Prenatal exposure to drugs / alcohol: characteristics and educational implications of fetal alcohol sydrome and cocaine / polydrug effects.

This book presents the characteristics of children affected by prenatal drug exposure, fetal alcohol syndrome, fetal alcohol effects, and fetal cocaine/polydrug effects. It outlines incidence, service needs, prevention, and identification. The medical literature on the physical, cognitive, and behavioral characteristics of this population is reviewed. Normal and abnormal cognitive processes involved in learning and communication are discussed, bringing together discoveries from the disciplines of education, biology, sociology, speech, cognitive psychology, and the neurosciences. Practical instructional strategies for this population are also described, including the need for structure and repetition, multisensory instructional techniques, self-instruction, motivation, reinforcement, and other techniques. A chapter on educational services examines the classroom environment, curriculum, mainstreaming, classroom management of behavior, and the home-school partnership