hi Journal of Public Health Dentistry study finds association between man-made chemical, childhood caries By www.ada.org Published On :: Mon, 10 Feb 2020 16:08:00 -0600 Circulating levels of perfluorodecanoic acid, a type of perfluoroalkyl acid, may be associated with dental caries in children, according to a study published in the fall 2019 issue of the Journal of Public Health Dentistry. Full Article
hi ADA Foundation offers scholarships to dental students By www.ada.org Published On :: Fri, 14 Feb 2020 11:23:00 -0600 The ADA Foundation will award up to three scholarships worth at least $11,000 each to dental students in 2020. Full Article
hi Study investigates cellular mechanism behind dental fluorosis By www.ada.org Published On :: Fri, 21 Feb 2020 10:40:00 -0600 Results from a NYU College of Dentistry study suggest how excess fluoride exposure affects the cells forming tooth enamel — possibly explaining how dental fluorosis arises. Full Article
hi Narwhal exhibit to start U.S. tour March 28 By www.ada.org Published On :: Thu, 27 Feb 2020 12:22:00 -0600 Dr. Martin Nweeia began researching narwhals in 2000. He came to the conclusion that the prevailing research available about the narwhal’s tooth — such as Charles Darwin’s belief that the narwhal’s tooth was a secondary sexual characteristic like an antler or a horn — was only part of the story. Full Article
hi Phishing email claims to be from ADA president By www.ada.org Published On :: Mon, 02 Mar 2020 17:04:00 -0600 At least one American Dental Association member has reported receiving a phishing email appearing to come from an address containing ADA President Chad P. Gehani's name and including a link to "view member's details." Full Article
hi Private practice pays $100,000 settlement for potential HIPAA violation By www.ada.org Published On :: Fri, 06 Mar 2020 14:13:00 -0600 Ogden, Utah — The Office for Civil Rights announced March 3 that it had reached a settlement with Dr. Steven A. Porter’s medical practice to settle a potential violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act security rule. Full Article
hi ADA seeks clarification from HHS regarding chief dental officer By www.ada.org Published On :: Fri, 06 Mar 2020 14:50:00 -0600 The American Dental Association is applauding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to appoint a chief dental officer at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid but would like to confirm the position is exclusive to CMS. Full Article
hi Association warns members on potential coronavirus-related phishing emails By www.ada.org Published On :: Mon, 16 Mar 2020 16:29:00 -0500 The Association is asking member dentists and their dental teams to increase their vigilance over phishing emails as a result of the coronavirus, known as COVID-19.Attackers often use emergencies as an opportunity to send fake emails tailored to that situation, the association said. Full Article
hi Scholarship due date for dental education program for directors pushed to April 15 By www.ada.org Published On :: Tue, 24 Mar 2020 09:53:00 -0500 The extension comes after it was announced the program will now be held Oct. 22-23 in Atlanta due to concerns over COVID-19. LEAP was originally set for May 7-8. Full Article
hi University of Washington School of Dentistry appoints Dr. Gary Chiodo as dean By www.ada.org Published On :: Fri, 27 Mar 2020 15:01:00 -0500 The University of Washington School of Dentistry announced March 26 that Dr. Gary Chiodo, its interim dean since August 2018, will now serve a full five-year term as dean. Full Article
hi JADA’s new CSA Corner highlights ACE Panel survey results on HPV vaccine By www.ada.org Published On :: Fri, 03 Apr 2020 14:06:00 -0500 Dentists’ comfort levels and perceived roles in discussing and administering the human papillomavirus vaccine appear to vary, according to the results of an American Dental Association Clinical Evaluators Panel survey published in The Journal of the American Dental Association. Full Article
hi ADA offers free e-books on managing finances, HIPAA training April 8-14 By www.ada.org Published On :: Tue, 07 Apr 2020 11:26:00 -0500 As part of its ongoing efforts to support dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ADA is offering members two free e-books the week of April 8-14: “Managing Finances: Best Practices” and “The ADA Practical Guide to HIPAA Training.” Full Article
hi ADA leadership answers members’ questions about minimizing risk of COVID-19 transmission By www.ada.org Published On :: Wed, 08 Apr 2020 11:41:00 -0500 A panel of ADA experts answered members’ questions in a video released April 8 regarding the Association’s interim guidance for minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission while performing emergency and urgent dental care. Full Article
hi ADA council affirms importance of code of ethics during COVID-19 pandemic By www.ada.org Published On :: Thu, 09 Apr 2020 14:34:00 -0500 The ADA Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs’ ethics subcommittee authored an online essay as part of its Ethical Moment series in the May issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association, affirming that the ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct is just as important as ever when making the difficult decisions they encounter on a daily basis. Full Article
hi ADA urges third-party payers to adapt coding, billing procedures to help patients recover By www.ada.org Published On :: Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:51:00 -0500 The American Dental Association sent a letter to third-party payers urging that administrators of dental benefit plans adjust and adapt reimbursement procedures important to dentists and patients — including coverage for temporary procedures and adjusting fee schedules to account for cost of increasing infection control procedures ¬— in the midst of the “unprecedented and extraordinary circumstances dentists and their patients face” during the pandemic. Full Article
hi ADA Board of Trustees holds historic all-digital meeting April 3 By www.ada.org Published On :: Fri, 10 Apr 2020 14:04:00 -0500 The ADA Board of Trustees traditionally holds six meetings a year at Association Headquarters in Chicago, but this year, for the first time, the Board held its April meeting via Zoom — an all digital meeting. Full Article
hi ADA president: ‘This will pass’ By www.ada.org Published On :: Wed, 15 Apr 2020 16:20:00 -0500 “Dentistry is very resilient to any obstacles put in front of the profession. It’s a great profession and if I have to do it over again, I would again want to be a dentist.” Those were the words of ADA President Chad P. Gehani in a candid interview about the Association’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Full Article
hi Chicago Dental Society donates thousands of supplies to dental school clinic, health care facilities By www.ada.org Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 10:49:00 -0500 The Chicago Dental Society and its members donated thousands of personal protective equipment to front-line health care workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Full Article
hi ADA advocates that third-party payers modify fee schedules as dentists consider going back to work By www.ada.org Published On :: Thu, 23 Apr 2020 14:19:00 -0500 The ADA is urging third-party payers to alter their fees to account for the increasing cost of personal protective equipment that dentists are using to protect themselves, their staff and patients. Full Article
hi Third wave of HPI polling shows dentists’ response to COVID-19 By www.ada.org Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 10:32:00 -0500 The third round of results from the ADA Health Policy Institute poll on the impact of COVID-19 on dental practices was released April 27, with 79% of dentists reporting their practices are closed except for emergencies and 17% are closed completely. Full Article
hi Crude prices rise after positive news from China By www.upi.com Published On :: Tue, 15 Jan 2019 09:51:50 -0500 Oil prices rose early Tuesday, after Monday declines, possibly helped by some positive news from China -- but doubts remain as to whether that direction will hold. Full Article
hi Oil rises after report on possible China talks concessions By www.upi.com Published On :: Fri, 18 Jan 2019 09:11:06 -0500 Oil prices rose early Friday trailing equity gains late Thursday that followed a report about possible concessions ahead in U.S. trade talks with China. Full Article
hi Suicide risk high in first year after brain cancer diagnosis By www.upi.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 13:28:09 -0400 People with brain cancer are at increased risk for suicide compared to the general population, particularly within the first year following diagnosis, a new analysis has found. Full Article
hi Study: ACE inhibitors, ARBs don't increase risk for COVID-19 By www.upi.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 12:41:17 -0400 Certain high blood pressure medications may be linked with more serious illness from COVID-19, but they don't increase a person's risk for getting the disease, a new study published Tuesday by JAMA Cardiology reports. Full Article
hi Combination of HIV, hepatitis C, MS drugs might resolve COVID-19 infection By www.upi.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 18:38:48 -0400 Combination therapy with interferon beta-1b plus lopinavir-ritonavir and ribavirin appears to improve symptoms and shorten hospital stays for people with mild to moderate COVID-19. Full Article
hi Measles vaccinations in U.S. children fall up to 60 percent since pandemic, CDC says By www.upi.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 19:03:09 -0400 Pediatric vaccination against measles has declined by as much as 60 percent nationally since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to new data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Full Article
hi Trends in Uninsured Rates Before and After Medicaid Expansion in Counties Within and Outside of the Diabetes Belt By care.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-01-27T16:03:28-08:00 OBJECTIVETo examine trends in uninsured rates between 2012 and 2016 among low-income adults aged <65 years and to determine whether the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which expanded Medicaid, impacted insurance coverage in the Diabetes Belt, a region across 15 southern and eastern states in which residents have high rates of diabetes.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSData for 3,129 U.S. counties, obtained from the Small Area Health Insurance Estimates and Area Health Resources Files, were used to analyze trends in uninsured rates among populations with a household income ≤138% of the federal poverty level. Multivariable analysis adjusted for the percentage of county populations aged 50–64 years, the percentage of women, Distressed Communities Index value, and rurality.RESULTSIn 2012, 39% of the population in the Diabetes Belt and 34% in non-Belt counties were uninsured (P < 0.001). In 2016 in states where Medicaid was expanded, uninsured rates declined rapidly to 13% in Diabetes Belt counties and to 15% in non-Belt counties. Adjusting for county demographic and economic factors, Medicaid expansion helped reduce uninsured rates by 12.3% in Diabetes Belt counties and by 4.9% in non-Belt counties. In 2016, uninsured rates were 15% higher for both Diabetes Belt and non-Belt counties in the nonexpansion states than in the expansion states.CONCLUSIONSACA-driven Medicaid expansion was more significantly associated with reduced uninsured rates in Diabetes Belt than in non-Belt counties. Initial disparities in uninsured rates between Diabetes Belt and non-Belt counties have not existed since 2014 among expansion states. Future studies should examine whether and how Medicaid expansion may have contributed to an increase in the use of health services in order to prevent and treat diabetes in the Diabetes Belt. Full Article
hi Performance of High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Assays To Reflect Comorbidity Burden and Improve Mortality Risk Stratification in Older Adults With Diabetes By care.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-03-11T14:49:52-07:00 OBJECTIVEIncorporation of comorbidity burden to inform diabetes management in older adults remains challenging. High-sensitivity cardiac troponins are objective, quantifiable biomarkers that may improve risk monitoring in older adults. We assessed the associations of elevations in high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and T (hs-cTnT) with comorbidities and improvements in mortality risk stratification.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSWe used logistic regression to examine associations of comorbidities with elevations in either troponin (≥85th percentile) among 1,835 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study with diabetes (ages 67–89 years, 43% male, 31% black) at visit 5 (2011–2013). We used Cox models to compare associations of high cardiac troponins with mortality across comorbidity levels.RESULTSElevations in either troponin (≥9.4 ng/L for hs-cTnI, ≥25 ng/L for hs-cTnT) were associated with prevalent coronary heart disease, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, pulmonary disease, hypoglycemia, hypertension, dementia, and frailty. Over a median follow-up of 6.2 years (418 deaths), both high hs-cTnI and high hs-cTnT further stratified mortality risk beyond comorbidity levels; those with a high hs-cTnI or hs-cTnT and high comorbidity were at highest mortality risk. Even among those with low comorbidity, a high hs-cTnI (hazard ratio [HR] 3.0 [95% CI 1.7, 5.4]) or hs-cTnT (HR 3.3 [95% CI 1.8, 6.2]) was associated with elevated mortality. CONCLUSIONS Many comorbidities were reflected by both hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT; elevations in either of the troponins were associated with higher mortality risk beyond comorbidity burden. High-sensitivity cardiac troponins may identify older adults at high mortality risk and be useful in guiding clinical care of older adults with diabetes. Full Article
hi 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Practice Guideline: Impact on Prevalence of Arterial Hypertension in Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes By care.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-03-30T13:26:58-07:00 OBJECTIVEIn 2017, the American Academy of Pediatrics introduced a new guideline (2017 Clinical Practice Guideline of the American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP 2017]) to diagnose arterial hypertension (HTN) in children that included revised, lower normative blood pressure (BP) values and cut points for diagnosing high BP in adolescents. We studied the impact of the new AAP 2017 guideline on prevalence of HTN in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSUp to September 2018, 1.4 million office BP measurements in 79,849 children and adolescents (aged 5–20 years) with T1DM have been documented in the DPV (Diabetes Prospective Follow-up) registry. BP values of the most recent year were aggregated, and BP values of 74,677 patients without antihypertensive medication were analyzed (median age 16 years and diabetes duration 5.3 years and 52.8% boys). BP values were classified according to AAP 2017 and the references of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) (2011) and the Fourth Report on the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents (fourth report) (2004).RESULTSOf the patients, 44.1%, 29.5%, and 26.5% were hypertensive according to AAP 2017, KiGGS, and fourth report, respectively. Differences in prevalence of HTN were strongly age dependent: <10 years, AAP 2017 31.4%, KiGGS 30.7%, fourth report 19.6%; 10 to <15 years, AAP 2017 30.9%, KiGGS 31.2%, fourth report 22.4%; and ≥15 years, AAP 2017 53.2%, KiGGS 28.4%, fourth report 30.0%. Among teenagers ≥15 years, 59.1% of boys but only 46.3% of girls were classified as hypertensive by AAP 2017 but only 21.1%/26% of boys and 36.7%/34.4% of girls by KiGGS/fourth report, respectively.CONCLUSIONSClassification of BP as hypertension depends strongly on the normative data used. Use of AAP 2017 results in a significant increase in HTN in teenagers ≥15 years with T1DM, particularly in boys. AAP 2017 enhances the awareness of elevated BP in children, particularly in patients with increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Full Article
hi Erratum. Predicting 10-Year Risk of End-Organ Complications of Type 2 Diabetes With and Without Metabolic Surgery: A Machine Learning Approach. Diabetes Care 2020;43:852-859 By care.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-04-15T14:26:52-07:00 Full Article
hi Acrylamide Exposure and Oxidative DNA Damage, Lipid Peroxidation, and Fasting Plasma Glucose Alteration: Association and Mediation Analyses in Chinese Urban Adults By care.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-04-28T14:58:19-07:00 OBJECTIVEAcrylamide exposure from daily-consumed food has raised global concern. We aimed to assess the exposure-response relationships of internal acrylamide exposure with oxidative DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) alteration and investigate the mediating role of oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation in the association of internal acrylamide exposure with FPG.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSFPG and urinary biomarkers of oxidative DNA damage (8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine [8-OHdG]), lipid peroxidation (8-iso-prostaglandin-F2α [8-iso-PGF2α]), and acrylamide exposure (N-acetyl-S-[2-carbamoylethyl]-l-cysteine [AAMA], N-acetyl-S-[2-carbamoyl-2-hydroxyethyl]-l-cysteine [GAMA]) were measured for 3,270 general adults from the Wuhan-Zhuhai cohort. The associations of urinary acrylamide metabolites with 8-OHdG, 8-iso-PGF2α, and FPG were assessed by linear mixed models. The mediating roles of 8-OHdG and 8-iso-PGF2α were evaluated by mediation analysis.RESULTSWe found significant linear positive dose-response relationships of urinary acrylamide metabolites with 8-OHdG, 8-iso-PGF2α, and FPG (except GAMA with FPG) and 8-iso-PGF2α with FPG. Each 1-unit increase in log-transformed level of AAMA, AAMA + GAMA (UAAM), or 8-iso-PGF2α was associated with a 0.17, 0.15, or 0.23 mmol/L increase in FPG, respectively (P and/or P trend < 0.05). Each 1% increase in AAMA, GAMA, or UAAM was associated with a 0.19%, 0.27%, or 0.22% increase in 8-OHdG, respectively, and a 0.40%, 0.48%, or 0.44% increase in 8-iso-PGF2α, respectively (P and P trend < 0.05). Increased 8-iso-PGF2α rather than 8-OHdG significantly mediated 64.29% and 76.92% of the AAMA- and UAAM-associated FPG increases, respectively.CONCLUSIONSExposure of the general adult population to acrylamide was associated with FPG elevation, oxidative DNA damage, and lipid peroxidation, which in turn partly mediated acrylamide-associated FPG elevation. Full Article
hi Screening and Treatment Outcomes in Adults and Children With Type 1 Diabetes and Asymptomatic Celiac Disease: The CD-DIET Study By care.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-04-28T14:58:19-07:00 OBJECTIVETo describe celiac disease (CD) screening rates and glycemic outcomes of a gluten-free diet (GFD) in patients with type 1 diabetes who are asymptomatic for CD.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSAsymptomatic patients (8–45 years) were screened for CD. Biopsy-confirmed CD participants were randomized to GFD or gluten-containing diet (GCD) to assess changes in HbA1c and continuous glucose monitoring over 12 months.RESULTSAdults had higher CD-seropositivity rates than children (6.8% [95% CI 4.9–8.2%, N = 1,298] vs. 4.7% [95% CI 3.4–5.9%, N = 1,089], P = 0.035) with lower rates of prior CD screening (6.9% vs. 44.2%, P < 0.0001). Fifty-one participants were randomized to a GFD (N = 27) or GCD (N = 24). No HbA1c differences were seen between the groups (+0.14%, 1.5 mmol/mol; 95% CI –0.79 to 1.08; P = 0.76), although greater postprandial glucose increases (4-h +1.5 mmol/L; 95% CI 0.4–2.7; P = 0.014) emerged with a GFD.CONCLUSIONSCD is frequently observed in asymptomatic patients with type 1 diabetes, and clinical vigilance is warranted with initiation of a GFD. Full Article
hi Using the BRAVO Risk Engine to Predict Cardiovascular Outcomes in Clinical Trials With Sodium-Glucose Transporter 2 Inhibitors By care.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-04-28T12:58:49-07:00 OBJECTIVEThis study evaluated the ability of the Building, Relating, Assessing, and Validating Outcomes (BRAVO) risk engine to accurately project cardiovascular outcomes in three major clinical trials—BI 10773 (Empagliflozin) Cardiovascular Outcome Event Trial in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients (EMPA-REG OUTCOME), Canagliflozin Cardiovascular Assessment Study (CANVAS), and Dapagliflozin Effect on Cardiovascular Events–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (DECLARE-TIMI 58) trial—on sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) to treat patients with type 2 diabetes.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSBaseline data from the publications of the three trials were obtained and entered into the BRAVO model to predict cardiovascular outcomes. Projected benefits of reducing risk factors of interest (A1C, systolic blood pressure [SBP], LDL, or BMI) on cardiovascular events were evaluated, and simulated outcomes were compared with those observed in each trial.RESULTSBRAVO achieved the best prediction accuracy when simulating outcomes of the CANVAS and DECLARE-TIMI 58 trials. For the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial, a mild bias was observed (~20%) in the prediction of mortality and angina. The effect of risk reduction on outcomes in treatment versus placebo groups predicted by the BRAVO model strongly correlated with the observed effect of risk reduction on the trial outcomes as published. Finally, the BRAVO engine revealed that most of the clinical benefits associated with SGLT2i treatment are through A1C control, although reductions in SBP and BMI explain a proportion of the observed decline in cardiovascular events.CONCLUSIONSThe BRAVO risk engine was effective in predicting the benefits of SGLT2is on cardiovascular health through improvements in commonly measured risk factors, including A1C, SBP, and BMI. Since these benefits are individually small, the use of the complex, dynamic BRAVO model is ideal to explain the cardiovascular outcome trial results. Full Article
hi Predicting the Risk of Inpatient Hypoglycemia With Machine Learning Using Electronic Health Records By care.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2020-04-29T13:46:01-07:00 OBJECTIVEWe analyzed data from inpatients with diabetes admitted to a large university hospital to predict the risk of hypoglycemia through the use of machine learning algorithms.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSFour years of data were extracted from a hospital electronic health record system. This included laboratory and point-of-care blood glucose (BG) values to identify biochemical and clinically significant hypoglycemic episodes (BG ≤3.9 and ≤2.9 mmol/L, respectively). We used patient demographics, administered medications, vital signs, laboratory results, and procedures performed during the hospital stays to inform the model. Two iterations of the data set included the doses of insulin administered and the past history of inpatient hypoglycemia. Eighteen different prediction models were compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) through a 10-fold cross validation.RESULTSWe analyzed data obtained from 17,658 inpatients with diabetes who underwent 32,758 admissions between July 2014 and August 2018. The predictive factors from the logistic regression model included people undergoing procedures, weight, type of diabetes, oxygen saturation level, use of medications (insulin, sulfonylurea, and metformin), and albumin levels. The machine learning model with the best performance was the XGBoost model (AUROC 0.96). This outperformed the logistic regression model, which had an AUROC of 0.75 for the estimation of the risk of clinically significant hypoglycemia.CONCLUSIONSAdvanced machine learning models are superior to logistic regression models in predicting the risk of hypoglycemia in inpatients with diabetes. Trials of such models should be conducted in real time to evaluate their utility to reduce inpatient hypoglycemia. Full Article
hi Angela's Tips for Handling Your Child's Special Education Needs By schoolpsychologistfiles.blogspot.com Published On :: Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:22:00 +0000 This guest post is written by Angela Peterson who writes on the topic of Online Psychology Degrees and can be emailed at angela_peterson@rediffmail.comIt’s not easy raising a child, and when he or she is affected by a severe disorder or disease, you have a greater challenge ahead of you. You have to put in extra effort, energy and thought into your child’s development and progress, one aspect of which includes their education. Some parents of children with special needs may be tempted to overprotect by keeping them in cloistered environments and limiting their interaction with the outside world. This usually only hampers the child instead of helping them. If you’re a parent with a child who has special needs, here’s some strategies: * Understand your child: Some children may be able to express themselves while others are limited because of their disability. Whatever the case, understand your child and know that they have a mind of their own even if they are unable to speak it. Instead of forcing your will on them, get to know what they wish to do and cater to their needs as much as possible as long as it does not cause them any harm. * Be patient: It’s a tough task, but you need to have an enormous amount of patience with your child. You need to condition yourself to be patient through practice and experience, otherwise you and your child will be subject to a great deal of stress. * Decide on their education: There are many options for providing education to your special needs child, so look for what is available in your area. If you plan to homeschool, you will need to do some research before you’re up to the task. Many feel that it’s better to let the professionals handle this task who are trained and more experienced. Also, your child gets to mingle with other children and interact with them on a regular basis, which is very important to his or her social development. *Think about inclusive classrooms: Parents often want their special needs children to attend regular schools. Learn about inclusive classrooms and determine if it is a good fit for your child. Consider if your child is up to the task of being educated with general education children and if he/she can cope with the curriculum in such classrooms. Although teachers in inclusive classrooms are trained to deal with children with special needs, there may be times when your child could be bullied or teased by the other kids for not being like them. Take all these facts into consideration before you decide on an inclusive classroom for your child.Children with special needs need all the help and support they can get from parents and teachers, and it’s up to you to decide on the best form of education for them. Full Article
hi New Poll: How Do You Feel About the Level Of Education The School Provides Your Child By schoolpsychologistfiles.blogspot.com Published On :: Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:34:00 +0000 I will be starting a monthly poll to engage the readers of this blog and start some discussion. Feel free to comment on this topic. I'm sure many of you have a lot to say. At the end of the month, I'll share and discuss results in a blog post. I'm curious to see how the readers of this blog feel about your own schools. You can find the poll in the sidebar. Thanks for participating! Full Article
hi How Much of Your Child's Special Education Meeting Did You Understand? By schoolpsychologistfiles.blogspot.com Published On :: Tue, 28 Dec 2010 14:43:00 +0000 As a School Psychologist- I attend numerous Special Education Meetings weekly. There are Child Study Meetings, where we discuss interventions and may decide to complete an evaluation. There are eligibility meetings, where we determine if a student is eligible for special education services. There are IEP meetings where we develop a plan for a student who is eligible for special education. Additionally, there are Manifestation Determination meetings, Functional Behavioral Assessments, Behavior Intervention Plans, and 504 Meetings. I may attend around 5-10 meetings a week and I only work part time. Special education teachers, administrators, and a few others will attend these meetings as well. We are VERY used to the process and the terminology. That being said, we constantly have to remind ourselves that parents are often not used to any of it. We went to school for years to learn this, and we've been living it out in our careers. It's second nature to many of us. Parents often come in understanding very little. I try to be conscious of explaining what we are doing to the parents. However, it's a lot of information that gets thrown out very quickly. I want to know how many of the readers feel that you understood what transpired in the meetings you attended? Did you feel rushed? Did you feel supported? Share your comments and please vote in the poll. I'll leave it open through January and then discuss the results. Full Article
hi Why is My Child Defiant or Explosive? By schoolpsychologistfiles.blogspot.com Published On :: Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:56:00 +0000 Dedicated to the lady at Walmart with the screaming kid and all of us "good parents" who have been that lady at Walmart.One of the most difficult behaviors for parents or teachers to address is explosive behavior, a child who has little control over emotions and "melts down" in the classroom or at home. It is frustrating, it is embarrassing, it is anxiety producing, it causes intense emotions in ourselves. Parents agonize over why it happens or what they did wrong? Often the parents are blamed or judged by bystanders in stores, family members, friends, or school staff. However, I have seen parents with a variety of parenting styles have kids with poor emotional control, including those who are strict, those who are quick to give in, those who spank, those who use time out, those who take away privileges, and a whole lot of parents who feel like they have tried everything. I know children with very little emotional control from homes that are falling apart, from homes that are loving and supportive, from poor families, from affluent families, from parents who have no clue how to parent, from parents with excellent skills, even from School Psychologists. This is not to say that parenting styles do not have a role in this, but there IS more to it. We have to stop judging each other and get to the root of the problem. What is the Root of the Problem?The problem, the reason some children "explode" or act out with little emotional control, is because he or she is lacking a skill. Emotional control is a skill. Most kids will learn this skill through consistent discipline strategies, but some do not. Another way to look at it.We don't tell our kids how to read and then expect them to do it. We show them step by step. Some kids will pick it up easy, others will need to be taught and retaught and retaught and will need extensive help in doing so. Do we blame ourselves? Do we look at our friends judgementally and think to ourselves "look at the book she is using, it's all wrong?" No, we assume the child has a problem learning to read and we find a way to teach him. WE HAVE TO START LOOKING AT BEHAVIOR IN THE SAME WAY. When a child is exploding, the first step should not be to label the child or blame the parent. Lets start looking for the skill that is lacking. When we find that skill, lets teach it.It's NOT always a control issue. Sometimes kids act out because they have not been taught to obey and respect authority, but sometimes they act out in spite of good training at home. The explosions lead to self esteem problems in the child and the child feeling like a "bad kid," which in turn makes explosions bigger and more frequent. Have you ever looked at a screaming child and demanded he control himself right now or "act your age." It's a common thing to do. Have you ever looked at a child with a Learning Disability and said "read on your grade level, now!" or "I have told you and told you how to read, why aren't you reading?" Of course you haven't. We work with the reader at his level and patiently try different strategies to improve reading. We can't demand them to be good readers and we can't demand that a child who does not have the skills to control his emotions "act his age." These explosive kids need skills and truth be told, we who work with these kids need skills. If you are a parent with a child who acts "out of control" stop blaming yourself. It isn't necessarily because you spanked or didn't spank or were too strict or too lenient. Your child is lacking the skills she needs to control her emotions. Also, realize you are going to need to learn new skills to help your child learn the lacking skills. You are no longer in the Parenting 101 class, you need to move on to the Advanced skill- teaching parenting class. The BEST book I have read on this topic is The Explosive Child by Ross Greene. He addresses the skills these children might be lacking and he has great strategies to address the issue. (see Amazon link below)If you are a teacher and have an "explosive child" in your class, rethink your perspective of the student. The child needs to learn skills, so lets focus on teaching the skills and being patient with the children who are slower to learn emotional control. We as school staff can not make excuses or blame the parents. We have to reach the child at her level. We teach a child to read at her level. We must teach a child to control emotions at her level as well. Challenge for EveryoneLet us stop labeling these kids with emotional skill deficits as "bad kids" and stop judging the parents. Let's be honest with ourselves and recognize we all have shortcomings and could use skills in certain areas. Maybe our kids need skills in emotional control, maybe we do, maybe we need skills in teaching emotional control, or maybe we need skills in some other area all together. Let's be patient with our children and our peers and ourselves. Let's stop criticizing ourselves and others and start learning and teaching new skills. We don't live in a world with bad kids, we live in a world will kids who need skills, so let's teach. Full Article Interventions
hi Check out this Awesome Special Education Infographic by USC Rossier By schoolpsychologistfiles.blogspot.com Published On :: Sun, 21 Oct 2012 17:56:00 +0000 USC Rossier Online Full Article
hi Fourth person charged in shooting death of Michigan security guard By www.upi.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 01:20:54 -0400 Authorities have charged a fourth person connected to the shooting death of a Flint, Mich., security guard who was killed after confronting a customer who entered a store without a state-mandated facemask. Full Article
hi DNA genealogy leads police to James E. Zastawnik in 1987 killing of Ohio teen Barbara Blatnik By www.upi.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 12:56:53 -0400 Cleveland police say they have used DNA research to solve the 33-year-old strangling of a teenage girl, and arrest her killer. Full Article
hi New map highlights China's export-driven CO2 emissions By www.upi.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 14:43:27 -0400 China produces a whole lot of stuff -- stuff that gets bought by the rest of the world. In 2019, China exported approximately $2.5 trillion dollars worth of goods. Full Article
hi Crisis within a Crisis: Immigration in the United States in a Time of COVID-19 By www.migrationpolicy.org Published On :: Thu, 26 Mar 2020 12:50:47 -0400 The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the intersection of U.S. immigration and public health policy, and the unique challenges that immigrants face. This article analyzes the Trump administration’s introduction of some of the most stringent immigration restrictions in modern times, the often disparate fallout of the outbreak on immigrant communities, the status of federal immigration agency operations, and more. Full Article
hi Immigration Enforcement in the United States: The Rise of a Formidable Machinery By www.migrationpolicy.org Published On :: Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500 MPI has released a major study that describes and analyzes today’s immigration enforcement programs, as they have developed and grown in the 25 years since IRCA launched the current enforcement era. Full Article
hi Immigration Enforcement in the United States: The Rise of a Formidable Machinery By www.migrationpolicy.org Published On :: Mon, 07 Jan 2013 15:00:00 -0500 Release of a major report that describes and analyzes the immigration enforcement system in the United States as it has developed and grown in the quarter century since the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 launched the current era of enforcement. Full Article
hi Leadership Visions: A Discussion with Mexican Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz-Massieu By www.migrationpolicy.org Published On :: Tue, 15 Dec 2015 11:41:39 -0500 An MPI Leadership Visions discussion with the Foreign Minister of Mexico, Claudia Ruiz-Massieu, for her first public appearance in Washington, DC. Full Article
hi Will White House Immigration Wish List Tank Emerging DREAMer Momentum in Congress? By www.migrationpolicy.org Published On :: Tue, 17 Oct 2017 17:28:11 -0400 The Trump administration has released a list of hardline immigration demands—including border wall funding, restrictions on federal grants to “sanctuary” cities, and cuts to legal immigration—in exchange for legislation protecting DREAMers. This article examines the prospects for these proposals and more broadly for a legislative fix to resolve the status of unauthorized immigrants brought to the United States as children. Full Article
hi Shifting Gears, Trump Administration Launches High-Profile Worksite Enforcement Operations By www.migrationpolicy.org Published On :: Wed, 24 Jan 2018 10:52:22 -0500 An unannounced sweep of 98 convenience stores by U.S. immigration authorities—resulting in the arrest of 21 unauthorized workers—may signal a new approach to worksite enforcement under the Trump administration, moving away from a strategy of paper-based audits that resulted in higher employer fines and fewer worker arrests. This article explores worksite enforcement over recent decades. Full Article
hi Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy: Building a Responsive, Effective Immigration System By www.migrationpolicy.org Published On :: Mon, 29 Jul 2019 10:04:01 -0400 This event marks the launch of a major new initiative—Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy—that aims to generate a big-picture, evidence-driven vision of the role immigration can and should play in America’s future in order to leverage a comparative advantage for the nation. Full Article
hi White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany: President Donald Trump can revive economy again By www.upi.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 14:41:16 -0400 Presidential press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Friday the Trump administration is confident in a major economic recovery after several weeks of closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. Full Article