| New This Week on NASETNASET's Parent Teacher Conference Handout What Are Public Schools Required to Do When Students with Disabilities Are Bullied?
Introduction
What does a school have to do when a child with a disability is being bullied? School staff, parents, and other caring adults have a role to play in preventing and responding to all forms of bullying. If a student with a disability is being bullied, federal law requires schools to take immediate and appropriate action to investigate the issue and, as necessary, take steps to stop the bullying and prevent it from recurring. Regardless of whether the student is being bullied based on his or her disability, schools must remedy the effects of bullying on the services that the student with a disability receives (special education or other disability-related services) to ensure the student continues to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Any remedy should not burden the student who has been bullied. This issue ofNASET'sParent Teacher Conference Handoutwill address the question: What Are Public Schools Required to Do When Students with Disabilities Are Bullied?
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Bullying of Children Series
Overview of Bullying
Introduction Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose. Bullying can occur during or after school hours. While most reported bullying happens in the school building, a significant percentage also happens in places like on the playground or the bus. It can also happen travelling to or from school, in the youth's neighborhood, or on the Internet. This issue ofNASET'sBullying of Childrencomes from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and will focus on the overview of bullying.
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| Poverty Makes Diabetes Care Tougher, Study Reports
People with diabetes who have difficulty paying for food, medicine and other basic needs also have trouble managing their diabetes, a new study finds. Those who have trouble paying for food or medicine had the highest risk of poor diabetes control, according to the study. Poor control means higher blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure than normal, the researchers said. "Despite insurance coverage, unmet basic needs were common, associated with worse diabetes control, and high use of expensive health services," said lead author Dr. Seth Berkowitz, a research fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School. To read more, click here |
| Heart Drugs Offer New Hope to Slow Cardiac Damage in Muscular Dystrophy
Early use of available heart failure drugs slows the progressive decline in heart function before symptoms are apparent in boys and young men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), according to a new study published online by The Lancet Neurology.Dr. Subha Raman, a cardiologist and professor at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, led a team of DMD experts at multiple sites in a clinical trial that tested the combination of eplerenone and either an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) to decrease the progression of heart muscle disease, a leading cause of death in boys and young men with DMD. To read more,click here |
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| Some Blind People Use Echolocation to 'See'
Some people who are blind develop an alternate sense -- called echolocation -- to help them "see," a new study indicates. In addition to relying on their other senses, people who are blind may also use echoes to detect the position of surrounding objects, the international researchers reported in Psychological Science. "Some blind people use echolocation to assess their environment and find their way around," study author Gavin Buckingham, a psychological scientist at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, said in a journal news release. "They will either snap their fingers or click their tongue to bounce sound waves off objects, a skill often associated with bats, which use echolocation when flying. However, we don't yet understand how much echolocation in humans has in common with how a sighted individual would use their vision," Buckingham said. 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 |
| Molecular Network Identified Underlying Autism Spectrum Disorders
Researchers in the United States have identified a molecular network that comprises many of the genes previously shown to contribute to autism spectrum disorders. The findings provide a map of some of the crucial protein interactions that contribute to autism and will help uncover novel candidate genes for the disease. The results are published in Molecular Systems Biology. "The study of autism disorders is extremely challenging due to the large number of clinical mutations that occur in hundreds of different human genes associated with autism," says Michael Snyder, Professor at the Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine and the lead author of the study. "We therefore wanted to see to what extent shared molecular pathways are perturbed by the diverse set of mutations linked to autism in the hope of distilling tractable information that would benefit future studies." To read more,click here |
| Parent's Suicide Attempt Makes Child's Much More Likely: Study
When a parent has a history of attempting suicide, the odds of a suicide attempt in their child rises fivefold, compared to the offspring of people without such histories, a new study finds. Reporting in the Dec. 30 online edition of JAMA Psychiatry, researchers led by Dr. David Brent of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center tracked more than 700 young and adult-aged children (ages ranged from 10 to 50) of 334 parents with mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder. A total of 191 of the parents had attempted suicide in the past. Forty-four of the offspring had attempted suicide in the past. Another 29 of the offspring attempted suicide during the study's nearly six-year follow-up period, according to the report. To read more,click here |
| 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. THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Which state wrote the first charter school law in the United States in 1991? If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, January 12, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. |
| Report on Remission in Patients with MS Three Years After Stem Cell Transplant
Three years after a small number of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) were treated with high-dose immunosuppressive therapy (HDIT) and then transplanted with their own hematopoietic stem cells, most of the patients sustained remission of active relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and had improvements in neurological function, according to a study published online by JAMA Neurology.MS is a degenerative disease and most patients with RRMS who received disease-modifying therapies experience breakthrough disease. Autologous (using a patient's own cells) hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) has been studied in MS with the goal of removing disease-causing immune cells and resetting the immune system, according to the study background. To read more,click here |
| 1 in 3 People With Type 1 Diabetes Still Produce Insulin, Study Says
Although it's widely accepted that people with type 1 diabetes produce no insulin, a new study suggests otherwise: Roughly one-third produce the hormone long after they are diagnosed. Residual insulin production can last for more than four decades, researchers reported recently in the journal Diabetes Care. Their findings could help avoid the misdiagnosis of type 1 diabetes as the more common type 2 diabetes and improve treatments for blood sugar control, they suggested. "Other studies have shown that some type 1 diabetes patients who have lived with the disease for many years continue to secrete insulin, and the assumption has been that these patients are exceptional," said study senior author Dr. Carla Greenbaum, director of T1D Exchange Biobank Operations Center, a repository of type 1 diabetes biological samples, in Seattle. To read more,click here |
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| Discovery of Mutated Gene in Dogs Could Help Treat Blindness
A Finnish-North American collaboration of scientists at Michigan State University and the University of Helsinki has found a MERTK gene defect responsible for a recently identified form of progressive retinal atrophy in Swedish vallhund dogs. This discovery opens the door to the development of therapies for diseases that cause blindness both in dogs and humans. The research findings were published in the paper A Novel Canine Retinopathy Associated with MERTK in the journal PLoS ONE in December.Inherited retinal diseases are among the leading causes of incurable blindness in humans as well as in dogs, where most of these conditions are classified as progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). Because of the similarities in ocular anatomy, canine models contribute significantly to the understanding of retinal disease mechanisms and the development of new therapies for human patients. The gene identified as a cause of PRA in the Swedish vallhund is associated with a form of human retinitis pigmentosa (RP), one of the most common incurable blindness worldwide. To read more,click here |
| Stem Cell Therapy for MS Shows Promise
An experimental therapy that kills off and then "resets" the immune system has given three years of remission to a small group of multiple sclerosis patients, researchers say. About eight in 10 patients given this treatment had no new adverse events after three years. And nine in 10 experienced no progression or relapse in their MS, said lead author Dr. Richard Nash of the Colorado Blood Cancer Institute at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center in Denver. "I think we all think of this as a viable therapy," Nash said. "We still need to perform a randomized clinical trial, but we're all pretty impressed so far, in terms of what we've seen." To read more,click here |
| Yoga Therapy For Children with Autism & Special Needs
As a former yoga teacher, I used to consider Anatomy of Hatha Yoga my bedside manual. Years later, after my life priorities changed and the focus on physical stamina became less important than attaining a peaceful mind, I revisited the practice. It was a different yoga in my forties than in my twenties and thirties, despite that the poses and concepts were the same. This reminded me that the quintessence of yoga includes many things - among them, intentional focus, honoring the body, cultivating patience, and the acceptance of personal responsibility. And it showed me that yoga is malleable and flexible - that there are forms appropriate for people of all levels, ages, and stages. 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. |
| Educator Explains Why Children With And Without Special Needs Should Learn Together
The IDEAL School and Academy Of Manhattan, an inclusive academy for children with and without special needs, aims to change the way people think about educational settings for children with special needs. Head Of School Angela Bergeson explained to HuffPost Live's Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani how in 2005, she and two other mothers of children with Down syndrome were dissatisfied with the education options available to their children. They found schools that specialize in special education and schools that accept all types of students, but segregate special needs students. To read more,click here |
| Samsung App May Help Children with Autism Make Eye Contact
A new Samsung app has proven to help autistic children make eye contact. It is one in the line of many new apps that are helping teachers and parents teach their special-needs children how to cope with certain social settings. In previous years, apps targeting special-needs children were developed by independent software makers,Yahoo News reported. However, Samsung and Apple have turned their attention to developing apps for kids with special-needs especially as the population of children with autism increases. The development of apps targeted towards children with special needs is good for two reasons. First, the apps are extremely good for the public relations department of the companies developing the special-needs-friendly apps. It makes it look as though the company is actively trying to make a difference. 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 |
| Charter Schools Help Improve Special Education in New OrleansIn fourth grade, James, a special needs student at John Dibert Charter School, was struggling academically and behaviorally. He was making daily trips to the dean's office for disruptive behavior and emotional outbursts. James is now on honor roll in eighth grade, scored mastery and advanced on state tests and is applying to Ben Franklin High School. Zaria transferred to Arthur Ashe Charter School at the beginning of second grade as a special education student, reading at kindergarten level. By the end of fourth grade she scored mastery in English. Zaria and James are two of the many students who have benefited from the city's improvement in serving students with special needs. To read more,click here |
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| Pets Linked to Stronger Social Skills in Children with Autism
Living with pets may increase the social skills of children with autism. A recent study from a researcher the University of Missouri (MU) as published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders finds that having pets such as cats, rabbits, and other animals as well as dogs in the home may help children with autism improve their social skills. Previous studies have found that pets help encourage social interaction and that pet dogs may help children with autism develop their social skills. Dr. Gretchen Carlisle, research fellow in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI), explains that children including autistic children tend to interact and talk to each other more with animals present in the home, classroom, or other social setting. To read more,click here |
| Why 2015 is a Crucial Year for Common CoreThe fight over the Common Core, language arts and math standards in place in 43 states, quieted down slightly in late 2014. But the lull won't last long. This spring, hundreds of thousands of students will be tested against the standards for the first time. How those students fare, and how parents and teachers react, will be crucial to the Common Core's future. And when the test results come in, they probably won't be good. The Common Core expects students to read more challenging material, and it asks them harder questions. In New York and Kentucky, two states that adopted Common Core tests early, the percentage of students considered proficient in reading and math plummeted. In New York, about two-thirds of students were proficient on both on pre-Common Core tests; after the new tests were introduced, fewer than one-third were considered proficient. To read more,click here |
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| Sensory Processing Disorder Is Common Among Those On The Spectrum. But What's It Like?
Amethyst is a young woman on the spectrum who hosts a series called "Ask An Autistic" on YouTube where she explores different facets of the spectrum. In this episode, she talks about sensory processing disorder and answers questions like: What is Sensory Processing Disorder? Can a person have SPD but not have Autism? What is it like to have SPD? We all know the five main senses, but did you know there are more? Amethyst delves into two senses not often discussed - the proprioceptive sense and the vestibular sense -and how they're affected by SPD. Take a look to learn more about sensory processing disorder!To read more,click here |
| Special Education Charter Uses Neuroscience to Transform Students' Lives
The Monarch Academy charter schools in Baltimore don't look like traditional schools. Instead, the walls and floors, and sometimes even the ceilings, are painted to help students feel like they are in an atmosphere they know - their backyard or downtown streets. In some cases the walls reflect what the school is trying to teach its students - how the brain works. The schools are run by TranZed Alliance, a Baltimore-based nonprofit that has helped the city's most traumatized and special-needs kids. Operating since 1953, TranZed will soon serve Washington, D.C., students, as well. To read more,click here |
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