Curriculum & Instruction

• Behavioral specialists keep preschoolers in class
  An Ohio YMCA preschool was on the verge of expelling Jaden Hubbard, who has a neurological condition, after violent tantrums until a nonprofit agency's behavioral specialist trained staff how to calm Jaden and use puppets to teach social skills. "Within two weeks, this child changed like night and day," said YMCA director Sandy Pittman. Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio) (1/11)

• Nonprofit to offer respite care for children with disabilities
  A Massachusetts nonprofit will give parents of children with special needs a break from child care by offering day and overnight programs. Parents need time to take care of themselves, said founder Paula Kavolius, whose 12-year-old son is nonverbal. The Boston Globe (1/11)

• Study: Florida minorities score better after repeating third-grade year
  Florida's black and Hispanic students were more likely than their white classmates to repeat the third grade after failing state tests, according to a new study. But those minority students who were held back and received 90 minutes of extra reading help each day did better on subsequent tests than classmates who got exemptions that allowed them to move on to the fourth grade anyway, researchers found after analyzing data from 2005. St. Petersburg Times (Fla.) (1/9)

• Other News

• High school helps about 140 students, teachers donate hair to children with cancer
  The Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Mass.) (1/10)

Educational Leadership

• Special-educator works to include all students
  Arizona inclusion teacher Susie Speelman develops modified lesson plans for elementary-school students with special needs so they can spend the most time possible in mainstream classrooms. "When I see her dedication and the love that she puts into each one of these children, it just amazes me," said Lynn Gianninoto, an educational assistant who works with Speelman and nominated her for a community award. Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) (1/10)

• D.C. educators collaborate to change students' lives
  Educators at Truesdell Educational Center, a struggling Washington, D.C., public school, have mirrored many successful reforms in neighboring school districts, including teacher collaboration and more one-on-one attention for the neediest students. The school, which has a high percentage of students living in poverty, also provides Saturday classes for disruptive students and makes unannounced home visits to discuss students' progress with their parents. The Washington Post (1/11)

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by CEC SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Death of John Travolta's 16-year-old son prompts speculation about autism (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

• Program helps children with autism develop social skills (The Sun (Baltimore))

• Autism expert ponders benefits, drawbacks to cure (BBC)

• Column: Socioeconomics may color perception of special education (The Examiner)

• Minnesota district might create school for exceptionally gifted students (Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.))

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Technology Trends

• Nonprofit aims to improve access to audio texts
  Nearly 47,000 digital audiobooks are available online to students with visual and learning disabilities and schools that serve them. Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, which boasts the nation's largest collection of audio textbooks, charges individuals $35 annually, plus a $65 initial registration fee; schools pay as little as $350 annually. New Times (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) (1/9)

• Teacher-monitored social-networking site engages students
  Moodle, a free educational social-networking site, lets students use familiar technology such as chatting, blogging and podcasting to practice foreign-language skills, to write for an audience and learn about other cultures. "At the beginning, when I was presented with the idea of this, I was scared," said fifth-grade teacher Kathy Mahoney. "Now it's like I cannot live without it." St. Petersburg Times (Fla.) (1/10)

Policy News

• Reactions mixed to N.J. proposal to close most state institutions
  The chairman of the New Jersey Assembly budget committee on Thursday proposed closing down five state institutions for people with developmental disabilities, where the state spends some $227,000 on each of 2,900 residents. Two institutions would remain open, under the proposal, and other residents would be moved to community-based homes. While some parents said they preferred the comprehensive care provided by institutions, advocates of those who want to leave the facilities praised the bill. The Star-Ledger (Newark, N.J.) (1/8)

• Hawaii to cut 15% of services for those with developmental disabilities
  More than 2,500 Hawaiians with developmental disabilities could have their services cut by 15% as the state agency that serves them seeks to save at least $2.3 million by June 30. That troubles many parents, such as Becky Nakasone, who fears her two 19-year-old daughters with autism will have to stay home alone one day a week unless she quits her job to care for them. The Honolulu Advertiser (1/11)

Eye on Exceptionalities

• Conference aims to help parents understand special education
  National special-education experts will help Florida parents better understand IDEA and other laws affecting special education. "If we can help educate parents so they can advocate for themselves and their child, then we have done what we set out to do," said Nikki Pierce, who founded a support group for parents of children with special needs. St. Petersburg Times (Fla.) (1/10)

• Other News

• New York high school raises nearly $1 million for ALS research
  Newsday (Long Island, N.Y.) (1/11)

CEC Spotlight

• Early-bird registration ends today
  By now you know CEC's 2009 Convention & Expo will take place April 1 to 4 in Seattle -- but have you registered yet? The early-bird discount deadline ends today. Register now and save up to $100 off on-site registration. Find out more.

• New CEC Today: Helping diverse students succeed
  In the December 2008 CEC Today, you will read about assessing diverse students for learning disabilities and a classroom-based model for nurturing differentiated instruction. This issue also includes a message from the CEC president. Find out more.

SmartQuote

The 'silly question' is the first intimation of some totally new development." --Alfred North Whitehead, English mathematician and philosopher