| New This Week on NASETNASET Special Educator e-Journal February 2015
* Update from the U.S. Department of Education * Parent Challenges in Navigating the Special Education System: A Review of the Literature: By Alexis L. Gregory * National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability * Legislative Announcements, Calls to Participate and New Projects * Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET * Upcoming Conferences and Events * Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities * Acknowledgements
To read or download this issue -Click here (login required)
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NASET's Practical Teacher
Transitioning From School to the Workplace for Students with Disabilities
By Dr. Faye J. Jones
This issue ofNASET'sPractical Teacher
will focus on transitioning from school to the workplace for students with disabilities. It was submitted and written by Dr. Faye Jones. The purpose of this article is to identify those students with disabilities, introduce the Individualized Transition Plan (ITP), and the laws that are enacted to protect students with disabilities in school and the workplace. Those students with disabilities are also eligible, like regular students, to join the workforce after leaving the high school setting. There are significant laws in place to ensure that the necessary accommodations are available and usable for those with disabilities. To read or download this issue - Click here (login required)
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| ADHD Linked to Earlier Use of Illicit Drugs in Teens: Study Among people who use illicit drugs, those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) start using them one to two years earlier in their youth than those without the disorder, a new study finds. The findings show the need to begin substance use prevention programs at an earlier age among teens with ADHD, the University of Florida researchers said. "The take-home message of this study shouldn't be that children with ADHD are more likely to become drug users. Rather, seemingly 'normal' teenage behavior, such as experimenting with tobacco or alcohol use, may occur at younger ages for individuals with ADHD," lead author Eugene Dunne, a doctoral student in clinical and health psychology, said in a university news release. To read more,click here |
| Autism Genes Vary, Even in Affected Siblings, Study Finds Siblings who share a diagnosis of autism often don't share the same autism-linked genes, according to a new study. Researchers previously have identified more than 100 genetic mutations that can make a person more susceptible to an autism spectrum disorder, said senior author Dr. Stephen Scherer, director of the Center for Applied Genomics at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. But this study revealed that genes linked to autism can vary among family members who would be expected to be genetically similar. To read more,click here |
|  NASET MEMBER'S BENEFIT - Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET MembersThrough an agreement with The American Academy of Special Education Professionals(AASEP), NASET members now have the opportunity to achieve AASEP Board Certification in Special Education - (B.C.S.E.) at a reduced fee. AASEP Board Certification in Special Education - (B.C.S.E.) is a voluntary choice on the part of the candidate. The candidate for Board Certification wishes to demonstrate a commitment to excellence to employers, peers, administrators, other professionals, and parents. From the standpoint of the Academy, board certification will demonstrate the highest professional competency in the area of special education. Board Certification in Special Educationestablishes a much needed standard for professionals, across disciplines, who work with exceptional children. For more information on Board Certification in Special Education,click here |
| Good Sleep Habits, Enforced Rules Help Kids Sleep: Study A regular bedtime and other sleep-related rules help children and teens get a good night's sleep, a new study suggests. "Good quality and sufficient sleep are vital for children," study leader Orfeu Buxton, an associate professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State in College Park, Pa., said in a university news release. "Just like a healthy diet and exercise, sleep is critical for children to stay healthy, grow, learn, do well in school, and function at their best," Buxton added. Researchers analyzed survey responses from more than 1,100 American parents or guardians of youngsters aged 6 to 17. To read more,click here |
| Troubled Boys, Girls Have Sex Earlier, Study Finds Children with certain behavior problems are more likely to have sex at an early age, a new study reveals. Boys and girls who are unruly and aggressive from a young age were found to be more likely to start having sex before age 16, researchers reported in the February issue of the journal Pediatrics. The Australian study also found that boys -- but not girls -- who are socially anxious or withdrawn also tended to begin sex at a younger age. Such behavior problems in boys as young as 5 and in girls as young as 10 can be used to accurately predict early initiation of sex, the researchers said. To read more,click here |
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| TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEKGuess the answer to this week's trivia question and we'll recognize you in next week's Week in Review.
Congratulations to: Pamela Downing-Hosten and Olumide Akerele who knew the answer to last week's Trivia Question: Serious birth defects of the brain and spine called neural tube defects have fallen approximately what percent in the United States since mandatory folic acid fortification of enriched grain products was introduced in 1998? ANSWER: 35% THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer recently said that he wants to draw national attention to a bill known as "Avonte's Law," which would establish and fund a federal program to provide what type of technology to families of children with developmental disorders who request them? If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, February 9, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. |
| Little Improvement in Children Paralyzed After Viral Infection, Study Finds A cluster of 12 Colorado children are suffering muscle weakness and paralysis similar to that caused by polio, and doctors are concerned these cases could be linked to a nationwide outbreak of what's usually a rare respiratory virus. Despite treatment, 10 of the children first diagnosed late last summer still have ongoing problems, the authors noted, and it's not known if their limb weakness and paralysis will be permanent. The viral culprit tied to at least some of the cases, enterovirus D68 or EV-D68, belongs to the same family as the polio virus. To read more,click here |
| New Tools Aim To Make Doctor Visits Less Daunting Navigating the health care world is hard for anybody. For individuals on the autism spectrum, even calling to make a doctor's appointment can feel impossible. Adults with autism are less likely to go in for preventative procedures such as pap smears and tetanus shots. Many say they have skipped medical and counseling appointments they felt they needed. But people on the spectrum use the emergency room twice as often as typically-developing people. Researchers didn't know any of that a decade ago when Christina Nicolaidis's 3-year-old son was diagnosed. To read more,click here |
| Some Kids With Autism Show Improvement by Age 6: Study More than 10 percent of preschool-age children diagnosed with autism saw some improvement in their symptoms by age 6. And 20 percent of the children made some gains in everyday functioning, a new study found. Canadian researchers followed 421 children from diagnosis (between ages 2 and 4) until age 6, collecting information at four points in time to see how their symptoms and their ability to adapt to daily life fared. "Between 11 and 20 percent did remarkably well," said study leader Dr. Peter Szatmari, chief of the Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. To read more,click here |
| Efforts Underway To Fully Fund IDEA Lawmakers in Congress are renewing efforts to ensure that the federal government lives up to its promise to fully fund special education. A bill introduced Tuesday in the U.S. House of Representatives calls for Uncle Sam to increase funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act incrementally. Congress committed to pay 40 percent of the cost - a level that is considered to be full funding - back when IDEA first became law in 1975, but has never lived up to that threshold and currently covers just 16 percent. States and localities are left to pick up the remainder of the tab. To read more,click here |
| Study Underscores Power of Placebo Effect A new study -- this one involving patients with Parkinson's disease -- adds another layer of insight to the well-known "placebo effect." That's the phenomenon in which people's symptoms improve after taking an inactive substance simply because they believe the treatment will work. The small study, involving 12 people, suggests that Parkinson's patients seem to feel better -- and their brains may actually change -- if they think they're taking a costly medication. On average, patients had bigger short-term improvements in symptoms like tremor and muscle stiffness when they were told they were getting the costlier of two drugs. To read more,click here |
| NASET MEMBER'S BENEFIT - Group Savings Plus from Liberty MutualAs a member ofNASETyou qualify for a special group discount* on your auto, home, and renter's insurance through Group Savings Plus® from Liberty Mutual. This unique program allows you to purchase high-quality auto, home and renters insurance at low group rates. See for yourself how much money you could save with Liberty Mutual compared to your current insurance provider. For a free, no-obligation quote, call 800-524-9400 or visit www.libertymutual.com/naset, or visit your local sales office.*Group discounts, other discounts, and credits are available where state laws and regulations allow, and may vary by state. Certain discounts apply to specific coverage only. To the extent permitted by law, applicants are individually underwritten; not all applicants may qualify. Coverage provided and underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates, 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA. |
| Mother's Stress Hormone Levels May Affect Fetal Growth and Long Term Health of Child Increased levels of stress hormones can lead pregnant mice to overeat, but affect growth of the foetus and, potentially, the long term health of the offspring, according to a study published today. The foetuses of the mice with raised levels of the stress hormone tended to be smaller, despite the mother overeating, suggesting that a mother's stress levels may affect her child's growth. In the Journal of Physiology, researchers at the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge examine whether levels of the stress hormones known as glucocorticoids can influence the supply of glucose from mother to foetus. Glucocorticoids are important in regulating metabolism in adults as well as in the foetus. Levels of the hormone are raised by stress related to the physical or social environment, disease or pregnancy. To read more,click here |
| Study Suggests Early Start to Football May Pose Brain Risks As football fans prepare to watch the 49th Super Bowl this Sunday, a new study suggests that boys who start playing tackle football before the age of 12 may face a higher risk for neurological deficits as adults. The concern stems from an assessment of current memory and thinking skills among 42 former National Football League players, now between the ages of 40 and 69. Half the players had started playing tackle football at age 11 or younger. The bottom line: Regardless of their current age or total years playing football, NFL players who were that young when they first played the game scored notably worse on all measures than those who started playing at age 12 or later. To read more,click here |
| Honor Society for Special Education Teachers
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| Novel Compound Switches Off Epilepsy Development Researchers at the LSU Health New Orleans Neuroscience Center of Excellence have found that a novel compound they discovered helps curtail the onset and progression of temporal lobe epilepsy. The finding, which may contribute to the development of anti-epileptic therapies, is published online in the journal PLOS ONE. In temporal lobe epilepsy, seizures arise in the hippocampus and other structures of the limbic system located in the temporal lobe when a cascade of molecular and cellular events results in aberrant brain wiring. (The limbic system is the region of the brain associated with memory and emotions.) Seizures reflect uncontrolled electrical brain activity. The period between a brain injury and the onset of seizures, called epileptogenesis, is a "silent" period because this brain abnormality cannot be detected by current neurological exams or electroencephalography (EEG).To read more,click here |
| Association Between Parental Time Pressure, Mental Health Problems Among Children A doctor's thesis at Sahlgrenska Academy has found that children whose parents experience time pressure are more likely to have mental health problems.Mental health problems among children and adolescents are a growing health challenge in the Nordic countries. Children's sense of wellbeing largely reflects the circumstances in which their parents find themselves. But few scientific studies have addressed the subject head-on. A doctoral thesis by Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdottir has examined the association between children's mental health and the time pressure and financial stress that their parents experience. To read more,click here |
| A Son's Struggles and Triumphs After Premature Birth Elise Jackson remembers very clearly the day her son was born: It was May 8, 2002, and Elijah had arrived 15 weeks before his due date. "My child sat right in the palm of my hands," Jackson recalled. "He was very, very fragile. It was 25 weeks and one day into my pregnancy, and he was just 1 pound, 1 ounce." At the time, Elise and her husband, Todd, were told that Elijah's chances for survival were only about 10 percent. But 14 surgeries and blood transfusions later, Elijah has beaten the odds to become the 2015 "National Ambassador" for the March of Dimes. To read more,click here |
| MRIs Link Impaired Brain Activity to Inability to Regulate Emotions in Autism Tantrums, irritability, self-injury, depression, anxiety. These symptoms are associated with autism, but they're not considered core symptoms of the disorder. Researchers from the UNC School of Medicine are challenging this assertion. They have used functional MRI to show that -- when it comes to the ability to regulate emotions -- brain activity in autistic people is significantly different than brain activity in people without autism. The findings, published online today in the Journal of Autism Developmental Disorder as part of a special issue on emotion regulation, suggest that improving prefrontal cortex activity could directly help autistic people regulate their emotions and improve serious symptoms associated with the disorder, which affects millions of people in the United States.To read more,click here |
| Childhood Neglect May Affect Brain Development, Study Says Childhood neglect is associated with changes in the brain's white matter, a small study shows. "Our findings have important implications for public health related to early prevention and intervention for children reared in conditions of severe neglect or adverse contexts more generally," the researchers wrote. The study looked at 26 abandoned children in Romania who experienced social, emotional, language and mental development neglect while living in institutions. They were compared with 23 children who were placed in high-quality foster care and 20 children who grew up with their own families. To read more,click here |
| Disability-Focused Proms Expected To Draw 7,000 Just in time for Valentine's Day, former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is organizing 45 proms around the world on one night just for people with special needs. Churches in 26 different states and in Uganda and Kenya are scheduled to host the parties on Feb. 13. The events - which are expected to draw some 7,000 people with disabilities - will each come complete with a red-carpet entrance, paparazzi, limousine rides, hair and makeup stations, shoe shines and, of course, a dance floor and food. "It's not just me, it's not just our foundation, but it is all 45 churches and volunteers in 26 states, three countries, coming together to show love and make a difference in more than 7,000 lives," Tebow said in a statement. "The special needs community will shine on this night." To read more,click here |
| Could Premature Birth Affect Adult Relationships, Self-Esteem? Young adults who were born prematurely are less likely than their peers to have intimate relationships, and may see themselves as somewhat less attractive, a new study suggests. Finnish researchers found that young adults who'd been born just a few weeks early gave themselves slightly lower attractiveness ratings, on average. And they were less likely than their full-term peers to have had sex or lived with a romantic partner. The findings add to evidence that preterm birth can affect not only physical health, but social development, too, the researchers said. To read more,click here |
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