Developmental Disabilities and Child Welfare.

This monograph addresses common misconceptions about developmental disabilities, describes the conditions that child welfare workers are most likely to see, provides examples of effective interventions, and stresses the importance of early intervention to promote healthy development. Specific chapters include: (1) "Understanding Developmental Disabilities," which discusses the definition of a developmental disability, factors that contribute to developmental disabilities, child abuse and neglect and developmental disabilities, and barriers to effective services; (2) "Myths and Misconceptions about Developmental Disabilities"; (3) "Cerebral Palsy," which addresses early indicators of cerebral palsy including abnormal muscle tone, abnormal patterns or delayed motor development, persistent reflexes, and treatment and prognosis; (4) "Epilepsy"; (5) "Mental Retardation"; (6) "Spina Bifida"; (7) "Autism and Other Pervasive Developmental Disorders"; (8) "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning Disabilities"; (9) "Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and Other Drugs"; and (10) "Services for Children with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families," which discusses crisis intervention theory, the service needs of families of children with disabilities, the role of child welfare agencies, respite care, specialized foster or kinship care placement, adoption, special education, counseling and emotional support, advocacy, and parent-professional relationships. (Contains 54 references.) (CR)