WEEK IN REVIEW

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

October 3, 2014 - Vol 10, Issue 40

Many Kids With ADHD May Be Missing Out on Talk Therapy

Only one of four American children who has health insurance and has been prescribed medication to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also receives some form of talk therapy, according to a new study. The findings raise concerns that doctors may just be prescribing pills for behavior problems, rather than targeting kids' specific difficulties through judicious use of medication and therapy, said lead author Dr. Walid Gellad, an adjunct scientist at RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization. "Drug therapy targets the core symptoms of ADHD, but when you talk about other aspects of functioning like educational performance and conduct problems, it appears that talk therapy may improve outcomes for many children," Gellad said. "In some kids, it is better than drug therapy alone," he added. To read more,click here

Due Process Hearings On Decline

Fewer special education disputes between parents and school districts are escalating to due process hearings, a new government report finds. The number of due process hearings nationwide declined from over 7,000 during the 2004-2005 school year to 2,262 by the 2011-2012 academic year, according to a review released Wednesday from the Government Accountability Office. The shift was largely due to "steep declines" in New York, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. - locations which accounted for over 80 percent of the nation's hearings - the report indicated. To read more,click here

Behavioral Therapy Deemed Best for Social Phobia

Antidepressants are commonly used to treat social phobia, but a new report argues that "talk therapy" is the better first option. In a review of 101 clinical trials, researchers found that "cognitive behavioral therapy" often helped people with social phobia -- a type of anxiety disorder where people have a deep fear of being judged by others or embarrassed in public. The more common approach to tackling social anxiety -- antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) -- also helped, the review found. To read more,click here

Newborn ICUs With Private Family Rooms Benefit Preemies: Study

Tiny preemies may fare better when newborn intensive care units (NICU) set up private rooms for parents to spend time with their infants, a new study finds. Researchers at one children's hospital found that preemies gained weight faster, were more alert and were less distressed when their NICU switched from the traditional "open-bay" layout to private rooms for families. The findings, published online Sept. 22 in the journal Pediatrics, add to evidence that private rooms are better for tiny newborns' health and development than the long-used open floor plan -- or what some researchers have described as a "baby barn." To read more,click here

Boys With Autism Show Certain Grammar Skills in Study

Boys with high-functioning autism are stronger in a certain grammar skill than those without autism, according to a small study. Researchers compared 20 boys, ages 7 to 13, with high-functioning autism and 25 boys without autism. They found that those with autism were much faster at producing past tenses for regular verbs. "We had not expected this interesting finding. It makes us wonder whether some children with autism might also show related strengths, as yet unrecognized," study senior author Michael Ullman, director of the brain and language laboratory at Georgetown University Medical Center, said in a university news release. To read more,click here

Cyberbullying Seems to Ramp Up in Middle School

As kids transition from elementary to middle school, they are increasingly the targets of cyberbullies, according to a recent study. But the researchers studying U.S schoolkids in grades 5 through 8 found that verbal and physical bullying declines as students get older. Because bullying patterns vary, bullying intervention and prevention strategies must address all types of bullying as well as differences in bullying among boys and girls, the researchers said. The study was published recently in School Psychology Quarterly. To read more,click here

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TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Researchers Evaluate Blood Test for Psychosis

A blood test may help identify people at risk for psychosis, a new study suggests. Psychosis, which includes hallucinations or delusions, is caused by severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia, according to background information from the study. Researchers evaluated the experimental blood test in psychiatric patients with symptoms associated with a high risk for psychosis. The blood test identified people who later developed psychosis, according to the preliminary findings recently published online in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin. To read more,click here

Do Greener Neighborhoods Produce Healthier Babies?

Pregnant women who live in leafy, green neighborhoods are less likely to have premature or low birth weight babies, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed data from more than 64,000 births in Vancouver, Canada, and found that expectant mothers who lived in a neighborhood with plenty of trees, grass and other vegetation had a 20 percent lower risk of very preterm birth (before 30 weeks) and a 13 percent lower risk of moderate preterm birth (30 to 36 weeks). To read more,click here

Brain Chemical May Help Control Tourette 'Tics'

A particular brain chemical may help people with Tourette syndrome suppress the disorder's characteristic "tics," scientists report. They hope their discovery paves the way to new therapies for the developmental neurological disorder. Tourette syndrome causes people to habitually make involuntary movements or sounds -- commonly known as tics. Researchers think Tourette arises from an imbalance in "excitatory" and "inhibitory" activities in certain brain circuits; that results in jumbled, "noisy" messages being sent to movement-related areas of the brain. To read more,click here

Feds Look To Boost Disability Employment

A new advisory committee is in the works that will be tasked with helping government officials improve job prospects for people with developmental disabilities across the country. The U.S. Department of Labor is soliciting nominations for individuals to serve on the panel known as the National Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities. Established under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which was signed into law in July, the committee will make recommendations to Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez. To read more,click here

Study: Family-Based Therapy Can Aid Those With Anorexia

Family-based therapies can benefit teens with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, a new study suggests. "The take-away message for parents is that, first, there is good treatment available for their child who is struggling with anorexia," study author Dr. Stewart Agras, professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, said in a university news release. "Second, the preferred treatment is family-based therapy in which parents help their child regain weight," Agras added. To read more,click here

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Lawsuits Often Fail To Satisfy Either Side Of ADA Coin

No matter which side they're on, the people involved in disability access lawsuits seem to have one thing in common: supreme frustration. People with disabilities are tired of feeling like second-class citizens when they meet obstacles parking, shopping or using a restroom because of a building's features. Companies slapped with lawsuits - almost always generated by frequent filers demanding big money - say they've been shaken down. Lawyers complain when newspapers explain their strategies. They also blame legislators for not fixing the problem. To read more,click here

Can Media Multitasking Alter Your Brain?

Multitasking with smartphones, laptop computers and other media devices could change the structure of your brain, according to a new study. Researchers found that people who often use several forms of media simultaneously had lower gray matter density in a specific area of the brain than those who used just one device occasionally. Scientists found the difference in gray matter density in the anterior cingulate cortex, which plays a major role in a number of thought processes and emotional control. To read more,click here

More Schools Stocking Shots That Counter Serious Allergic Reactions

More states are passing legislation permitting or requiring schools to stock the medication epinephrine to use for any child having a severe allergic reaction. Epinephrine auto-injectors are the primary treatment for "anaphylaxis," an allergic reaction that can lead to throat swelling, breathing difficulties, a steep drop in blood pressure and even death. In people with severe allergies to certain foods, such as peanuts or tree nuts, insect venom or certain drugs, anaphylaxis can occur within moments of exposure to the allergen, explained Dr. Scott Sicherer, a professor of pediatrics, allergy and immunology at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. To read more,click here

U.S. Still Lags in Infant Mortality Rates, Report Finds

More babies are dying before they turn 1-year-old in the United States than in most of Europe and several other developed countries, a new U.S. government report says. A greater proportion of premature births and deaths of full-term babies are driving the higher rate, which puts the United States below 25 other countries, according to the report, released Sept. 24 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "I think we've known for a long time that the U.S. has a higher preterm birth rate, but this higher infant mortality rate for full-term, big babies who should have really good survival prospects is not what we expected," said lead author Marian MacDorman, a senior statistician and researcher in the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. To read more,click here

Brainwaves May Help Gauge Autism Severity: Study

Measuring how quickly a child's brain processes sounds might help identify the severity of autism, according to a new study. Observing children's brainwaves may also allow identification of autism earlier than is currently possible, the study authors reported. "The finding that the brain's response to certain types of information is associated with autism severity is hugely promising," said senior researcher Sophie Molholm, an associate professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. To read more,click here

29 States, District of Columbia Reporting Respiratory Illness That Targets Kids

Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia now have a total of 213 confirmed cases of Enterovirus D68, the severe respiratory illness that typically targets children, U.S. health officials are reporting. Officials said the 29 states are Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Utah, Washington and West Virginia. To read more,click here

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Breast Milk a Risk for Spreading Common Virus to Preemies, Study Finds

For babies born at very low birth weights, breast milk is more likely than a blood transfusion to lead to a potentially dangerous infection known as cytomegalovirus (CMV), a new study finds. The researchers evaluated more than 500 very low birth weight infants -- all of whom weighed 3.3 pounds or less and many who were born to mothers with a history of CMV infection, to see whether breast milk or transfusions carried the bigger risk. Infants born at very low birth weights are especially vulnerable to this viral infection, the study authors noted. To read more,click here

Younger Age at First Drink, Higher Odds for Problem Drinking: Study

Both drinking and getting drunk at an early age are key risk factors for alcohol abuse by high school students, a new study suggests. The conclusions, based on a survey of high school students who drink, could help expand alcohol-prevention efforts aimed at teens to include those who already drink, to stop them from becoming binge drinkers, the researchers suggested. "Efforts to distinguish between age of first alcohol use and progression to first heavy use as risk factors for heavy drinking have important implications for prevention efforts," William Corbin, director of clinical training in the psychology department at Arizona State University, said in a news release. To read more,click here

Could Low Iron Intake During Pregnancy Raise Autism Risk?

It's something every pregnant woman wonders: What can I do to help ensure a healthy baby? New research suggests that taking iron supplements as prescribed may play a role in reducing the risk of having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The researchers found that mothers of children with autism were significantly less likely to have taken iron supplements before and during pregnancy than those whose children seem to be developing normally. The study authors also discovered that mothers 35 years of age and older who had low iron intake had a five times greater risk of having a child with autism. Others at that higher level of risk were women with metabolic conditions, such as obesity, high blood pressure or diabetes. To read more,click here