LeAdelle Phelps

Intrauterine exposure to alcohol has been associated with a variety of negative outcomes referred to as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), and Alcohol-related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND). Intrauterine exposure to alcohol may result in central nervous system impairment and physical abnormalities. Mental retardation and behavioral difficulties are common. By comparison, definitive evidence specifically linking intrauterine exposure to cocaine with adverse long-term developmental outcomes is lacking. This presentation will review research that evaluated the long-term educational and behavioral outcomes of intrauterine exposure to alcohol and cocaine. The educational needs of children having such exposure will be outlined. Finally, school-based intervention and prevention models will be provided.

Dr. LeAdelle Phelps is Professor, Director of the School Psychology Program, and Associate Dean in the Graduate School of Education at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is a Fellow of APA Division 16 (School Psychology) and a member of Divisions 40 (Clinical Neuropsychology) and 54 (Pediatric Psychology). She has published more than 75 journal articles and book chapters on such diverse health-related topics as eating disorders, prenatal alcohol and cocaine exposure, and lead poisoning. She authored the Phelps Kindergarten Readiness Scale II, a nationally standardized assessment tool evaluating learning readiness aptitudes predictive of later school achievement (revised in 2003), and edited a book entitled: Health-related Disorders in Children and Adolescents: A Guidebook for Understanding and Educating (APA, 1998). Her latest co-authored book (Pediatric Psychopharmacology: Combining Medical and Psychosocial Interventions) was published by APA in 2002. Her third book, Chronic Health-related disorders in Children, will be published in 2005. She is Editor of Psychology in the Schools.  National leadership roles include membership on the APA Committee on Accreditation, chairing the Council of Directors of School Psychology Programs (CDSPP), chairing the APA Division 16's Task Force on Training Standards in School Psychology, serving as a liaison to the APA Board of Educational Affairs, and being a member of the APA Council of Chairs of Training Councils. She teaches such graduate courses as Psychopathology and Evidence-based Interventions and Advanced Personality Assessment.