previous studies have indicated that a mother's weight at conception is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in the children later in life," Dr. Roger Sturmey, from the Center for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research at the University of Hull in England, said in a university news release. "What we have found here is that being overweight at conception does appear to result in changes to the embryo at a very early stage, and that these changes are most likely the result of the conditions in the ovary in which the egg matured," he said. To read more,click here

Teen Lands Venture Capital For Accessibility Device

Last December, seventh-grader Shubham Banerjee asked his parents how people who are blind read. A Silicon Valley tech professional, dad Neil Banerjee told his son to "Google it." So Shubham did, and with a few Internet searches he learned about Braille, the tactile writing system used by those who are blind, and Braille printers, which, to the 12-year-old's shock, cost thousands of dollars. One school science fair victory, a few national accolades, $35,000 of his parents' savings and a visit to the White House later, Shubham today is the founder of Palo Alto startup Braigo Labs, which aims to become the first purveyor of low-cost, compact Braille printers. To read more,click here

Two Generic Versions of ADHD Drug Not as Effective: FDA

Two generic versions of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder drug Concerta may not work as effectively as the brand-name product does, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. The agency analyzed available data and conducted laboratory tests on the two generic versions of Concerta (methylphenidate hydrochloride extended-release tablets) made by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and Kudco Ireland Ltd. The generic versions were approved by the FDA on the basis that they released the drug in the body over a period of 10 to 12 hours, to achieve the same effect as a three-times-per-day dose of immediate-release methylphenidate hydrochloride. To read more,click here

Increasingly, Dentists Tailoring Care For Kids With Special Needs

Amy Luedemann-Lazar originally disliked working with children with autism - with routine dental procedures becoming "backbreaking" work, given the children's behavioral and communication difficulties. It wasn't a single turning point, but a series of smaller events that led the 42-year-old pediatric dentist to become one of the leading providers for children with special needs in the Houston area. Among the reasons: She watched a friend raise a daughter with autism, an influx of patients with special needs turned up at her office and she was introduced to a program designed to treat patients on the spectrum without restraint or sedation, typical practices in many dental offices. To read more,click here

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Medical Products Used With Preemies in Hospitals May Harm Them, Study Suggests

Plastic medical products used to care for premature babies in hospitals may expose the infants to high levels of a chemical that could harm their health, a new study indicates. Researchers found that premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may be exposed to levels of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) that are 4,000 to 160,000 times higher than what is considered safe. The chemical is used to increase the flexibility of many medical products made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, including intravenous tubing, catheters, endotracheal bags and fluid and blood product bags. To read more,click here

Facial Motion a Clue to Difficulties in Social Interaction Among Adults with Autism

People on the autistic spectrum may struggle to recognize social cues, unfamiliar people or even someone's gender because of an inability to interpret changing facial expressions, new research has found. According to the study by academics at Brunel University London, adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), though able to recognize static faces, struggle with tasks that require them to discriminate between sequences of facial motion or to use facial motion as a cue to identity. The research supports previous evidence to suggest that impairments in perceiving biological motion more generally may underlie difficulties in social interaction. This is in contrast to suggestions that poor attention skills are at the root of the problem. To read more,click here

Rheumatoid Arthritis in Moms-to-Be Linked to Premature Births

Pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk for giving birth prematurely, a new study suggests. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic joint inflammation. For the study, researchers looked at data from almost 2 million single-baby births in Denmark between 1977 and 2008. They found that more than 13,500 of the mothers had rheumatoid arthritis or were diagnosed with the disease after giving birth ("preclinical" rheumatoid arthritis). The odds that women with the disease would have a premature baby were 1.5 times higher than for those without the condition, the study found. For women with preclinical rheumatoid arthritis, the odds of a premature delivery were 1.3 times higher. To read more,click here

Investigational Medication Used to Resolve Life-Threatening Seizures in Children

In its first clinical application in pediatric patients, an investigational medication developed and manufactured at UC Davis has been found to effectively treat children with life-threatening and difficult-to-control epileptic seizures without side effects, according to a research report by scientists at UC Davis and Northwestern University. The investigational formulation of allopregnanolone was manufactured by UC Davis Health System's Good Manufacturing Practice Laboratory. Two children were treated with the allopregnanolone formulation, one at UC Davis Children's Hospital, the other at the Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago. Both children were weaned from general anesthetics and other seizure treatments and their seizures resolved. In both instances the children are recovering.To read more,click here

Falls Leading Cause of Serious Head Trauma for Kids, Study Shows

A new study of more than 43,000 children finds that falls are the most common cause of head injuries among younger kids. For children under the age of 2, falls accounted for 77 percent of head injuries. For kids aged 2 to 12, falls caused 38 percent of head injuries, the researchers said. Many of these serious brain injuries result from car and bicycle accidents, said lead researcher Dr. Nathan Kuppermann, a professor in the departments of emergency medicine and pediatrics at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine. To read more,click here

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Overall Risk of Birth Defects Appears Low for Women Taking Antiretrovirals During Early Pregnancy

Among pregnant women infected with HIV, the use of antiretroviral (ARV) medications early in pregnancy to treat their HIV or to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV does not appear to increase the risk of birth defects in their infants, according to a new study led by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). It is one of the largest studies to date to look at the safety of ARV use during pregnancy. While the study found that overall risk was low--in keeping with previous research that has found ARV use in pregnancy to be generally safe--the researchers did find that one ARV drug, atazanavir, was associated with increased risk of birth defects and they said it should be studied further.To read more,click here

Mouse Study Suggests Brain Is Damaged Early in Lou Gehrig's Disease

Muscle-controlling nerve cells in the brain may be damaged earlier in Lou Gehrig's disease than previously thought, a new mouse study suggests. The findings may lead researchers to shift their focus on the origins of the neurological disease -- also called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) -- from the spinal cord to the brain's motor cortex, according to the researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Regenerative Medicine Institute in Los Angeles. To read more,click here

Statins Reverse Learning Disabilities Caused by Genetic Disorder

UCLA neuroscientists discovered that statins, a popular class of cholesterol drugs, reverse the learning deficits caused by a mutation linked to a common genetic cause of learning disabilities. Published in the Nov. 10 advance online edition of Nature Neuroscience, the findings were studied in mice genetically engineered to develop the disease, called Noonan syndrome. The disorder can disrupt a child's development in many ways, often causing unusual facial features, short stature, heart defects and developmental delays. No treatment is currently available.To read more,click here

Chronic Pot Smoking May Alter Brain, Study Suggests

Long-term marijuana use appears to alter a person's brain, causing one region associated with addiction to shrink and forcing the rest of the brain to work overtime to compensate, a new study reports. MRI scans revealed that people who use pot for years have a smaller-than-usual orbitofrontal cortex, a region in the frontal lobes of the brain that is involved in decision-making and assessing the expected rewards or punishments of an action, said study author Francesca Filbey, from the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas. To read more,click here

Does Father Really Know Best? Maybe Not When it Comes to Controlling Asthma

Asthma symptoms affect an estimated 26 million Americans and are one of the leading causes of work and school absences. People who suffer from asthma know it's a challenge to make sure symptoms are under control at all times. And it's even a challenge to know where to get the best information on how to do that. According to a study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting, teens and caregivers have different levels of health literacy, and teens don't necessarily get their information from caregivers when it comes to managing asthma symptoms. "We went into the study thinking that parents or caregivers would be an important source of information for teens with asthma, and that their health literacy scores would more or less align," said allergist and ACAAI member Jeana Bush, MD, lead study author. "What we found was that there was significant disagreement between the two groups, and, that in certain groups, teens had better health literacy, which may mean they are more knowledgeable about controlling asthma than their parents."To read more,click here

Can Video Game Play Help Young Minds Learn?

Action video games like "Call of Duty" can teach young adults new skills while also improving the way the skills are learned, new research suggests. It's not clear how the improved learning abilities may translate to life outside of screen and joystick. And don't get too excited, gamers: There's also no evidence that endless playing of video games is a good idea. "Our studies are no excuse for bingeing on video games," said study co-author Daphne Bavelier, a research professor with the department of brain & cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester in New York. To read more,click here

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Minority Kids May Be Missed in Autism Diagnoses: Study

Black and Hispanic students are less likely to be identified as having autism than white students, a new study reveals. Researchers analyzed autism identification rates at schools across the United States between 2000 and 2007. These rates reflect how many students have been identified by schools -- not necessarily a doctor -- as having autism. Rates among black, Hispanic and white students increased in all states and the District of Columbia, but the overall increase was smaller than predicted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To read more,click here