| New This Week on NASETNASET LD Report #20
The State of Learning Disabilities Facts, Trends and Emerging Issues
For more than 35 years, the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) has provided essential information and needed resources and services to the learning disabilities community. And in response to a rapidly changing educational landscape, it has recently broadened its mission to address the needs of the more than one in five children, adolescents and adults who are impacted by learning and attention issues every day, in school, at home, in the community and in the workplace. This issue ofNASET'sLD Reportpresents the revised and expanded 2014 edition of The State of Learning Disabilities. It reflects NCLD's commitment to ensuring that everyone who is concerned about the well-being of individuals-with or without identified learning disabilities-has access to the most relevant and updated information.
To read or download this issue -Click here (login required)
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NASET's Bullying of Children March 2015
Cyberbullying: What Parents Need to Know
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites. Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles. Kids who are being cyberbullied are often bullied in person as well. Additionally, kids who are cyberbullied have a harder time getting away from the behavior. This issue ofNASET'sBullying of Childrencomes from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and will focus on cyberbullying and can be used as an excellent resource guide for parents.
To read or download this issue - Click here (login required)
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| Pneumonia in Early Childhood Tied to Higher Odds of Asthma
Children who contract pneumonia during the first three years of life appear to face a higher risk of developing asthma, new research suggests. These findings raise concern that early childhood respiratory problems may have an enduring and negative impact on growing lungs. "This supports the idea that the roots of chronic illness in adult life may be the events that occur in early life," said study co-author Dr. Fernando Martinez, a professor of pediatrics and director of the Arizona Respiratory Center at the University of Arizona in Tucson. "Early life is a time when organs are developing very fast, and can be affected and altered by outside stimuli or negative events, which may then carry into adulthood," he 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 |
| More With Disabilities On The Job
As the job market continues to improve, the number of people with disabilities who are employed is also edging up. The unemployment rate for those with disabilities fell to 11.2 percent in February as more individuals within this population found work, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday. That's down from 11.9 percent the prior month. The uptick in disability employment comes as the economy as a whole added 295,000 jobs, bringing the unemployment rate for the general population down to 5.5 percent, according to the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. To read more,click here |
| Painkiller-Addicted Babies a Growing U.S. Concern, Especially in Fla.
Doctors in the United States are seeing more infants born addicted to narcotic painkillers -- a problem highlighted by a new Florida-based report. These infants experience what's called neonatal abstinence syndrome as they undergo withdrawal from the addictive drugs their mothers took during pregnancy. Most often these are narcotic painkillers, such as oxycodone, morphine or hydrocodone, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since 1995, the number of such newborns jumped 10-fold in Florida while tripling nationwide, the researchers said. To read more,click here |
| Thousands With Disabilities To Get Rental Assistance
Millions of dollars are heading to over two dozen states to help people with disabilities access community-based housing and support services. Federal officials said this week that housing agencies in 25 states will each get a share of $150 million to provide rental assistance to those with disabilities. The funding is expected to support nearly 4,600 households, including many people transitioning out of institutional settings, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said. 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.
Congratulations to: Olumide Akerele, Pamela R. Downing-Hosten, Ope-Oluwa Olubela and Andrea DeMeo who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question: According to the latest research in the field, women whose mothers smoked while pregnant may be two to three times more likely to develop what medical condition as adults? ANSWER: Diabetes THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What was the name of the food elimination program developed in the 1970s which appeared to link food additives with hyperactivity; by eliminating these additives the diet was supposed to alleviate the condition. Popular in its day, the diet has since been referred to as an "outmoded treatment"; there is no good evidence that it is effective If you know the answer, send an email tocontactus@naset.org
All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, March 16, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. |
| NASET Applications for iPhone & iPadImpartial Review of IEP App - Click here - To learn more about these Apps click on the image |
| Could Smartphones Lower Intelligence?
Being too reliant on a smartphone could make lazy thinkers even less inclined to use their brain, a new study suggests. "They may look up information that they actually know or could easily learn, but are unwilling to make the effort to actually think about it," study co-lead author Gordon Pennycook, a doctoral candidate in the psychology department at the University of Waterloo in Canada, said in a university news release. "Our research provides support for an association between heavy smartphone use and lowered intelligence," Pennycook said. "Whether smartphones actually decrease intelligence is still an open question that requires future research." To read more,click here |
| 'Life-prolonging' Research for Cystic Fibrosis Patients Underway
Preventing lung infections in childhood could stop later life-threatening infections for people with cystic fibrosis (CF), according to recent research. Scientists are investigating how bacteria found in children with CF can disarm their natural defence mechanisms, making it easier for more virulent bacteria to infect their airways. By the time many CF patients reach adulthood, they have already contracted the chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial strain, which can cause extensive and eventually fatal damage to the lungs. The infection is currently extremely difficult to treat effectively.To read more,click here |
| Mom's Age at Childbirth Tied to Son's Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
A woman's age at childbirth may influence how well her son is able to metabolize sugar by the time he becomes an adult, new Belgian research suggests. In essence, the study suggests that boys born to mothers under the age of 25 or over the age of 34 could face a higher risk for adult type 2 diabetes. "We found that in a group of healthy men between 25 and 45 years old, sugar handling was related to their mother's age at childbirth," study author Dr. Charlotte Verroken, from the department of endocrinology at Ghent University Hospital, said in an Endocrine Society news release. To read more,click here |
| Doctors Often Yield to Parents' Requests to Delay Kids' Vaccines
Doctors commonly get requests from parents to delay young children's vaccinations -- and despite their better judgment, they often give in, a new U.S. study finds. In a national survey of pediatricians and family doctors, researchers found that 93 percent said they handled such requests in a typical month. One-fifth said that at least 10 percent of parents they see want to postpone some vaccinations. And while most doctors believe that veering from the recommended vaccine schedule is risky, they often agree to parents' wishes. To read more,click here |
| Common Antiseptic Can Prevent Infant Deaths, Study Says
Using a low-cost antiseptic to clean the umbilical cords of babies born outside of a hospital lowers infant infection and death rates in developing countries, researchers say. "Based on our review, using chlorhexidine to clean the umbilical cord saves newborn babies lives," said lead researcher Anju Sinha of the Indian Council of Medical Research in New Delhi. The findings were based on 12 clinical trials, some of them conducted in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. The results were published March 5 in the Cochrane Library. To read more,click here |
| NASET - Members Only SavingsNASET is pleased to provide our members with exclusive access to discounts on products and services. These savings are available to all currentNASETmembers. To find out more about savings from Life Lock, Avis, Budget, Cruises Only, Orlando Vacations and more -Click here |
| Everyday Items Offer Assistive Technology On The Cheap
Therese Willkomm, a nationally-recognized occupational therapist from New Hampshire, shows people how to "take ordinary items and use them in extraordinary ways" to help those with disabilities. Such demonstrations have earned her the nickname the "MacGyver of assistive technology." Like the resourceful TV character, Willkomm comes up with hundreds of innovations with everyday things. Willkomm was in Honolulu recently, telling people about her modus operandi of "creating a solution in five minutes or less without electricity (and preferably) with $5 or less." To read more,click here |
| Decrease in Air Pollution Tied to Healthier Lungs in Children
Children in southern California may be breathing easier these days compared with the 1990s, thanks to a big reduction in air pollution, a new study suggests. Researchers found that as air quality improved in five Los Angeles-area communities over two decades, so did children's lung development. Experts said the findings, published in the March 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest a major public health benefit from cleaner air: Kids' lung function not only matters in the short-term, but is also tied to their risk of developing heart and lung disease later in life. To read more,click here |
| The Biggest Problem for Parents of a Child with Special Needs? Other People
Jane McCready is used to her 10-year-old son being gawped at "as if he were a circus freak" but she will never be reconciled to it. "Children are one thing, they don't know any better. But these are adults. They look at Johnny and their mouths fall open and they just stare. And I think: didn't anyone ever tell them how rude that is?" Johnny has severe autism and learning disabilities. "He looks like any other child, but he behaves oddly - for example, he might sit there banging two toys together - and he sometimes makes strange noises." Especially when he was younger, he might have a massive meltdown - at the supermarket checkout, for instance. "I'd feel 300 pairs of eyes on us - all watching us, all judging us for being disruptive and difficult," says Jane. Perhaps the worst day was when, at the swimming pool, another mother pulled her child away from Johnny "as though he had something catching". To read more,click here |
| About 7 Percent of Kids Worldwide Have ADHD: Study
About 7 percent of children worldwide have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), new research concludes. This estimate -- which differs significantly from other recent appraisals -- is based on data from 175 prior studies conducted over nearly four decades. The approximation could help public health officials determine whether ADHD is overdiagnosed or underdiagnosed in their nation, state or community, said lead author Rae Thomas, of Bond University in Australia. To read more,click here |
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| ADHD Plus Childhood Trauma Heightens Risk for Self-Harm, Suicide
Young women with ADHD who have been exposed to abuse, neglect or other traumas in childhood and adolescence are at greater risk for self-injury, eating disorders and suicide than those with ADHD who were not mistreated in early youth, according to new research from UC Berkeley. The findings, just reported in the journal Development and Psychopathology, add to a growing body of evidence that environmental factors, including maltreatment in childhood, can have a significant bearing on the negative psychosocial outcomes of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.To read more,click here |
| Tracking Brain Blood Flow May Help Predict Concussion Outcomes
In the days and weeks following a concussion, it's often tough to give patients a clear sense of their recovery time. Now, a new study of college football players suggests that measuring blood flow in the brain might help. "It provides support for using cerebral blood flow as an objective signal for the initial evaluation of a concussion, as well as measuring progress and recovery," said one expert, Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He was not involved in the new research. To read more,click here |
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| Obama Task Force Urges Improved Police Interactions
A presidential task force is encouraging police departments across the nation to be more mindful of their dealings with people who have disabilities. In a report issued this week, the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing issued wide-ranging recommendations aimed at improving relations between the nation's 18,000 law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. President Barack Obama created the task force in response to high profile cases last year in Missouri and New York involving the deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police. To read more,click here |
| Growth Checks in Children Might Spot Celiac Disease
Checking children for growth problems may help identify those with celiac disease, according to a new study. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body has an immune reaction to a component of wheat called gluten, leading to damage to the small intestine. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, the illness strikes about one in every 100 people worldwide. Celiac disease is typically difficult to diagnose. It leads to "short stature, poor weight gain and poor growth, and has been underdiagnosed in children," said one expert, Dr. Gina Sam, director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Center at Mount Sinai in New York City. To read more,click here |
| 1 in 5 Preemies With Lung Disease Exposed to Secondhand Smoke
High levels of nicotine were found in the hair of many children with premature birth-related lung disease whose parents claimed not to smoke, a new study finds. The lung disease bronchopulmonary dysplasia often occurs in children who were born prematurely. Not surprisingly, exposure to tobacco smoke can be harmful for children with this condition, according to the researchers. In this study, Johns Hopkins Children's Center researchers analyzed nicotine levels in hair samples from 117 children younger than 3. All of the children had been seen at the bronchopulmonary dysplasia clinic between January 2012 and January 2014. To read more,click here |
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