NCJ Number
189953
Journal
Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2001 Pages: 261-273
Date Published
August 2001
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This review highlights the largely overlooked status of students with special developmental needs (SDN) with respect to drug and alcohol education; identifies the challenges inherent in catering to the needs of the heterogeneous group of students who compose special education populations; and suggests some research and practice strategies that might be implemented to address gaps in both service delivery and health/welfare research.
Abstract
Students with SDN (e.g., learning disabilities, attentional disorders, intellectual disability, conduct disorders, sensory deficits, acquired brain injury) face particular challenges with respect to academic achievement and psychosocial development, whether they are educated in mainstream settings, special settings, or a combination of these. These groups are typically inadequately researched with regard to drug and alcohol use and education; however, there is some evidence that they face an elevated risk of experiencing drug-related harms. There is some consensus in the literature that students with SDN are particularly vulnerable to psychosocial and mental health morbidity associated with substance abuse. Further, given the cognitive, emotional, communicative, and behavioral challenges often faced by these students, they have fewer opportunities to engage in experiences likely to develop resilience to drug abuse behavior. There is a pressing need for sustained and detailed lines of inquiry that will yield accurate estimates of drug use and abuse by youth with SDN. This should involve an analysis of the nature of the drug-related harms and benefits (physical and psychosocial) encountered by different groups of youth with disabilities, how and by whom these harms and benefits are defined, and how harms are negotiated. 49 references