Prenatal Drug Exposure

Abstract

In this descriptive study, a group of 34 school-age children who had been prenatally and environmentally exposed to drugs or alcohol were identified. Qualitative information from interviews and observations was organized and analyzed in matrices to determine the predominant characteristics of this population and educators' beliefs and attitudes about working with these students. Interviews and anecdotal records written in the children's files suggested that teachers perceived these students as distractible, lazy, stubborn, and impulsive. Some educators knew the children were drug exposed, and others did not. Educators' attitudes and selected interventions were related to their knowledge regarding the possible basis for the children's difficulties. Those who were aware that the children had been prenatally exposed to drugs or alcohol seemed to be willing to adjust their expectations and to modify the learning environment to attend to their students' needs. These educators did not punish their students for being off task; instead, they verbally, physically, or visually prompted their students to stay on task. These findings have direct implications for personnel preparation. Lack of knowledge of children's deficits can lead educators to choose inappropriate interventions. The need for training is clear if professionals and caregivers want to make a difference in the lives of these students.

Enhancing Learning Environments for Students Affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: an Exploratory Study of Canadian Pre-service Teacher Knowledge and Conceptions

“…This approach has the strong potential for enhancing teachers' capacity for making purposeful intervention decisions. Watson and Westby (2003) suggest that teachers' decisions about intervention are more dependent on their personal beliefs and knowledge of the affected student's difficulties than on formal training, especially when choosing behavioral intervention strategies (Watson & Westby, 2003). Recognizing this link is critical to the development of teacher education programs that ensure comprehensive knowledge and training, and acknowledge that these elements inform teacher conceptions about affected students and affect their efficacy for planning and implementing interventions that lead to successful student outcomes.…”

“…Clearly, a delicate balance exists between what teachers understand about the underlying causes of observed behavioral problems in FASD and what they feel they can and cannot change in work with affected students. The challenge then is to provide teachers with specialized strategies that enable them to address observed and underlying difficulties of students with FASDs and manage this balance (Clark, 2012;Watson & Westby, 2003).…”

“…These results lend support to the intervention as an effective professional development tool for elementary teachers working with affected students (Clark, 2012). Additional studies denote the association between teacher knowledge of FASDs and increased willingness to modify student expectations, adapt instruction, and change the classroom environment where possible to meet affected students' needs (Dybdahl and Ryan, 2009;Ryan & Ferguson, 2006;Watson & Westby, 2003).…”