Study: Genetic abnormality tied closely to autism

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January 11, 2008 - Study: Genetic abnormality tied closely to autism

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January 11, 2008

News for special education professionals

Curriculum & Instruction

§ Study: Genetic abnormality tied closely to autismAbout 1% of people with autism share a genetic abnormality, according to a study published online Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. A missing or duplicated segment of chromosome 16 increases the probability of autism about 100 times, and may focus researcher attention on the tiny string of 25 genes that appear to be tied to autism. Chicago Tribune (free registration) (1/10) , ABC News (1/9)

§ Demand for specialized schools for autism far exceeds supplyPrivate Massachusetts schools for children with severe autism can't grow quickly enough to accommodate demand. Melmark New England, which expanded 30% in 2006, still has a waiting list of more than 100. The Boston Globe (1/10)

§ Spellings says she'll reform NCLB herselfEducation Secretary Margaret Spellings says she plans to use her executive authority to make changes to NCLB since the law's reauthorization has stalled in Congress. Her proposals include expanding a growth-model pilot, fine-tuning school sanctions and standardizing how states calculate graduation rates. USA TODAY (1/9)

§ One in three Milwaukee school-age children live in povertyCleveland, New Orleans, Detroit, Fresno, Calif., St. Louis and Milwaukee have the largest proportion of low-income students in the United States, according to newly released U.S. Census data gathered in 2005. "I literally go into classrooms and say ... 'I'm begging you to stay in school and work hard,'" said Tom Barrett, Milwaukee's mayor. "We know that's the long-term solution." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (1/9)

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Educational Leadership

§ Most Florida districts turn down merit payFew Florida teachers are likely to receive $2,000 in performance-based bonuses this year, in part because only 26 of the state's 67 school districts have applied for the funds, and none of those have yet met all the state's requirements to receive the money. Additionally, the state's legislature has already emptied the performance-pay fund to help cover a $1 billion budget shortfall. Orlando Sentinel (Fla.) (1/11)

§ Report: Toronto school violence incidents going unreportedToronto school employees fear that lodging complaints about school violence will hurt their careers, which is preventing hundreds of incidents from being reported, according to a report from a school-safety panel convened after a 15-year-old student was shot. "I think that until [the shooting] happened, we probably thought we had a pretty good handle on it," said , chairman of Toronto's school board. "And I think what that did is it really drew attention to the fact that we didn't have a very good handle on it." The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (1/11)

Technology Trends

§ Wisconsin bill would preserve online schools via stricter standardsA Wisconsin state senator has introduced a proposal that would preserve the state's virtual schools possibly threatened by a recent court ruling, but would impose new standards for online schools, such as minimum requirements for teacher-student contact. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (1/11)

§ Other News

· U.K. firms, lawmakers aim for advancements in assisted technologyComputerWeekly.com (1/9)

Policy News

§ Mother with disabilities fights for right to keep childSabreena Westphal, 40, has cerebral palsy and is unable to walk or fully use her arms, lost her two young sons to an adoption 20 years ago and is now going to court to prevent the same from happening to her 5-year-old daughter. Social workers believe Westphal's disabilities keep her from caring for herself, much less for a child, but Westphal says that she's always wanted to be a mother. Chicago Tribune/McClatchy/Tribune newspapers (free registration) (1/8)

§ Schwarzenegger to seek $4.8B in school funding cutsInstead of 2008 ushering in a year of historic education reforms, as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pledged several months ago, California public schools will be asked to cut $4.8 billion, or nearly 10%, amid a state budget crisis. Schwarzenegger also wants to suspend schools' constitutional guarantee of basic funding, which a union leader said could have a devastating effect. San Francisco Chronicle/Associated Press (1/10) , The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) (free registration) (1/10)

§ Report: 5% of teens, young adults have abused cough medsA new report has found that 5% of people ages 12 to 25 -- about 3.1 million young people -- have abused cough syrups and cold pills to hallucinate or get high. Whites reported taking cough and cold medications to get high at a rate three times higher than blacks, the research showed. Reuters (1/9)

Eye on Exceptionalities

§ Gifted students experiment at the university levelYajie Yu and Sun, seniors at Missouri's Rock Bridge High School, are among a group of gifted students in Columbia Public Schools who have been given the opportunity to perform scientific research at the college level. "Working in a lab or doing sophisticated real-world stuff lets them see the life of academia and research so they can see if they fit that profession," Rock Bridge gifted education teacher Marilyn Toalson said. Columbia Daily Tribune (Mo.) (1/10)

§ Cruise lines vary in accommodations for people with disabilitiesWhile most cruise lines feature two dozen or more wheelchair-accessible staterooms, public areas can provide a challenge, with too-narrow passages, inaccessible bathrooms and inconvenient barriers, according to this article. Newer ships are changing, however, and potential passengers are advised to check with a line's special-services desk or a knowledgeable travel agent before booking. MSNBC/Tripso (1/7)

CEC Spotlight

§ Save with early-bird registration for CEC's 2008 Convention & Expo CEC's Convention & Expo is THE place to be for special educators. Just some of this year's highlights include the latest information on RTI, autism, differentiating instruction, behavior and discipline, school change, assistive technology, and new resources and materials. Register by Jan. 11 for early-bird savings! Find out more.

§ CEC's blog for new teachers -- Real-world advice Find out about networking for you and your students, the difference you make as a teacher, including students with disabilities in general education classes, and working with students with autism on CEC's blog for teachers. Find out more.

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