15th International DCDT (Division of Career Development and Transition) Conference

"From Cobblestones to Cornerstones: Revitalizing Transition Outcomes"

Savannah, Georgia
October 29-31, 2009

Conference Strands for the 15th Semi-Annual DCDT International Conference Savannah, GA:

• Assessment

• Student Diversity & Multicultural Approaches

• Transition Approaches for Specific Student Disability Groups

• Postsecondary Education Services

• Employment Focused Education and Business Strategies

• Legislation & Policy

• Family Partnerships

• Program Evaluation Models and Data-based Decision Making

• Personnel Preparation and Professional Development

• Self-Determination & Student Involvement

• Vendor/Exhibitor Presentations

• Community Partnerships

• Aligning Transition with Standards and School Reform

• Transition Education in Elementary & Middle Schools

A preconference will be held on Wednesday, October 28 on the Summary of Performance. This workshop is being conducted by Drs. Audrey Trainor, Jim Patton and Gary Clark. The cost is $75.00 and all participants must have a laptop for the SOP software (donated by Pro-Ed) to be loaded on your computer.

To view the conference webpage, please click on the link above.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Is Prevalent In Adults With Down Syndrome

ScienceDaily (Aug. 17, 2009) — A study in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicineshows that adults with Down syndrome also frequently suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, complications of untreated OSA such as cardiovascular disease, daytime sleepiness and impaired cognitive functioning overlap with the manifestations of Down syndrome; therefore, OSA may not be detected.

Results indicate that 94 percent of subjects with Down syndrome had OSA; 88 percent had at least moderate OSA with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of more than 15 breathing pauses per hour of sleep; and 69 percent had severe OSA with an AHI of more than 30. Twelve of the 16 subjects with Down syndrome were obese, and there was a significant correlation between body mass index (BMI) and AHI. Total sleep time in subjects with Down syndrome (307 minutes) was more than an hour less than in controls (380 minutes). Despite the severity of OSA in the study group, medical evaluation had been sought in only one case.

To view the entire article, please click on the title above.

Temp Work Strains Employee Mental Health, Study Finds

ScienceDaily (Aug. 11, 2009) — Workers hired for temporary, contract, casual or fixed-term positions are at risk for increased mental health problems, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.

"Temporary workers—those lacking long-term, stable employment—seem to be susceptible to declining mental health for as long as they continue to work in these so-called 'disposable' or 'second class' jobs," said Amélie Quesnel-Vallée, a medical sociologist at McGill University and the study's primary investigator. "This research shows that temporary work strains employee mental health, as contingent workers report more symptoms of depression and psychological distress than similarly employed workers who are not in these fixed-term positions."

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Attention Deficit Disorder Workshop (ADD & ADHD)

For Parents & Other of Children with Special needs

Facility By: Lexington County Public Library

Presented By: PRO-Parents of SC

Parents Reaching Out to Parents of South Carolina

Tanya M. Inabinet

Regional Education Coordinator

Wednesday

8/26/2009

10:30am-2:30pm

Lexington County Public Library

(Downstairs- Conference Room #2)

5440 Augusta Road

Lexington SC 29702

TOPICS:

*Understanding ADD/ADHD

*Functional Behavior Assessments

*Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIP)

*Teaching Strategies

*And much more

SEATING IS VERY LIMITED

Call to register 1-800-759-4776 or

(803)772-5688

This is a free Workshop

Open to the public

This meeting is open to the public and is neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Lexington County Public Library. Views expressed are those of the program sponsors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinion of the library.

PRO-Parents of SC

652 Bush River Road Ste 203

Columbia SC 29210 803.772-5688 or

800 759 4776

proparents@proparents.org (email)

www.proparents.org (website)

To view the Pro-Parents website, please click on the link above.

Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders in the Classroom

Workshop for Educators, Allied Professionals and Parents

August 25, 2009

8:30 - 3:00pm

LOCATION:

South Carolina State Museum

301 Gervais Street

Columbia, SC 29201

$20.00 – Registration Fee

8:30 - 9:00 AM Registration

9:00 - 9:15 AM Welcome/Introduction

9:15 - 11:45 PM Presentation

11:45 - 12:45 PM Lunch (On your Own)

12:45 - 2:45 PM Presentations continued

2:45 - 3:00 PM Questions/Answers/Evaluations

Children with Tourette syndrome present unique challenges

in the classroom. Participants will learn how the condition is

diagnosed and how it can be managed at school.

Topics include:

• Criteria for diagnosing Tourette syndrome

• Disorders often associated with Tourette syndrome (ADHD, OCD, and Learning Disabilities)

• Impact of these disorders in the classroom

• Classroom strategies and techniques

• The need for positive behavioral accommodations

About the presenter:

Susan Conners is president and founder of the TSA of Greater New York State. A teacher for 33 years, Sue served on the Board of Directors of National TSA for 12 years and chaired TSA’s Education Committee. An international workshop presenter, Sue is the author of numerous publications on the education of children with20TS and has won many awards for her work.

PRO-Parents of SC

652 Bush River Road Ste 203

Columbia SC 29210

803.772.5688

800.759.4776 toll free

To view information about the conference on the Pro-Parents webpage, please click on the link above.

Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Webinar Series

The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Webinar Series

provides a collection of topics for educators, rehab professionals, assistive technology specialists, individuals with disabilities and their families, and others who are looking to broaden their knowledge of assistive technology and the evaluation skills needed to assess the products. These topics include a general overview of AT, augmentative communications, technology for the blind or visually impaired, and topics to assist those providing support to students with special needs.

Each webinar is being presented by national leaders in their field.

Note: there is a fee for some (if not all) of these webinars:

-Selecting Software for Students with Learning Disabilities: An Instructional Resource:

Tuesday, September 1: 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Eastern time

This webinar will discuss how selecting appropriate educational software for students with learning disabilities can often be a difficult and complicated process. This online resource helps people to better understand the nature of different learning disabilities as well as identify appropriate and effective educational software to deal with specific cognitive and achievement deficits- as identified through common learning disability testing instruments. Learn how this resource came to be created, and how you can use it to better help your students with learning disabilities.

Jayme Johnson is the Web Accessibility Instructor at the High Tech Center Training Unit (HTCTU) for the California Community Colleges. Jayme conducts workshops and trainings in the areas of assistive computer technology and web accessibility, including instructional design and technology, assistive computer technology applications, emerging technologies and media, distance education, and related access issues.

-Technology for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

Presenter: William Bielawski, Director of Adaptive Technology Center, The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

Thursday, September 3: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Eastern time

This webinar is a complete examination of the current technology used by people who are blind or visually impaired to access information on paper or electronic information. It will trace the recent evolution of this technology and the implications for today's young students, college students, working adults, and seniors.

After a career at Bell Laboratories, William Bielawski joined The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired as Director of the Adaptive Technology Center and Office Skills Training. Bill was co-founder of the Illinois Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (IPVI) in 1986 and is its President. Bill is also the Blindness Strand Advisor for the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) 2009 Chicago Conference in October.

-Stirring the Alphabet Soup: Blending AT, UDL, RTI, and AIM to Increase Achievement

Presenters: Joy Zabala, Ed.D., ATP, CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology): Diana Carl, Independent Consultant, Vicki Hershman, PATINS State Project Director (Indiana), Indiana Department of Education/Division of Student Learning/Office of Differentiated Learners

Wednesday, September 9: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Eastern time

-AIMing for Achievement!: What YOU Need to Know about the Selection, Acquisition, and Use of Accessible Instructional Materials

Presenters: Jeff Diedrich, Michigan Integrated Technology Services; Skip Stahl, CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology); Jenna Wasson Gravel, CAST; Joy Zabala, Ed.D., ATP, CAST

Thursday, September 10: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Eastern time

-Overview of Assistive Technology

Presenter: Russ Holland, Program Director, Alliance for Technology Access

Wednesday, September 16: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Eastern time

Go to our website for session abstracts, learning outcomes, and speaker biographies

To view the SCATP website, please click on the link above.

Formal Education Lessens Impact Of Alzheimer’s Disease -- Even If Brain Volume Is Already Reduced

ScienceDaily (Aug. 12, 2009) — Researchers at the Department of Psychiatry, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, investigated the effects of formal education on the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. They were able to show that education diminishes the impact of Alzheimer's disease on cognition even if a manifest brain volume loss has already occurred.

The results are published in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Dr. Robert Perneczky, Department of Psychiatry at Klinikum rechts der Isar explains: "We know that there is not always a close association between brain damage due to Alzheimer's disease and the resulting symptoms of dementia. In fact, there are individuals with severe brain pathology with almost no signs of dementia, whereas others with only minor brain lesions exhibit a considerable degree of clinical symptoms."

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

The NADD 26th Annual Conference & Exhibit Show for 2009

Advancing Mental Wellnesss Through Excellence in Mental Health Care(ID/MH)

October 21-23, 2009

Royal Sonesta Hotel
300 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Phone: 504-586-0300 * 800-766-3782
www.sonesta.com/RoyalNewOrleans

For more information, please click on the title above.

Children With Positive Outlooks Are Better Learners

ScienceDaily (Aug. 9, 2009) — Teaching children how to be more resilient along with regular classroom instruction can improve children's outlook on life, curb depression and boost grades, according to a researcher who spoke at the American Psychological Association's convention August 8.

"In the last 50 years, the U.S. population has seen an increase in their standard of living, such as having more money, owning more homes and cars and living longer. But our sense of meaning, purpose and satisfaction with life have not gone up, they have gone down," said psychologist Martin Seligman, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania. "This has been especially detrimental to children. Nearly 20 percent of young people experience depression."

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Light Shed On Brain's Mechanism Responsible For Processing Of Speech

ScienceDaily (Aug. 14, 2009) — Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have succeeded for the first time in devising a model that describes and identifies a basic cellular mechanism that enables networks of neurons to efficiently decode speech in changing conditions.

The research may lead to the upgrading of computer algorithms for faster and more precise speech recognition as well as to the development of innovative treatments for auditory problems among adults and young people.

Our brain has the capability to process speech and other complex auditory stimuli and to make sense of them, even when the sound signals reach our ears in a slowed, accelerated or distorted manner.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Window Into The Brain: Diffusion Imaging MRI Tracks Memories And May Detect Alzheimer's At Early Stage

ScienceDaily (Aug. 17, 2009) — When we absorb new information, the human brain reshapes itself to store this newfound knowledge. But where exactly is the new knowledge kept, and how does that capacity to adapt reflect our risk for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of senile dementia later in our lives?

Dr. Yaniv Assaf of Tel Aviv University's Department of Neurobiology is pioneering a new way to track the effect of memory on brain structure. "With a specific MRI methodology called 'Diffusion Imaging MRI,' we can investigate the microstructure of the tissue without actually cutting into it," he explains. "We can measure how much capacity our brain has to change structurally, what our memory reserve is and where that happens."

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Elementary Students Held Back In Early Grades Often Do Not Get Special Education Plan

ScienceDaily (June 1, 2009) — Many children who are retained in kindergarten, first or third grade for academic reasons do not subsequently receive a document outlining the individualized special education services they should receive, according to a new report.

Each year, 5 percent to 10 percent of American students are retained at the same grade level, according to background information in the article. One in 10 students age 16 to 19 have repeated a grade. "Some of these students may require special education services at the time they are retained, in subsequent years or both," the authors write. "One approach to supporting a child with low academic achievement is the provision of special education services, as indicated in an Individualized Education Program (IEP). An IEP is a legally binding document describing a child's special education services and is developed after the child has undergone a special evaluation and has been determined eligible for services."

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Epilepsy Halted In Mice

ScienceDaily (Aug. 4, 2009) — Scientists at Leeds have prevented epilepsy caused by a gene defect from being passed on to mice offspring – an achievement which may herald new therapies for people suffering from the condition.

The study is published August 3 in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). It offers, for the first time, irrefutable proof that a faulty version of a gene known as Atp1a3 is responsible for causing epileptic seizures in mice.

Says lead researcher Dr Steve Clapcote, of the University of Leeds' Faculty of Biological Sciences: "Atp1a3 makes an enzyme called a sodium-potassium pump that regulates levels of sodium and potassium in the brain's nerve cells. An imbalance of sodium and potassium levels has long been suspected to lead to epileptic seizures, but our study is the first to show beyond any doubt that a defect in this gene is responsible."

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.