The effects of the opioid crisis on children's speech and language development

Abstract

As the United States continues to face the effects of the ongoing opioid crisis, it is critical to educate professionals working with children on the signs of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). Furthermore, it is important to understand the effects of this condition in order to provide adequate therapy and support for children diagnosed with NAS as infants. This topic has significant implications within the field of speech-language pathology because opioid dependency is a current and ongoing crisis within the U.S. It is reasonable to believe there will be a continual increase in children with a history of NAS in schools, so it is necessary for schoolbased professionals to understand the effects of NAS on children’s speech and language development as well as their overall academic performance. This thesis aims to analyze the effects of prenatal opioid exposure on the communicative abilities in school-aged children and provide intervention strategies for children previously diagnosed with NAS.