This is the first book to use teachers' experiences to understand how prenatal drug exposure affects children's' development , and how social construction of the problem influences perceptions within schools.

Practical research-based strategies to help children reach their full potential. Designed for teachers, parents, physicians, psychologists - anyone who works with children. This book is based on longitudinal research of prenatally exposed children, some of whom may display a wide array of behavioral, learning & emotional problems. Through a clear, practical approach, it presents behavioral management techniques that can help prevent problems in the classroom as well as manage specific problem situations. Chapters include: Research Basis of Intervention Strategies; Managing Behavior: The Effective Classroom; & Toward One on One: Individual Behavior Interventions. The methods presented are appropriate to any learning situation, at school or at home & for any child, not only the prenatally exposed child. An indispensable resource for anyone who works with children & an exceptionally useful text for educators & parents. "There is no child who cannot learn." This book is based on a commitment to that conviction. Paper, ISBN 1-879176-29-7, US $29.95, 214 pp., index, June 1998. Order from Imprint Publications, Inc., 230 East Ohio St., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611. 312-337-9268, FAX: 312-337-9622, e-mail: [email protected], add $5.00 for single copy shipping; credit cards accepted. www.imprint-chicago.com

As child welfare professionals have become aware of the impact of prenatal substance exposure on children in the adoption process or who are available for adoption, there is a heightened need for understanding a range of issues connected with prenatal alcohol and drug exposure. This book addresses many of these issues, including the impact of prenatal substance exposure on children's immediate and long-term health and development; remedial effects of a positive postnatal environment; counseling suggestions for prospective adoptive parents; and supports to maximize positive adoption outcomes. The chapters are: (1) "The Impact of Prenatal Substance Exposure: Research Findings and Their Implications for Adoption" (Madelyn Freundlich); (2) "Outcomes for Drug-Exposed Children Eight Years Postadoption" (Richard P. Barth and Devon Brooks); (3) "African American Kin Caregivers and Child Welfare Issues: Research Implications" (Robert B. Hill); (4) "Fetal Alcohol Exposure and Adult Psychopathology: Evidence from an Adoption Study" (Remi J. Cadoret and Kristin Riggins-Caspers); (5) "T.I.E.S. for Adoption: Supporting the Adoption of Children Who Were Prenatally Substance Exposed" (Susan B. Edelstein, Jill Waterman, Dorli Burge, Carolyn McCarty, and Joseph Prusak); (6) "Alcohol-Related Disorders and Children Adopted from Abroad" (Jane Ellen Aronson); (7) "Attachment Issues for Adopted Infants" (Mary Dozier and Kathleen E. Albus); (8) "Societal Attitudes toward Drug-Using Women and Their Children: Past and Present" (Stephen R. Kandall); (9) "Emerging Legal Issues in the Adoption of Drug-Exposed Infants" (Judith Larsen and Harvey J. Schweitzer); and (10) "The Adoption of Children Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol and Drugs: A Look to the Future" (Madelyn Freundlich). (KB)

Estimates indicate that as many as 1 in 4 Americans will experience a mental health problem or will misuse alcohol or drugs in their lifetimes. These disorders are among the most highly stigmatized health conditions in the United States, and they remain barriers to full participation in society in areas as basic as education, housing, and employment. Improving the lives of people with mental health and substance abuse disorders has been a priority in the United States for more than 50 years. The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 is considered a major turning point in America's efforts to improve behavioral healthcare. It ushered in an era of optimism and hope and laid the groundwork for the consumer movement and new models of recovery. The consumer movement gave voice to people with mental and substance use disorders and brought their perspectives and experience into national discussions about mental health. However over the same 50-year period, positive change in American public attitudes and beliefs about mental and substance use disorders has lagged behind these advances. Stigma is a complex social phenomenon based on a relationship between an attribute and a stereotype that assigns undesirable labels, qualities, and behaviors to a person with that attribute. Labeled individuals are then socially devalued, which leads to inequality and discrimination. This report contributes to national efforts to understand and change attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that can lead to stigma and discrimination. Changing stigma in a lasting way will require coordinated efforts, which are based on the best possible evidence, supported at the national level with multiyear funding, and planned and implemented by an effective coalition of representative stakeholders. Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change explores stigma and discrimination faced by individuals with mental or substance use disorders and recommends effective strategies for reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek treatment and other supportive services. It offers a set of conclusions and recommendations about successful stigma change strategies and the research needed to inform and evaluate these efforts in the United States.

The decision to adopt should be made with thought and care after considerable reflection, discussion, and gathering of information. The decision to adopt a child with prenatal drug exposure involves added challenges. Designed primarily for professionals, this book offers practical suggestions, recommendations, and food for thought for preparing, counseling, and working with prospective adoptive parents who are considering adopting an infant or child who has been prenatally exposed to alcohol and/or other drugs.

A Congressional hearing was held to focus on problems faced by schools due to students who have been exposed to drugs, and ways the federal government can help teachers and administrators ameliorate the crisis of student exposure to drugs. The topics discussed included teachers' difficulties in dealing with the increasing number of drug-exposed children; prenatal and perinatal drug exposure; the role of special education in dealing with drug-exposed children; children exposed to crack; the need for a government initiative consisting of treatment and education; research and experience that indicates that drug-exposed children can be taught; early intervention programs sponsored by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services of the Department of Education; and programs to train teachers to deal with drug-exposed students. Testimony and prepared statements were presented by three committee members and nine individuals representing various organizations, institutions, or municipalities with an interest in the topic of children's exposure to drugs. (BC)