The focus of this study was to identify factors that differentiate women drug abusers who had experienced suicidal ideation from those who did not. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 221 cocaine-using women in Atlanta, GA, 88 (39.8%) of whom reported thinking about committing suicide at least once during the 90 days prior to interview and…

This report is designed to provide Florida's school personnel with assistance in working with students prenatally exposed to cocaine or other toxic substances. The report offers background data, practical strategies for teaching and learning, and resources for networking. The first chapter outlines statistics on the incidence of the problem of…

This report contains highlights from a seminar on crack-using pregnant mothers and their babies. Comments by these panelists are summarized: Sonia Imaizumi, a pediatrician/neonatologist who has worked with inner city women who abuse drugs; Mary Jiordano, a social worker and family therapist, and director of Families First, a family preservation…

Ten high-risk, special education adolescents were given an instructional program for five days in health education on crack cocaine and its effects on the fetus. Students included five with learning disabilities, three with emotional impairments, and two with educable mental impairments. All of the subjects live and attend school in a primarily…

Increase in number of children infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and consequential developmental disabilities of these children are discussed. Families caring for HIV-infected children express four recurrent themes: psychological stress, grief and mourning, guilt and self-blame, and isolation and fear of discrimination. Flexible…

A review of the literature on biological and environmental effects of cocaine use suggests that the classification of infants and young children as prenatally cocaine exposed is neither descriptive nor predictive of behavior. The classification of behavior rather than labeling of the child is encouraged, as are partnerships with families of…

A process description and preliminary evaluation are provided for the Weed and Seed initiative in Springfield (Illinois). This initiative involved local, state, and federal resources in projects that included (1) facility improvement, (2) drug prevention, (3) youth education and child care, (4) jobs and vocational training, (5) resident…

This study sought to find patterns among the relationship of the factors of substance abuse, home environment, employment during the school year, participation in school activities, and participation in activities outside of school and to confirm or deny that the patterns established for data collected and analyzed during the 1990-91 year would be…

This bulletin highlights topics addressed at a National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) Action Seminar on Infants Exposed to Illicit Drugs and Alcohol in Utero. The incidence of babies being born exposed to cocaine and other illicit drugs is outlined, and it is concluded that numbers appear to be on the rise. The…

Five plenary session presentations and summaries of 10 panel sessions held at a forum entitled "The Ecology of Substance Abuse: Toward Primary Prevention among High-Risk Youth" are provided in this document, which focuses on black youth at high risk for alcohol and drug problems. Experts describe a comprehensive ecological approach to addressing…

This 42-item annotated bibliography, represents a comprehensive effort to gather information on the educational problems of infant children of substance-abusing parents. Extensive searches were conducted in databases in the fields of education, medicine, social sciences, and the humanities. In particular, studies on the problems of "crack…

Project Oz is a not-for-profit special services agency providing drug education and crisis intervention services. Project Oz curricula provide compact and well-researched information for teachers, supplemented by student learning activities that reinforce the lecture portions of the topic. These activities are grade-appropriate and incorporate…

The identification of clusters of behavior that are commonly seen in infants with prenatal drug exposure is discussed, as are intervention techniques that have been successful in hospital and home programs. Reading behavioral cues, modifying the environment, and providing support for the infant's attempts at self-regulation are suggested.…

Survey responses from 162 early-childhood special educators and pediatric professionals working with young children prenatally exposed to cocaine were evaluated. Findings suggested differences in service delivery patterns, with maternal self-report identified as the primary identification procedure. Respondents also felt they lacked necessary…

A framework is presented for developing collaborative, community-based programs to assist substance-using women and their young children. Five types of service providers are identified: medical personnel, welfare and child protective services, illicit drug use and mental health programs, community protection services, and ethnically based advocacy…