The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case that will determine whether parents or school boards have the burden of proving whether an individualized education plan (IEP) is adequate. The case of Schaffer v. Jerry Weast, Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools began when the Schaffers learned their child had a learning disability and were dissatisfied with the IEP proposed by the school system. Because of their dissatisfaction, the Schaffers enrolled their child in a private school and sought tuition reimbursement from the public school system in an administrative hearing.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public school systems to provide an IEP for all disabled children in their jurisdictions. Under IDEA, when parents of a disabled child and a local school district reach an impasse over a child’s IEP, either side has a right to bring the dispute to an administrative hearing officer for resolution.
“National PTA believes that school districts should be responsible for proving the suitableness of an individual education program because they have greater expertise and resources than the average parent, not withstanding the fact that school districts were responsible for preparing the IEP in question to begin with,” stated National PTA President Anna Weselak. “National PTA urges the U.S. Supreme Court to require the burden of proof be placed on school districts. School districts are more likely to have access to the information that explains their actions in order to arrive at a result that is fundamentally fair.” To read additional statements from Weselak about the case, go to http://www.pta.org/ne_press_release_detail_1128460622078.html.
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Thu Sep 29, 2005 01:13 PM ET
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers hoping to determine the causes of many common diseases like autism and diabetes will follow 100,000 U.S. children from birth through adulthood in the largest ever study of its kind.
"We're looking to find the root causes of many common diseases and disorders. When we do, we'll be in a position to prevent them from ever occurring," said U.S. Surgeon-General Dr. Richard Carmona.
In particular, scientists will try to find out whether there is a link between environment and diseases.
Most studies used now to link environment and disease are retrospective, meaning they rely on a patient's or a parent's recall of events, food eaten, and behaviors. Scientists place much greater faith in studies that look at actual behaviors in real time to more accurately link them to consequences.
"The National Children's Study would follow more than 100,000 children, from before birth -- and, in some cases, even before pregnancy," said Dr. Duane Alexander, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, one of the National Institutes of Health.
"It would meticulously measure their environmental exposures while tracking their health and development, from infancy through childhood, until age 21," he added.
Researchers will also take samples from the children and their parents to see what chemicals they have actually absorbed into their bodies.
"In the search for environmental influences on human health, and their relationship to genetic constitution, National Children's Study researchers plan to examine such factors as the food children eat, the air they breathe, their schools and neighborhoods, their frequency of visits to a health care provider, and even the composition of the house dust in their homes," the NICHD said in a statement.
Six centers were named on Thursday where the research will begin -- the University of California in Irvine, the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The NIH hopes to eventually get 105 communities involved.
Each team will enroll at least 250 newborns each year for five years beginning in 2007, with initial results available around 2010.
The researchers will look for women who may become pregnant, even those who are not planning to, to see if accidental or unintended exposures or behaviors affect any children they may later have.
"The study might eventually lead to prevention or treatments for many common conditions," Carmona said.
"We now know that one in five schools in America has indoor air quality problems, which affect millions of children who don't even realize it," he added. "The study could help us map how our environments, habits, and activities affect our children's health."
February 18, 2006 will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Hans Asperger, MD, discoverer of Asperger's Syndrome. The Committee for International Asperger’s Year (IAY), made up of autism organizations around the world, encourages the observation of International Asperger’s Year in 2006.
IAY seeks to honor Asperger and other researchers, encourage people who might have AS to seek diagnosis; correct misconceptions about AS; improve and expand AS public services; develop AS mentoring programs; and recognize the special needs of AS adults.
IAY is the first worldwide celebration dedicated solely to Asperger’s
Syndrome, and organizations and individuals may observe it as they wish. The
initiative was
conceived by the Asperger Adults of Greater Washington, has been sanctioned
by the World Autism Organization. ASA Board Member Stephen Shore has
endorsed the initiative.