Week in Review - July 21, 2017

NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

July 21, 2017                                                Vol 13 Issue # 29



Dear NASET News,

Welcome to NASET'sWEEK in REVIEW.  Here, we provide you with the latest publications from NASET to read and or download, as well as some of the most interesting articles that have happened this week in the field of special education. We hope you enjoy this publication.  Feel free to send us articles for this publication or let us know your thoughts about the WEEK in REVIEW at news@naset.org. Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

NASET News Team

NEW THIS WEEK ON NASET

NASET Q & A Corner Issue #80


Academic Assessments and Students with Disabilities: ESSA Fact Sheet

The Stakeholder Guide to the Every Student Succeeds Act(ESSA) requires states to give the following academic assessments to all public school students each year: (1) Mathematics: In each of grades 3 through 8; and at least once in grades 9 through 12; (2) Reading or language arts: In each of grades 3 through 8; and at least once in grades 9 through 12; and (3) Science : One time during grades 3 through 5; grades 6 through 9; and grades 10 through 12. These assessments must be aligned with the state's academic content and achievement standards. In addition, states must give an annual assessment of English language proficiency to all English learners. This issue of NASET's Q & A Corner comes from the Center for Parent Information and Resources and is designed to accompany the Stakeholder Guide to the Every Student Succeeds Act(ESSA) andgives you a brief overview of ESSA's requirements for academic assessment of students with disabilities.Read More

Graduates with Intellectual Disabilities Face Transition

Often during graduation ceremonies schools take a moment to announce where each student will be headed next; the college they have been accepted to, the job or apprenticeship they are starting or the branch of the military they have joined. But for students with intellectual disabilities graduation is a very different transition. Since the closure of the Laconia State School and a move toward inclusion, these students can access educational services from around age 3 to 21. Determining what comes next can be as complicated as going to college. The types of activities and how services are delivered have evolved over time, and two Dover-based providers, Great Bay Services and Community Partners have played a key role. Community Partners is an area agency, representing one of 10 districts in the state set up after the closure of the state school. Deirdre Watson is the family support director at Community Partners where they work mainly with the families in transition, beginning about the time the student is starting high school. Read More

Nationwide Teacher Shortage Seeps into Colorado, as Educators Work on Solutions. Special Education Teachers in High Demand

Schools used to set their sights on spring hiring to fill teacher openings for the next school year. Not anymore. "It's hiring season all year long," said Peter Hilts, chief education officer in Falcon School District 49. The nationwide teacher shortage has seeped into Colorado and is creeping toward a crisis. The state has an "urgent need" to develop teachers, said Kim Hunter Reed, executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education. In high demand are special-education teachers, along with technical instructors for the burgeoning science, technology, engineering and math disciplines, and specialties such as foreign languages. Read More

In California, Push to Help Students with Dyslexia, LA Schools Take a First Step

The Los Angeles Unified school board jumped ahead of a new state law last week and instructed the school district to immediately create a plan to train teachers on the leading learning disability in California: a reading impairment known as dyslexia. The demand by the board of the second-largest school district in the U.S. was hailed by parent advocates as a signal that districts across the state, and potentially the nation, might finally provide interventions that help students with dyslexia learn to read. Effective interventions are available, but most school districts nationwide do not provide them widely, citing the cost of training, according to advocates for students with disabilities. "We know what works," said Pamela Cohen, a teacher in the district and a member of Decoding Dyslexia California, a parent advocacy group that has led state and national efforts to improve services. "It's time to put the pedal to the metal." She described her child's anguish at not being able to learn to read and her own frustration at not being able to get help from teachers or school specialists. Read More

Students with Special Needs Learn Through Beautiful Rainbow Cafe

David Hodges has learned a lot at Gadsden's Beautiful Rainbow Cafe. He knows how to chop vegetables and makes homemade marshmallows and pavlovas for sale with the lunches the cafe serves during the week. But more than that, since he began working there, he is better at reading. Hodges is 20, employed at the cafe which opened in February in the Gadsden Public Library. He is also a special needs student in Gadsden City Schools - classified as transitional; moving out from school into the community. He and other students like him work at the cafe, which also caters local events. "If I wasn't here, I would just be at home, doing nothing," Hodges said. Read More

ADHD Linked with Becoming a Teenage Parent

People are more likely to become teenage parents if they have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), researchers found. Previous studies have found links between ADHD and risky sexual behavior, leading the team to look at rates and timing of having children.  Researchers studied data on nearly 2.7 million people born in Denmark from 1960-2001, of whom 1% had a diagnosis of ADHD. Compared to those without ADHD, those with the disorder were more likely to become parents at ages 12-15 and 16-19. However, those with ADHD were less likely to ever become parents, which is consistent with research showing that mental disorders are associated with a decreased likelihood of having children. Read More

Large Study Finds First Genes Linked to Tourette's Syndrome

The first genes linked to Tourette's syndrome have been identified in the biggest study of the disorder to date. An international team of researchers scanned the genomes of nearly 6500 people and identified two genes which significantly raise the risk of developing the syndrome. 'We know that Tourette syndrome runs in families, but over the course of the last 25 years it's been incredibly difficult to identify any genes definitively,' said Dr Jeremiah Scharf of Massachusetts General Hospital and co-leader of the research effort to the Boston Herald. 'This is really setting the stage for how this might be treated in the future.' Tourette's syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary movements and verbal outbursts, which affects around one in 100 people. Multiple genes contribute to the development of the disorder but these can differ between individuals, many of whom frequently exhibit other neurological disorders including attention deficit disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. These factors have made it difficult to identify genes specifically associated with the development of Tourette's syndrome. Read More

Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET Members

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Through 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.Read More

Williams Syndrome: What It's Like Being A Kid Who Has The 'Opposite Of Autism'

The first time I met Eli, in the late winter of 2011, he was waiting for me at his front door. Gayle had told him to expect a visitor: a writer who wanted to observe him "in his natural habitat," as Gayle put it. She always waited to deliver exciting news like this-a guest!-until the last possible moment, so the anticipation wouldn't overwhelm him. Still, Eli had been restlessly awaiting my arrival for the two hours since he'd gotten home from school. At first, all I saw were pudgy fingers wrapped around the door, which was open just a crack. I heard Gayle's command: "Do not go out there, Eli." An eyeball appeared in the crack between the door and its frame. It bulged wide when it saw me. Then the baby-faced boy, who had just turned twelve, flung the door open. He rubbed his palms together, beaming as if he were about to open a Christmas present. Then he waved frantically, as if I might not have noticed him and might simply turn and walk away. "Hi, Kenny!" he bellowed into the snowy parking lot of his apartment complex. Eli spoke with exclamation points: earnestly and emphatically. Read More

Premature Infants at Greater Risk of SIDS

Premature infants still have a greater risk compared to full-term babies of dying of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths despite recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics that hospital NICU's provide more safe infant sleep education to parents before they go home. "While we can't undo a preterm birth, we can help compensate for the accompanying elevated risk of sudden infant death syndrome and other sleep-related infant deaths by helping families adopt the beneficial practices that include putting an infant on his back to sleep and keeping the sleep environment clutter free," said Barbara Ostfeld, professor of pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and program director of the SIDS Center of New Jersey. Read More

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK
THE TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK WILL RETURN ON AUGUST 4, 2017

Research Survey for Special Educators & Special Education             Administrators

NASET member is currently a doctoral candidate at Concordia University - Portland and asks for your help in completing a research survey regarding Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and the educational placement of students with emotional disorders. In this study, you will be asked to complete an electronic survey. Your participation in this study is voluntary and you are free to withdraw your participation from this study at any time. The survey should take only 15-20 minutes to complete.
This survey has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of Concordia University - Portland. There are no risks associated with participating in this study. The survey collects no identifying information of any respondent. All of the responses in the survey will be recorded anonymously. By completing and submitting this survey, you are indicating your consent to participate in the study. Your participation is appreciated. For your help, you will be entered to win one of 8 Amazon gift cards. Please click on the survey link below and provide us with your feedback no later than August 30, 2017.

Team Develops Virtual Reality App to Help Diagnose ADHD

This year's Disrupt NY Hackathon featured an innovative use of virtual reality in helping diagnose attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Designed by a team of high school students from New Jersey, the virtual reality experience aims to simplify the process of diagnosing ADHD. Called "ReVive" (not be confused with the similarly titled ReVive software for making Oculus Rift software compatible with HTC Vive hardware), the program has the user complete challenges involving concentration, reaction time, and motor skills. Maze navigation, standing still in a designated virtual space, and other tests are included, all adding to final scores that are presented to an evaluating clinician. It's not meant to replace the role of a physician in working up a patient for ADHD, but rather allow for quickly obtaining data on a patient with an immersive, believable experience through VR. Read More

In Louisiana, New Savings Program Aims to Help People with Disabilities

The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance and the State Treasurer's Office launch a new savings program to help people with disabilities. Tyana Dequana with LOSFA says the LA ABLE program enables people with disabilities to put money aside for future expenses. "This allows you to save for things like your education, your employment training, your housing, transportation, anything that you might need in the future while you get to keep your social security benefits and your Medicaid benefits as well," Dequana said. Dequana says people can save up to $14,000 a year without losing those benefits. But once the account reaches $100,000, social security payments would end until the amount goes back under that threshold. She says this comes as a relief to many with disabilities who will finally be able to do something to help themselves for the future. Read More

Robots to Help Children with Autism

New research involving the University of Portsmouth is aiming to develop robots to help children with autism in ways humans can't. The Development of Robot-Enhanced therapy for children with Autism spectrum disorders (DREAM) project will design robots that can operate autonomously and help the therapist to improve the child's social interaction skills, such as turn-taking, imitation and joint attention. Robot-assisted therapies (RAT) have shown promise as potential assessment and therapeutic tools as research has shown that children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage more readily with robots rather than humans, because robots are simple and predictable. However, current social robots are simply remote-controlled by the therapists and like standard therapies, still require a lot of time, energy and human resources. Read More

Higher IQ in Childhood is Linked to a Longer Life

Higher intelligence (IQ) in childhood is associated with a lower lifetime risk of major causes of death, including heart disease, stroke, smoking related cancers, respiratory disease and dementia, finds a study published by The BMJ. It is the largest study to date reporting causes of death in men and women across the life course, and the findings suggest that lifestyle, especially tobacco smoking, is an important component in the effect of intelligence on differences in mortality. Previous studies have shown that, on average, individuals with higher IQs tend to live a little longer than those with lower IQs, but these are largely based on data from male conscripts followed up only to middle adulthood. Read More

Are Fidget Spinners a Good Distraction? What Will Become of Spinners in the 2017-18 School Year Remains Uncertain

Whirling fidget spinners invaded classrooms across the country this past spring, but with many schools banning them as a distraction, their future as a potential remedy for students with attention difficulties is in doubt. Teachers from districts including Mt. Pleasant City School District in Michigan and Catawba County Schools in North Carolina, were supportive of fidget spinners, according to online publications, but increasingly school leaders are banning the toys from classrooms because they have become too much of a distraction. In one case, Todd Clinton, a special education teacher at Upperman Middle School in the Putnam County School District in Tennessee, was excited about fidget spinners helping his students, so he posted the benefits on social media. Read More

Honor Society for Special Education Teachers

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Possible Early Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Measuring a set of proteins in the blood may enable earlier diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a study from the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The research found that the levels of two proteins previously identified as potential markers for ASD could help scientists accurately diagnose the disorder in approximately 75 percent of the children studied. When the two proteins are measured together, the diagnostic accuracy increased to 82 percent. The study published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation is among several recent and ongoing efforts to improve early diagnosis of ASD by shifting focus to biological measurements instead of behavioral symptoms. Read More

Food Allergies Linked to Childhood Anxiety

Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology and Albert Einstein College of Medicine studied the link between food allergy and childhood anxiety and depression among a sample of predominantly low socioeconomic status minority children. The results showed that children with a food allergy had a significantly higher prevalence of childhood anxiety. Food allergies were not associated with symptoms of childhood depression or with symptoms of anxiety or depression among their caregivers. The results are published in the Journal of Pediatrics. Food allergies are increasingly common among youth in the U.S. with recent estimates as high as 8 percent. Until now little was known about the prevalence of food allergy in low socioeconomic ethnic minority populations. Read More
jobs

LATEST JOB LISTINGS POSTED ON NASET


*High School SpEd Teacher (Los Angeles, CA) - At Bright Star Schools, students achieve academic excellence, accept responsibility for their futures, and embrace school as family. We offer students the opportunity to develop their unique talents and ambitions in a supportive, collaborative environment. To learn more  - Click here
*Special Education Teachers- All Areas - Stafford County Public Schools is actively seeking qualified applicants for Special Education Teachers in All Areas. Please visit our website to learn more about our opportunities and benefits. To learn more- Click here

*Inclusive SpEd Instructional Coordinator - The Inclusive Education Instructional Coordinator will work closely with the Director(s) of Inclusive Education, Lead Inclusion Specialist Teachers (ISTs), School Psychologists, and school site administrators to plan and execute a comprehensive improvement plan to increase student achievement for our students with special needs. To learn more -Click here
*Special Education High School Teacher - We value teachers who truly listen to what students are saying - who create a space for students to think their way through to answers, and explore insights and curiosities along the way. Teachers at Ascend share a hunger for feedback and professional growth, and a dedication to excellence. To learn more -Click here
*Full-Time Special Education Teacher - At Ascend, we seek high school teachers who are passionate about their subjects and their students - who want to spend their time discussing, preparing, and immersing themselves in the content they're about to teach. Teachers at Ascend share a hunger for feedback and professional growth, and a dedication to excellence. To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Teacher - We are seeking inspired and dynamic educators to join our team and provide a top quality education for all of our students. Whether you are starting your teaching career or are looking to launch a new chapter, your passion and experience will be deeply valued and your opportunities for growth and impact will be limitless.  To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Teacher - Come teach in Agua Fria where all students are college and career ready! We currently have openings for Certified Special Education Teachers.  Our competitive salary and benefits package paired with our amazing students, family atmosphere and strong community make Agua Fria Union High School District THE place to teach. To learn more -Click here
*Special Education Preschool Teacher -  Longview School District seeks lead teacher for special education preschool classroom serving three and four year old children with a range of communication, social-emotional, and physical developmental delays, including those with autism spectrum disorder. To learn more - Click here
*Inclusive Specialist (Special Education) Teacher - Bright Star Schools is a free, publicly funded and open enrollment non-profit organization with seven public charters in urban Los Angeles. We are seeking a certified Inclusive Specialist (Special Education) Teacher to join our people-first and student-first family! We are also currently offering a $5,000 signing bonus to all new 2017-18 Inclusive Specialist Teachers. To learn more - Click here
*Teaching in New York City - New York City public schools offer competitive starting salaries ranging from $54,000 to $81,694, based on prior teaching experience as well as your undergraduate and graduate education. To learn more - Click Here
*Special Education Specialist - The primary responsibility of the Special Education Specialist is to provide instruction and other related services to Special Education students. The Special Education Specialist will also facilitate diagnostic assessment including administration, scoring and interpretation. To learn more - Click here

If you are an Employer looking for excellent special education staff - Click here for more information

Food For Thought..........

To teach is to never stop learning. Both are synonymous with each other and always will be.

Eric Ambrose

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