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Donations | Substance Exposed Infants and ChildrenThis document has been retired from the active collectionof the ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education. It contains references or resources that may no longer be valid or up to date. The ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education (ERIC EC) E-mail: webmaster@hoagiesgifted.org Internet: http://eric.hoagiesgifted.org ERIC EC Digest #E505 Author: Diana Pinkerton November 1991 How Many Children Are Substance Exposed in Utero? According to a study conducted by the National Association for Perinatal Addiction Research and Education, an estimated 375,000 newborns per year face serious health hazards due to their mother's prenatal drug use. It is estimated that 11 to 15% of the babies born in the United States today were exposed in utero to alcohol and/or other illicit drugs (Poulsen, 1991). The problems associated with prenatal substance abuse are increasing and has serious implications for the future educational needs of the children and families affected. Services, programs, and strategies that have been developed in the field of special education will have a role to play in meeting their needs. What Techniques Can Be Used to Promote Interaction in Substance Exposed Infants? Parent/caregiver education is essential for an effective, comprehensive early intervention program. Specific techniques to increase periods of alertness and promote infant-caregiver interaction include positioning to improve posture and movement patterns, swaddling and rocking, tactile stimulation of facial and oral areas, and slow gentle movements. Sidelying, prone positioning, and carrying in a flexed position are preferred for positioning and handling. Slow rhythmical input may be effective in calming an infant. When infants are calm, they can be held in a face to face position to encourage visual tracking, vocalization, and playful interaction with their caregiver. Initially, this interaction may be brief because the infant may become over-stimulated. Caregivers need to take cues from the infant during interaction and respond appropriately by reducing stimuli or introducing calming techniques. (Schneider et al., 1989). What Are the Educational Implications for Substance Exposed Children? In order to work effectively with young children prenatally exposed to drugs and/or alcohol in the preschool setting, educators must recognize the vulnerabilities arising from both biological and environmental risk factors. They must also recognize the children's strengths and the ways in which they are like typical children. Appropriate intervention strategies must be selected based on the systematic application of what is known about successful early intervention. The Los Angeles Unified School District has developed a document that summarizes successful classroom strategies (Cole, Ferrara et al., 1990). They divide the strategies into two areas: protective classroom factors and facilitative classroom processes. Protective factors to be built into a classroom
Facilitative processes to be built into a
classroom
The strategies identified as facilitative processes shape educational personnel's interaction with children and families on a daily basis. They are designed to counteract or help children cope with stressful life events they may be experiencing. In addition, the strategies are designed to provide children support in coping with any neurodevelopmental behaviors that impede their learning and classroom performance. These strategies can be combined with teaching techniques of using play as a learning activity and providing individualized and small-group guidance to assist children in mastering new skills (Vincent et al., 1991). What Planning Is Required for Future Needs? School boards need to prepare for the arrival of drug-exposed children in the schools by considering future funding needs, involving administrators and other school personnel, and supporting appropriate classroom programs (Rist, 1990). Transdisciplinary/transagency approaches to program development are necessary to provide for the varied needs of children and families affected by substance exposure. A variety of services may be needed by these families including specialized medical care, family therapy, home health care, early intervention services, mental health services, and vocational services. References Cole, C., Ferrara, V., Johnson, D., Jones, M., Schoenbaum, M., Tyler, R., Wallace, V., & Poulsen, M. (1991). Today's challenge: Teaching Strategies for working with young children pre-natally exposed to drugs/alcohol. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Unified School District. Rist, M. C. (1990). The shadow children. American School Board Journal. 177(1), 18-24. (EJ402318) Schneider, J., Griffith, D., & Chasnoff, I. (1989). Infants exposed to cocaine in utero: Implications for developmental assessment and intervention. Infants and Young Children. 2(1), 25-36. (EJ396632) Poulsen, M. (1991). Schools meet the challenge: Educational needs of children at risk due to substance exposure. Sacramento: Resources in Special Education. Vincent, L., Poulsen, M., Cole, C., Woodruff, G., & Griffith, D. (1991). Born substance exposed, educationally vulnerable. Reston, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children. Resources
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