Behavioral characteristics commonly seen in these children include heightened response to internal and external stimuli, irritability, agitation, tremors, hyperactivity, speech and language delays, poor task organization and processing difficulties, problems related to attachment and separation, poor social and play skills, and motor development delays Los Angeles Unified School District Initial findings of an ongoing study that is tracking Chicago-area infants whose mothers used cocaine and possibly other drugs during pregnancy suggest that at three years of age many of the children have language problems and are easily distracted.
Dan R. Griffith, a developmental psychologist participating in the study, which is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, notes drug-exposed toddlers in the study also tend to score lower than non-exposed toddlers on tests measuring their ability to concentrate, interact with others in groups, and cope with an unstructured environment Viadero. Naomi Kaufman identifies other difficulties that may plague drug-affected children. It is important to keep in mind that not all drug-exposed children are affected similarly.
Some children display relatively mild forms of impairment--perhaps displaying short attention spans and exercising poor judgment. The extent of impairment in others is severe; children with more serious problems may be unable to follow directions, engage in highly disruptive behavior, and have severe language difficulties. Drug-affected babies and children are often described in terms of specific areas of impairment.
Yet Weston and her colleagues warn that when we generalize about characteristics prevalent among drug-affected babies or the lifestyles and personal histories of drug-abusing women, we may unwittingly begin to engage in stereotyping. Every child must be seen as an individual who possesses a unique set of strengths and vulnerabilities. Drug-exposed children, like children generally, progress more rapidly when they are in a predictable, secure, stable environment.
School programs designed for these children, therefore, must include structure, clear expectations, and boundaries, as well as ongoing nurturing and support Los Angeles Unified School District Teachers should strive to offset prenatal risk factors and children's stressful life situations by incorporating protective factors in the classroom and helping children cope with stress in more appropriate ways.
According to the Los Angeles Unified School District, which began a pilot program for drug-affected three- to six-year-olds in , attention should be given to the following areas when creating a classroom environment that will promote optimal development among drug-affected children:.
Transition time should be viewed as an activity in and of itself. These transitional periods can help children learn how to deal with change. Note how skills in these areas are being applied by the child during play periods, transition times, and while involved in self-help activities. Keen observation can provide insight into how a child experiences stress, relieves tension, copes with obstacles, and reacts to change.
In addition, it helps teachers become aware of the ways in which children interact with peers and adults. Los Angeles Unified School District. Teachers should seek to acknowledge children's feelings before dealing with their misbehavior. This conveys the message that the feelings themselves are not wrong but the way in which they are acted upon may need to be altered.
This approach often results in strengthening a child's desire to function within prescribed limits. Allowing children to make some choices in the classroom setting encourages a sense of responsibility and builds problem-solving skills. The price tag of addressing the needs of drug-affected children is difficult to estimate because it is unclear what proportion will need to be placed in self-contained special education classrooms, where the cost per pupil is considerably higher than in regular classrooms.
Mary Ann Stowell, assistant director of special education in the Portland Oregon Public Schools, admits, "If I thought all of them were eligible for special education, I would be sweating bullets" Kaufman.
The Los Angeles and Portland school districts both believe it is preferable to try to integrate rather than segregate drug-affected children unless it is apparent that they are urgently in need of special education placement. The stigma associated with enrollment in such a special program is one reason. Another is the high cost of educating children in special programs.
Some districts are currently developing plans for educating teachers about the needs and problems of drug-affected children and how best to deal with them. The hope is that if regular classroom teachers receive intensive training, they will be aware of and able to attend to the needs of drug-affected children in the regular classroom. CrossRef Google Scholar. Google Scholar. Laura E. David H. Craig Reinarman and Harry G.
Levine, eds. See Ira J. Chasnoff, William J. Burns, Sidney H. Schnoll, and Kayreen A. Lamar Jr. Cynthia R. Dorothy E. Douglas J. Cocaine increasingly is a female drug. Petersburg Times [Florida] , June 29, , 6A. This is just one example of how crack cocaine was used as a powerful political issue by all parties.
Dorothy L. In , Margaret Velasquez Reyes was charged in California with counts of felony child endangerment for using heroin while pregnant Susan C.
Harriet A. Richard P. For a thorough discussion of methodology and results, see the meta-analysis: Deborah A. Katherine E. Bono, Nurit Sheinberg, Keith G. Scott, and Angelika H. Reagan , Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, n.
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