Week in Review - May 25, 2018

NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

May 25, 2018                     Vol 14 Issue #20

Continuing_Ed
Dear NASET News,

Welcome to NASET'sWEEK in REVIEW.  Here, we provide you with the latest publications fromNASET 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 Professional Resources (Video Lecture)

Evaluation and Eligibility of Children with Suspected Disabilities
The process of a child moving from general education to special education has many steps. The federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), sets forth very specific steps and procedures to ensure that children with suspected disabilities are evaluated for special education and determined eligible for services in a step-by-step manner. Each step along the way often has many parts, and it is imperative as a teacher that you understand the nature of the special education process involving evaluation and eligibility. This NASET professional development course will focus on the identification, evaluation and eligibility of children with suspected disabilities. After watching this video lecture, you should understand the following:
  • Child Find
  • Indicators of Children Who May Have a Suspected Disability and Need an Evaluation
  • How Students Are Identified For An Evaluation For A Suspected Disability
  • Child Study Teams (CST)
  • Parental Consent
  • Consent v. Agreement
  • Evaluation Standard
  • Multidisciplinary Teams
  • Discriminatory Evaluations
  • Validity and Reliability
  • Standardization
  • Comprehensive Evaluations
  • Testing and Report Writing in Native Language
  • Eligibility
  • Eligibility Committees
  • Annual and Triennial Reviews
NASET's Career Center
Professional Development Course

Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
Prior to the passage of P.L. 94-142, many students with disabilities were excluded from school entirely, and many others were offered an education that was not appropriate to their needs. ? When P.L. 94-142 was enacted in 1975, it required that States submit plans that assured all students with disabilities the right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Today, IDEIA requires that all States demonstrate that they have in effect "a policy that assures all children with disabilities the right to a free appropriate public education." But what really is a FAPE? What's mandated in order to provide FAPE to all children receiving special education? The focus of this NASET video course will be to discuss in detail a free appropriate public education.
Topics covered include:
  • Introduction to FAPE
  • Definition of FAPE
  • "Free"--Education Be At No Cost To The Parent
  • Hendrick Hudson District Board of Education v. Rowley
  • Educational Benefit
  • Cadillac v. Chevrolet argument
  • Best v. Appropriate
  • Defining An "Appropriate" Education
  • Graduation and FAPE
This course contains three video lectures, an accompanying PowerPoint Presentation file and PDF of the PowerPoint slides for your notes.

To access this course click on this link: Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
How Can We Help Children with Brain Injuries Transition Back to School?
Children with brain injuries face significant challenges when transitioning from hospital or home to school where they face issues such as lack of educator understanding and catching up with missed work. In the current issue of NeuroRehabilitation, leading researchers in the field of pediatric brain injury from across the globe identify today's key issues in supporting children and youth with brain injuries as they transition to school or college. The number of children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and acquired brain injury (ABI) continues to grow globally. In the US alone each year, approximately 700,000 children up to the age of 19 sustain a TBI requiring hospitalization or emergency treatment. The effects of pediatric TBI and ABI affect every aspect of functioning -- cognitive, behavioral, and social. Read More

Alternative Treatment for Mild Asthma
A large international study led by a Hamilton researcher has found a patient-centric treatment that works for people with mild asthma. People with mild asthma are often prescribed a daily treatment regimen, but up to 80 per cent do not follow the routine, using inhalers only when they have an asthma attack. Now the researchers have found an as-needed combined-drug inhaler is a viable treatment option. Paul O'Byrne is the principal investigator on the study that suggests an inhaler with a combination of budesonide, a steroid that controls inflammation, and formoterol, a beta2-agonist that helps to open airways and make breathing easier, may be an alternative to conventional treatment strategies. Read More
Cannabidiol Significantly Reduces Seizures in Patients with Severe Form of Epilepsy
Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from the cannabis plant that does not produce a "high" and has been an increasing focus of medical research, was shown in a new large-scale, randomized, controlled trial to significantly reduce the number of dangerous seizures in patients with a severe form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. In the new study comparing two doses of CBD to a placebo, the researchers reported a 41.9 percent reduction in "drop seizures" -- a type of seizure that results in severe loss of muscle control and balance -- in patients taking a 20 mg/kg/d CBD regimen, a 37.2 percent reduction in those on a 10 mg/kg/d CBD regimen, and a 17.2 percent reduction in a group given a placebo. Read More
First Clues to the Causes of Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis, which affects 1 in 1,000 people, is frequently characterized by relapses associated with variable functional impairments including among others vision problems, impairment of locomotor functions or difficulties with speech. There is still no cure for multiple sclerosis, with current treatments largely based on managing symptoms, especially accelerating recovery phases following a relapse and reducing the number and severity of relapses. Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, and Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) have identified a DNA-binding factor called TOX that might play a role in triggering multiple sclerosis. They found that TOX license immune cells to cause autoimmune tissue destruction in the brain. The results of the research, published in the journal Immunity, deliver important insights into our understanding and treatment of auto-immune diseases. Read More
Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET Members
AASEP Logo
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

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Congratulations to: Pam Choate, Sheila Marie Trzcin, Denise Keeling, Michelle Hull, Melody Owens, Jessica Gaspar, Olumide Akerele, Amy Stamm, Darlene Desbrow, Patsy Ray, Cindi Maurice, and Tracey Christilles who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question:

QUESTION:
One of the most important factors in ensuring student success is quality instruction by teachers. However, quality instruction can be a difficult goal if teachers do not have the resources to improve their skills and if rising levels of teacher stress go unchecked. "It's no secret that teaching is a stressful profession," said Keith Herman, professor in the University of Missouri College of Education. "However, when stress interferes with personal and emotional well-being at such a severe level, the relationships teachers have with students are likely to suffer, much like any relationship would in a high stress environment." Based on the most current research (from the University of Missouri), high levels of job-related stress affect what percent of teachers?
ANSWER:  93%
This week's question:  This company recently announced launching a $25 million initiative to use artificial intelligence to build better technology for people with disabilities. The new "AI for Accessibility" effort hopes to empower people by accelerating the development of AI tools that provide them with more opportunities for independence and employment. According to its President, it may be an accessibility need relating to vision or deafness or to something like autism or dyslexia," Smith said in an interview. "There are about a billion people on the planet who have some kind of disability, either permanent or temporary. Those people already have "huge potential," he said, but "technology can help them accomplish even more." What is the company?
If you know the answer, email us at contactus@naset.org by May 28, 2018.  We will acknowledge your correct answer in the next edition of the Week in Review

New Research has Potential to Predict Children at Risk for Autism
A groundbreaking study being done at Boston Children's that research say could potentially predict whether a child as young as 3 months old is at-risk for developing autism. Right now, most children can't receive a reliable diagnosis until at least 1 year.  Chase Minicucci and his mother, Hillary Steele Minicucci. regularly go to Boston Children's to track his development. Chase seems to be a typically developing toddler, and he's learning to point and use words to express his needs. However, Chase has been identified as at risk because is older brother, who is 7, has autism. "We did the testing, and one day after his 4th birthday...the doctor said, 'so your son has autism,'" said Hillary Steele Minicucci.  Hillary and her husband also have a 6-year-old daughter who does not have autism, but autism is more prevalent in boys. Read More
When Texas Standardized Tests have Glitches, Special Education Students Can be Deeply Affected
When technical problems in 2016 affected more than 14,000 computerized State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness - or STAAR - tests, Sarah Martinez questioned whether online assessments were the way to go for her two daughters, who both have dyslexia. Now ages 10 and 14, Martinez's daughters are each enrolled in the Fort Worth Independent School District and old enough to take the assessments - but their mom requests that they don't take the STAAR test online because she said the system is "fraught with problems." "I'm lucky and I've worked with some great teachers and administrators and we, as a group, decided the best thing for my kids was for them to take the test in small group settings with oral administration," Martinez said. "There was just less opportunities for glitches that way, honestly." Read More
Washington Kids with Special Needs Often Denied Right to Learn in General Classes
Samuel Clayton got off the school bus and showed the Middle School dance flier to his dad. "Dance," he said with a big grin, pointing to the word on the flier. There are lots of words Sam carefully pronounces aloud, but "dance" is one of the few words the 13-year-old can both read and comprehend. An 8th-grade student with Down syndrome, Sam thrives on music. He dances at home to nursery rhymes from "The Wiggles." When he plays the ukulele at church, he can't help but move his hips. So when his parents gave him the green light to attend, he could hardly wait to go to his first after-school dance. When the day of the dance arrived in February, Sam marched into the school gym with his wallet - excited to pay for the $3 ticket himself. Then, he hit the dance floor. His parents, Sandy and Rob Clayton, stood in the back of the gym and slowly became more and more upset. Their special needs son was surrounded by kids for 45 minutes, but really, he was alone. Read More
The Number of Teens Attempting Suicide or Plagued by Suicidal Thoughts has Doubled
There were 115,856 visits to hospitals by children who attempted suicide or had suicidal thoughts between 2008 and 2015, according to a report published in the May 2018 edition of Pediatrics, the official journal from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Over those seven years, the annual percentage of visits for those two reasons almost doubled, from 0.66% in 2008 to 1.82% in 2015. More teens than younger children arrived at hospitals with such feelings of despair. "Significant increases were noted in all age groups, but were higher in adolescents 15 to 17 years old and adolescents 12 to 14 years old," the report said. The rise coincided with the spring and fall semesters of school, and dipped during the summer, suggesting that issues are compounded in school. Read More
Therapeutic Riding Boosts People of All Ages with Disabilities
For once, the horses were louder than the humans. There was only silence for some people amid the crunch of gravel and swish of tails. Ashley Armijo faced the three horses as they shifted weight from one hoof to another. She waved her hands to draw the attention of the student riders. With slow movements, the director of the New Mexico Center for Therapeutic Riding used hands signals to ask the question: "Do you want to go fast?" The 7- and 8-year-old students from the New Mexico School for the Deaf each nodded as giddy smiles spread across their faces. Armijo approached student Demi Padilla's horse and led her forward. "Ready?" Armijo asked in American Sign Language. Read More
State Board of Education Approves a Monitor for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Special Education Program
The Illinois State Board of Education on Wednesday voted to appoint an independent state monitor to oversee Chicago Public Schools' under-fire special education program. "The corrective action and recommendations we offered today are the right first step to helping CPS fully serve all children and families," State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith said in a statement. "The common good requires uncommonly good public schools. With the State Board's action today, the Public Inquiry process concludes, and the road to transformation begins." The unanimous vote comes just days after state board officials said CPS has violated federal law protecting special education students. Last month, ISBE officials found that some of CPS' special education reforms made during ousted CEO Forrest Claypool's tenure with help from consultants he'd known for years, "delayed and denied services to individual students" under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Act. Read More
As Minnesota Schools Struggle with Costs, Special Education Takes a Toll
With the legislative session in its last full week, school funding is still a sticking point between lawmakers and Gov. Mark Dayton. The governor has made "emergency" school funds one of his central demands, citing the budget shortfalls facing many districts. One big driver of those shortfalls is special education. The category accounts for one-fifth of general-fund education spending in Minnesota, and its cost is rising. Districts spent a total of $2.2 billion on special education last year, an increase of 26 percent over a decade even after adjusting for inflation. Special education touches families in every part of the state. In total, 141,237 students receive the services for a wide range of reasons, including physical impairments, learning disabilities and behavioral issues. Read More
Kids Are Taking Fewer Antibiotics, More ADHD Meds
Children and adolescents are getting fewer prescription drugs than they did in years past, according to a study that looks at a cross-section of the American population. "The decrease in antibiotic use is really what's driving this overall decline in prescription medication use that we're seeing in children and adolescents," says Craig Hales, a preventive medicine physician at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics and lead author of a study published Tuesday in JAMA. Hales says that's a good thing. "Thirty percent of antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary and potentially dangerous," he says. They're often given for colds and other viral infections, where they are useless. And they may have side effects. Antibiotic overuse also increases the risk that these drugs lose their curative powers. Read More

Brain Size Mediates the Association Between Height and Cognitive Ability
Reports from several studies have identified a link between height and general cognitive ability, or intelligence, but the mechanisms underlying this association are not well known. Researchers from the University of Helsinki, University of California San Diego and Boston University found that this association is mediated by cortical surface area. The researchers examined the association between height and cognition through a model where the size of cortical grey matter was considered as a mediator. They found that greater height was associated with bigger cortex, which in turn was linked with better cognitive ability. Read More
In-Womb Air Pollution Exposure Associated with Higher Blood Pressure in Childhood
Children who were exposed to higher levels of air pollution during the third trimester of their mother's pregnancy had a higher risk of elevated blood pressure in childhood, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension. Fine particulate matter of 2.5 microns or less (PM2.5) is a form of air pollution produced by motor vehicles and the burning of oil, coal and biomass, and has been shown to enter the circulatory system and negatively affect human health. Previous studies found, direct exposure to fine air pollution was associated with high blood pressure in both children and adults and is a major contributor to illness and premature death worldwide. Read More
Airport Makes Travel Easier For Children with Autism
Air travel can be challenging for any family but for those with children with Autism, it is often a difficult task due to hypersensitivity to large crowds, loud noises and communication difficulties. As a result, many families do not fly due to the fear of the response it could elicit from their children with Autism, and subsequently fellow travelers and airline crew members. That's where the Autism in Flight program comes in. It allows students with Autism the opportunity to simulate the experience of commercial airline travel. Read More

jobs
LATEST JOB LISTINGS POSTED ON NASET

* Primary Grades Lead Teacher - Primary Teacher positions are for an education professional eager to participate in the development of a growing Reggio-Emilia inspired academic program and help create and support a unique school culture.  Bennett Day School teachers understand that the craft of teaching is dynamic; they adapt to and integrate this belief in his or her daily work in the classroom and school community. The primary grade teacher will work in collaboration with other teaching teams, the TESLab teacher, and the Principal to integrate rich, developmentally appropriate programming in the classroom.  The primary grade teaching position follows a two year loop. To learn more - Click here

* PRESIDENT - St. Rita School for the Deaf - The President provides leadership to achieve the fullest attainment of the mission of St. Rita School for the Deaf (SRSD). The President serves as an administrative officer of the Board of Limited Jurisdiction and serves on the board as ex-officio member without vote. The President is the overall leader and facilitator of the school and bears ultimate responsibility for the integration of faith and culture, consistent with the mission and core values of St. Rita School for the Deaf. To learn more - Click here

* Science Test Developer, Alernate Assessment -The Science Test Developer will lead state assessment projects and tasks that include the development and management of Science Assessment programs. Responsibilities include: Managing the review, revision, and delivery of Science test items and ensuring item quality. To learn more - Click here

* Learning Specialist -Bennett Day School is a progressive independent day school looking for passionate educators with innovative spirit and rich background in adolescent learning and school experience.  We are a new type of independent school; unabashed believers in the values of progressive education, we put students at the center of the process of learning. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teachers-All Areas - Stafford County Public Schools is actively seeking certified Special Education-All Areas Teachers for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year. We also offer Travel Reimbursement for out of state applicants available ONLY with a signed contract. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher - DHH (2 positions open) - The teacher will implement into daily instruction appropriate educational curriculum based on the Nevada State Standards and the CCSD Curriculum Essentials Framework (CEF) or secondary syllabi into daily student instruction. The teacher will create and maintain an educational atmosphere that encourages effective student learning and supports school and district programs and goals. To learn more - Click here

* Family Assistant - Working single parent with 5 children, aged 8 through 16, seeks an experienced Family Assistant in Lake Forest to join the household team. The ideal candidate has an active, fun, easy-going personality and will enjoy a bustling household with a pool, tennis court, game room, etc. Education degree or certification in special education required. 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

If you are an Employer looking for excellent special education staff - Click here for more information
Food For Thought..........
True charity is the desire to be useful to others with no thought of recompense.
Emanuel Swedenborg

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