Mouse Model of Intellectual Disability Isolates Learning Gene Adult male mice lacking a gene linked to intellectual disability have trouble completing and remembering mazes, with no changes in social or repetitive behavior, according to new research published in JNeurosci. This animal model provides a new way to study the role of this gene in learning and memory and provides a rodent model of pure intellectual disability. A mutation in the gene CRBN causes a type of intellectual disability in humans that is defined by a low intelligence quotient. Intellectual disability has been studied in the context of complex disorders like autism spectrum disorder, Fragile X and Down syndrome that co-occur with other conditions, which has made it difficult to selectively understand cognitive impairment. Read More |
Blood and Urine Tests Developed to Indicate Autism in Children ASDs are defined as developmental disorders mainly affecting social interaction and they can include a wide spectrum of behavioral problems. These include speech disturbances, repetitive and/or compulsive behavior, hyperactivity, anxiety, and difficulty to adapt to new environments, some with or without cognitive impairment. Since there is a wide range of ASD symptoms diagnosis can be difficult and uncertain, particularly at the early stages of development. The paper "Advanced glycation endproducts, dityrosine, and arginine transporter dysfunction in autism-a source of biomarkers for clinical diagnosis" has been published in Molecular Autism. The team was led by Dr Naila Rabbani, Reader of Experimental Systems Biology at the University of Warwick who said: "Our discovery could lead to earlier diagnosis and intervention." Read More |
Is Social Media to Blame for Poor Grades? Do teenagers who frequent Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites perform worse academically? Scientists from Germany have looked into these worries. "Concerns regarding the allegedly disastrous consequences of social networking sites on school performance are unfounded," says Professor Markus Appel, a psychologist who holds the Chair of Media Communication at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) in Bavaria, Germany. Markus Appel, PhD student Caroline Marker (JMU) and Timo Gnambs from the University of Bamberg have taken a closer look at how the social media use of adolescents correlates with their school grades. "There are several contradictory single studies on this subject and this has made it difficult previously to properly assess all results," Marker says. Some studies report negative impacts of Snapchat & Co., others describe a positive influence and again others do not find any relationship at all. Read More |
Newborn Babies Who Suffered Stroke Regain Language Function in Opposite Side of Brain It's not rare that a baby experiences a stroke around the time it is born. Birth is hard on the brain, as is the change in blood circulation from the mother to the neonate. At least 1 in 4,000 babies are affected shortly before, during, or after birth. But a stroke in a baby -- even a big one -- does not have the same lasting impact as a stroke in an adult. A study led by Georgetown University Medical Center investigators found that a decade or two after a "perinatal" stroke damaged the left "language" side of the brain, affected teenagers and young adults used the right sides of their brain for language. The findings, reported Feb. 17 in a symposium at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in Austin, Tex., demonstrates how "plastic" brain function is in infants, says cognitive neuroscientist Elissa L. Newport, PhD, professor of neurology at Georgetown University School of Medicine, and director of the Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery at Georgetown University and MedStar National Rehabilitation Network. Read More |
Hearing Loss is Common After Infant Heart Surgery Children who have heart surgery as infants are at risk for hearing loss, coupled with associated risks for language, attention and cognitive problems, by age four. In a single-center group of 348 preschoolers who survived cardiac surgery, researchers found hearing loss in about 21 percent, a rate 20 times higher than is found in the general population. The researchers recommend that children who undergo heart surgery have their hearing evaluated by age 24 to 30 months, to increase their chances of receiving timely medical intervention. The study appeared in the January 2017 issue of the Journal of Pediatrics. "Children born with life-threatening heart defects require a great deal of sophisticated care before and after surgery," said study leader Nancy B. Burnham, RN, MSN, CRNP, a nurse-practitioner in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). "This study reminds healthcare providers not to overlook hearing evaluations, because early detection and intervention can reduce later problems in neurodevelopment." Read More |
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What Predicts the Quality of Children's Friendships? Study Shows Cognition, Emotion Together Play Whether children think their peers' intentions are benign or hostile, and how those children experience and express their own emotions, may influence the quality of their friendships, according to a new study from the University of Illinois. Friendships play an important role in children's psychological and behavioral adjustment, especially during the transition to adolescence. Some friendships may even provide positive support and act as buffers against stress at home. Others may have negative features such as conflict or rivalry. Child development researchers at U of I wanted to look at what predicts the quality of children's friendships. In a recent study published in the journal Child Development, the researchers measured a child's cognitions about negative but ambiguous peer events (attribution biases) and the child's tendency to experience and express strong emotions (emotional intensity). Read More |
Back-and-Forth Exchanges Boost Children's Brain Response to Language A landmark 1995 study found that children from higher-income families hear about 30 million more words during their first three years of life than children from lower-income families. This "30-million-word gap" correlates with significant differences in tests of vocabulary, language development, and reading comprehension. MIT cognitive scientists have now found that conversation between an adult and a child appears to change the child's brain, and that this back-and-forth conversation is actually more critical to language development than the word gap. In a study of children between the ages of 4 and 6, they found that differences in the number of "conversational turns" accounted for a large portion of the differences in brain physiology and language skills that they found among the children. This finding applied to children regardless of parental income or education. Read More |
Hearing Loss Linked to Poor Nutrition in Early Childhood, Study Suggests Young adults who were undernourished as preschool children were approximately twice as likely to suffer from hearing loss as their better- nourished peers, a new study suggests. The study, led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, analyzed the relationship between the hearing of more than 2,200 young adults in Nepal and their nutritional levels as children 16 years earlier. The findings suggest that nutritional interventions in South Asia could help prevent hearing loss, a condition which currently affects an estimated 116 million young people in the region. The study was published February 7 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Hearing loss is the fourth leading cause of disability worldwide, and an estimated 80 percent of affected individuals live in low- and middle-income countries. Prevalence estimates of hearing impairment among children and young adults in South Asia range from 14 to 28 percent of the population. Read More |
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LATEST JOB LISTINGS POSTED ON NASET
* Director of Special Education - The Director of Special Education is responsible for leadership, administration, and supervision of all services and programs associated with the provision of special education in Council Bluffs Schools and for all instructional services provided in community-based programs for which the school district is responsible. To learn more - Click here * Special Education Teacher - Jewish Child & Family Services (JCFS) provides vital, individualized, results-driven, therapeutic and supportive services for thousands of children, adults and families of all backgrounds each year. JCFS is currently seeking a Special Education Teacher to work with individuals and small groups of children (K - 12) with emotional and behavior disorders in a therapeutic special education classroom. The Therapeutic Day School is located in West Rogers Park, Chicago, IL. To Learn More - Click here * Special Education Teacher - Year Round Facility School - Provide an optimal classroom environment and learning experience, Establishes and maintains strong classroom management, complete all academic and diagnostic assessments, participate with family and/or guardian and team in the development of IEP and facilitate and monitor activities in accordance with each child's IEP goals. To learn more - Click here * Certified Special Education Teacher - Susan E. Wagner Day School with 5 locations throughout the Bronx. Administer appropriate educational testing to gather data for the development of IEP. Develop appropriate individualized. Provide therapeutic intervention in the classroom to maintain a therapeutic educational environment.Document academic and behavioral evaluations of students. To learn more - Click here * Educational Director - Do you enjoy leading a collaborative team, utilizing your leadership and behavioral skills while positively affecting children with significant disabilities? Then consider joining Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health!Being an Educational Director at Devereux has its Advantages. To learn more - Click here * Special Education Teacher - At Mastery, all means all. Nearly one quarter of our students have individualized education plans (IEPs) to help ensure they get the educational opportunities they need. As a Secondary Special Education Teacher you will work with a team of teachers, case managers, school leaders, and central office support staff to help push the boundaries of what's possible for your students academically, emotionally, and physically while also developing your craft. To learn more - Click here * Special Education Teacher (secondary) - Linwood Center is currently hiring for Special Education teachers for Grades 9-12. The teacher will guide the educational process and provide specialized instruction at the secondary school level for students with autism and related disabilities in classrooms of four to seven students. S/he will use various techniques to promote learning, including individualized instruction, problem-solving assignments, and small-group work. To learn more - Click here * High School Special Education Teacher - Tutor individual and small groups of students, reinforcing language and reading concepts. Schedule and conduct IEP meetings, coordinating schedules with parents, general education teacher(s), administrator, and all appropriate special education staff. Communicate with parents regarding individual student progress and conduct. Maintain progress records and record progress toward IEP goals. To learn more - Click here * Instructional Specialist - The STEPP Program's mission is to provide students with learning disabilities who aspire to achieve a college education and who demonstrate the potential for postsecondary success with access and comprehensive support throughout the university experience. By partnering with these students, their families, and a variety of educational communities, the STEPP Program fosters a network of opportunities and resources to empower and support students from admission to graduation from East Carolina University. To learn more - Click here * EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - Criterion Child Enrichment is conducting a search for an Executive Director. Founded in 1985 as a not-for-profit organization, Criterion has served families for over 30 years and is a leading provider of early childhood education and early intervention services. Each year the agency serves over 7000 families through a program network that extends throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To learn more - Click here * Program Director ~ Annandale Campus - Applications are being accepted for this key leadership position within PHILLIPS Programs. The PHILLIPS School ~ Annandale Program Director, reporting to the President & CEO, will be responsible for all aspects of operation of a 200 pupil campus for students with emotional & behavior problems, learning disabilities and other school challenges. The Program Director also oversees a staff of 150. To learn more - Click here * Special Education Teacher - Various - $50,000/school year (185 days), summers off with year round pay and year round appreciation. Special Education Teachers needed in Arizona (Phoenix and surrounding cities). Needs are in the self-contained and resource settings serving students with emotional disabilities (ED), Autism (A), Severe/Profound (S/P), and Intellectual Disabilities (ID). STARS is the largest school contract agency in AZ. STARS is owned and operated by Occupational Therapists. You will be an employee and receive full benefits. To learn more - Click here * Special Education Teacher - The Adolescent Care Unit (ACU) at Tséhootsooí Medical Center on the Navajo Nation seeks a Special Education Teacher to work with 8 to 10 teens aged 13-17 with mild emotional or behavior issues in a subacute 60-day inpatient program. ACU combines western therapy with Native American traditional cultural methods to foster health and Hozho or harmony, and is located in northeastern AZ. To learn more - Click here
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