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Download the Save the Date here!What:About MASPA key aspect of the mission of the Montana Association of School Psychologists (MASP) is to promote the educational and mental health needs of all children and youth. The MASP Summer Institute serves educators and other professionals who work with children and youth by offering professional development opportunities that bridge the latest research findings with real-world practice. Early Bird and student discounts will be offered! (Details will appear on the website in late March or early April.) The registration fee includes all conference materials and handouts, delicious lunches on Monday and Tuesday, and delightful snacks each day. To qualify for the student discount, you must be a student actively enrolled in an accredited degree program. Electronic registration coming in late March or early April. Intended Audiences:School Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Teachers (Regular and Special Education), and Administrators Credit available:OPI Renewal credits (12); Continuing Professional Development credits (12); Billings Public School Step-Up credit (1) When:June 4-5, 2012Where:Mansfield Health Education CenterBillings, MontanaContact:Rick BartschPhone: (406) 855-4277Website: http://www.masponline.us/summer-conference

It is estimated that as many as 1/3 of individuals with autism spectrum disorder also have epilepsy. Epilepsy is a brain disorder marked by recurring seizures, or convulsions. Experts propose that some of the brain abnormalities that are associated with autism may contribute to seizures. These abnormalities can cause changes in brain activity by disrupting neurons in the brain. Neurons are cells that process and transmit information and send signals to the rest of the body. So overloads or disturbances in the activity of these neurons can result in imbalances that cause seizures. 

The social struggles of young people with autism were far more pronounced than those of other disability groups, the study found. While almost one-third of those with autism qualified as socially isolated because they never received telephone calls or went out with friends, fewer than 10 percent of individuals with intellectual disability and only 2 to 3 percent of people with emotional disturbance or learning disabilities fell into this category.

On Wednesday, Ruth O’Hara, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Stanford University in California, discussed how sleep disturbances can help us better understand and treat autism. You can watch a complete replay of the session above.

Once considered a disturbance in the classroom, cell phones, texting devices and other wireless technology are being embraced by some of the very same people who used to malign them: teachers.

In this new Fordham Institute paper, analysts examine public data and find that the national proportion of students with disabilities peaked in 2004-05 and has been declining since. This overall trend masks interesting variations; for example, proportions of students with specific learning disabilities, mental retardation, and emotional disturbances have declined, while the proportions of students with autism, developmental delays, and other health impairments have increased notably. Meanwhile, at the state level, Rhode Island, New York, and Massachusetts have the highest rates of disability identification, while Texas, Idaho, and Colorado have the lowest. The ratio of special-education teachers and paraprofessionals to special-education students also varies widely from state to state—so much so that our analysts question the accuracy of the data reported by states to the federal government.

Today State Representative Bill Wilson (D) of Great Falls sent a letter to the Montana Attorney General's Office, asking for a formal investigation into those disturbing allegations at North Middle School.

Exposure to traumatic or violent experiences negatively affects the health, education, and development of preschool-aged children in Kansas City's urban communities and in rural and suburban communities throughout the state of Missouri. Without intervention, these children often experience lifelong emotional disturbance, social developmental delays, and learning problems.