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High Expectations for Students with Multiple Impairments – AcceliBEAT Weekly Round Up

March 30, 2018

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We wish our readers a happy Passover and Easter this weekend! Our featured article spotlights the insights of a group of special educators, who implemented new academic standards for their students with multiple disabilities. Over six years, their work showed that when teachers believe and act as if students can do something, assumptions about achievement can be overturned. In this week’s top ed policy news, a recent federal report warns that guardianship is often overused and deprives the rights of about 1.3 million adults with disabilities. Another related concern is that these adults with legal guardians are losing their right to vote because there is no standard federal law determining voting restrictions for a person with mental disabilities. In other news, research finds that the younger siblings of children with autism are less likely to receive all vaccinations, most high school students with disabilities are underserved with low expectations, and Apple plans to introduce new emojis representing people with disabilities. All this and more in this week’s AcceliBEAT!


dept of justice logoFederal Report Calls for Alternatives to Guardianship
Guardianship is overused, often unnecessarily depriving individuals with disabilities of their rights, warns a federal agency tasked with advising Congress and the president.



smiling young man with autismThousands Lose Right to Vote Under ‘Incompetence’ Laws
Adults with mental disabilities often lose their right to vote for ambiguous and inconsistent reasons.



baby receiving vaccination shotDespite No Link with Autism, Vaccine Rates Lag for Kids with ASD
After children are diagnosed with autism, both they and their younger siblings are less likely to receive all recommended vaccinations, according to new research.



cartoon of blue sad studentSupporting Students with Chronic Trauma
De-escalation strategies can help prevent students’ emotional outbursts, and aid them and their peers in finding calm after one.



smiling teacher with studentsHigh Expectations for Students with Multiple Impairments
My top two takeaways as a special education teacher are that teaching in this population is a marathon—with milestones few and far between—and that if we act as if students can do something, they just might be able to.


young man working in stock roomHigh Schools Push Few Students with Disabilities to Consider College
Most students with disabilities can make it to and through college, but are hindered by low expectations.



female teacher with group of young childrenMoney Matters in Education, as Long as You Spend It at the Right Time and on the Right Students
The issue isn’t “does money matter?” but “when does money matter?” and “for which students?”



NC supe with students and educator in meetingTo Prepare for 21st Century Jobs, States Must Make Early Literacy a Top Priority
It’s incumbent on us at the state level to enable and empower educators and parents to build a strong foundation on which all students can stand to ensure that they are reading proficiently by the end of the third grade.


apple storeApple Throws Support Behind Disability Emojis
Apple wants to see a host of new emojis introduced, all aimed at better representing people with disabilities in texts and other digital communications.




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