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Students who are Deaf with Disabilities (DWD) comprise an extremely heterogeneous population. Similar to students who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), students who are DWD vary in terms of degree, type, and age at onset of hearing loss, amplification, and preferred communication method. However, students who are DWD are also diverse in terms of type, etiology, and number and severity of disability(ies). Presented in this article is an overview of DWD followed by foci on Deaf with learning disabilities, Deaf with intellectual disabilities, Deaf with autism spectrum disorder, and deafblindness. Particular attention is given to communication, language, and literacy development.

BackgroundThe availability of thousands of complete rice genome sequences from diverse varieties and accessions has laid the foundation for in-depth exploration of the rice genome. One drawback to these collections is that most of these rice varieties have long life cycles, and/or low transformation efficiencies, which limits their usefulness as model organisms for functional genomics studies. In contrast, the rice variety Kitaake has a rapid life cycle (9 weeks seed to seed) and is easy to transform and propagate. For these reasons, Kitaake has emerged as a model for studies of diverse monocotyledonous species.ResultsHere, we report the de novo genome sequencing and analysis of Oryza sativa ssp. japonica variety KitaakeX, a Kitaake plant carrying the rice XA21 immune receptor. Our KitaakeX sequence assembly contains 377.6 Mb, consisting of 33 scaffolds (476 contigs) with a contig N50 of 1.4 Mb. Complementing the assembly are detailed gene annotations of 35,594 protein coding genes. We identified 331,335 genomic variations between KitaakeX and Nipponbare (ssp. japonica), and 2,785,991 variations between KitaakeX and Zhenshan97 (ssp. indica). We also compared Kitaake resequencing reads to the KitaakeX assembly and identified 219 small variations. The high-quality genome of the model rice plant KitaakeX will accelerate rice functional genomics.ConclusionsThe high quality, de novo assembly of the KitaakeX genome will serve as a useful reference genome for rice and will accelerate functional genomics studies of rice and other species.

Play skills are central to development of children's language and cognitive skills. However, social, symbolic, and object play skills of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are frequently impaired. This study examined the effects of a strategy that utilized preferred play materials, antecedent creative dance activities, and priming of complex play with preferred play materials within dance activities on play behaviors of children with ASD during learning centers in inclusive preschool classrooms. Measured play skills included social play, specific social play levels, and play complexity. The strategy was successful in increasing skills in all three areas. However, skill maintenance was limited.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may encounter difficulties in various aspects of play, including successful entrance into playgroups. This article describes the practical and applied use of an empirically validated strategy that uses graphic symbols to teach young children with ASD to request entrance into playgroups.

Self regulation has been identified as essential to school success. However, for a variety of reasons, its development may be compromised in children and youth who are deafblind. A single-case multiple baseline study of a child who was deafblind examined the effects of three groups of evidence-based interventions on variables thought to be associated with self-regulation. The dependent variables were (a) frequency and duration of behaviors thought to indicate dysregulation, (b) active participation in school activities, and (c) time from onset of behaviors indicating dysregulation until achievement of a calm, regulated state. The interventions, which included provision of meaningful, enjoyable, and interactive activities, anticipatory strategies, and calming strategies, significantly influenced the dependent variables and are described in detail.

The C3LC project produced a distinct body of knowledge and resources for teachers, which have been reflected in the contents of this special issue of Social Education. The project also provided important lessons about professional learning through teacher-driven collaborative inquiry. I will summarize some of the most important ones in this article.

The article presents a study on the formation of pathogenic bacterial colonies and their growth during the storage of transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) probes post-high level disinfection (HLD). Also cited are the recommended TEE hanging time by the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA), and a comparison of TEE probes against endoscopes.

Congenital iris cysts are a rare condition in infants that can lead to multiple complications. This report describes an infant born with an iris cyst who developed complications including secondary glaucoma, cataracts, and visual impairment, requiring management with multiple surgical interventions and medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers ways on how educators look beyond the specifics of the instructional changes called for in the implementation of the Common Core standards in the U.S. It mentions the goal of the standards to empower teachers in making decisions, taking ownership and developing the expertise needed to engage in high quality teaching and learning. It also reveals that only 17% of teachers have been significantly involved with leadership in building an approach for supporting the standards.