Curriculum & Instruction

• School uses therapy dogs to help students gain reading skills
  At The Prentice School for students with learning disabilities in California, teachers are having students read to therapy animals through a program designed to help improve students' literacy skills. Created 10 years ago, Reading Education Assistance Dogs -- READ -- helps students overcome their inhibitions about reading. "The kids are not really aware that they're reading anymore," said a parent who suggested the school use the program. The Orange County Register (Calif.) (11/13)

• Educators set sky-high example for students with disabilities
  Educators from the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind, including a counselor who cannot see, recently embarked on a skydiving adventure designed to encourage students to strive beyond their perceived limitations. Teacher Susan Gault said the educators hope to serve as examples to their students "that their disability doesn't have to confine them." Spartanburg Herald-Journal (S.C.) (11/16)

Educational Leadership

• Advocate works to develop programs to complement special education
  The president of the Special Parents Association in Wayne, N.J., hopes to develop programs that raise awareness and provide socializing opportunities for students in special education, she says in this interview. Beth Marmolejos wants to develop an after-school sports program that pairs students with and without special needs, special training for school bus drivers and awareness events that help increase understanding and empathy for students with disabilities. The Record (Hackensack, N.J.) (11/16)

• Town hall meetings focus on needs of adults with autism
  At national town hall meetings held simultaneously in 16 cities Friday, educators, parents and advocates discussed concerns over about addressing the needs of a growing population of adults with autism. Groups worked to establish national priorities and solutions in housing, employment, safety and recreation for adults with the disorder. "The fact is, this is a growing problem that we're going to need to address as a community," one participant said. The Kansas City Star (Mo.) (11/13)

• Other News

• Assistive-technology inventor who was disabled dies
  Chicago Tribune (11/16)

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Hot Topics

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

• Hip-hop used to improve reading among students with special needs (The Gazette (Gaithersburg, Md.))

• N.J. special-education school has lower tuition, eco-designed facility (The Star-Ledger (Newark, N.J.))

• Web site offers online tutorials in applied behavioral analysis (ABC News)

• Educator: Reform math is not a good fit for students with autism (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Educator offers transition tips for students with special needs (Journal Gazette/Times-Courier (Mattoon, Ill.))

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

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Technology Trends

• Parents create iPhone application for autism caregivers
  A new application for the iPhone and iPod Touch helps track behavior in children with autism as part of applied behavior analysis. Developed by the Pennsylvania parents of a child with autism, Behavior Tracker Pro helps caregivers with detailed record-keeping needed to monitor behaviors. The application costs $9.99 and can be used by teachers and therapists to track data for multiple subjects. The Times-Tribune (Scranton, Pa.) (11/15)

• Advocates seek government Web sites that are more accessible
  As more Web sites are designed to increase the federal government's transparency, many still lack features that make them accessible for people with disabilities, advocates say. While many sites meet minimum standards of compliance, advocates argue that new common guidelines are needed to provide developers better accessibility standards to build to. An update to regulations that cover the accessibility of government Web sites is under way. Federal Computer Week (11/16)

Policy News

• Stimulus helps district improve special education for the long-term
  A Massachusetts school district plans to use about $200,000 in federal stimulus money to make long-term improvements to special-education programs. District officials say they plan to acquire equipment, offer training in new assistive technology, provide language-based instruction for students with learning disabilities and provide transition planning for students with special needs who are graduating. Officials said the funds will also allow them to hire for new special-education positions. Wicked Local/GateHouse News Service (11/13)

• Proposed anti-bullying laws receive strong support in Massachusetts
  Massachusetts legislators are set to act on a series of bills aimed at preventing bullying in schools. While earlier, similar efforts have failed, support is growing after recent bullying incidents. The latest proposals -- which include a measure to mandate school reporting of all bullying incidents to the state -- have widespread support among such groups as the Anti-Defamation League, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association and Microsoft. The Boston Globe (11/15)

• Other News

• D.C. lawmakers to introduce bill on autism coverage
  The Examiner/The Associated Press (11/15)

Eye on Exceptionalities

• Children with special needs improve skills in Georgia equine program
  At the Maple Knoll Farm in Grovetown, Ga., children with disabilities improve their balance, strength and communication skills with the help of horses. As part of the Blue Ribbon Riders Hippotherapy program, children with special needs receive occupational, physical and speech therapy. "They grow, learn and develop ways they can't in a structured environment of the classroom or in a clinical environment," said the program's founder and president, Claudia Morin. WAGT-TV (Augusta, Ga.) (11/15)

• Iowa programs focus on children in need of mental-health services
  The Wrap Around Program and The Columbia Teen Screen are two Iowa programs aimed at reaching more children with mental-health problems. The Wrap Around Program brings community resources together so care is not fragmented, and the Columbia Teen Screen is directed at preventing teen suicide. The Globe Gazette (Mason City, Iowa) (11/16)

CEC Spotlight

• Plan your next career move with CEC's Online Job Board
  Looking for a new job? CEC's Online Job Board is the perfect place to post your resume. And watch for the latest special-education career opportunities featured right here in CEC SmartBrief. Find out more. Are you an employer? Find out about our great job-posting rates.

• It's like the Sears catalog ... but better
  Almost, but without stereos, bicycles and clothes! The new CEC Publications Catalog is available in print and online, and features the latest products from CEC and our publishing partners. New products on RTI, LD, co-teaching, policy, early childhood, assistive technology and more will add so much to your professional-development portfolio. Look for it in the mail or download it from CEC's Web site.

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SmartQuote

Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm." --Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet, critic and philosopher