PRINTABLES

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 that there are 11 symptoms that have not only been reported frequently by caregivers of the Kids of Generation O, but also are confirmed to be linked to prenatal opioid exposure through reliable, peer-reviewed, scientific research?

These 11 symptoms show up differently in every opioid-exposed kid. Your kid might have a lot of them or just a few. 𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗸𝗶𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

We believe prenatal opioid exposure should have a formal diagnosis beyond NAS in infants. While we’re working on making that happen someday, we hope 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙮𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙤𝙢 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙊𝙥𝙞𝙤𝙞𝙙 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 framework provides you with a visual illustration of how exposure to opioids in utero is impacting your child long-term.

Print these documents and fill out your child's information. You can even include a small photo in the yellow box! To create your child's symptom constellation, draw lines between the symptoms and cross the center of the sun each time. You'll create a one-of-a-kind constellation that is unique to your child that will help their teacher understand and keep their uniqueness front-of-mind throughout the year.

We recommend emailing them to the teacher or visiting with them privately if possible, to explain the documents in person.

This document is also included in the Back to School “All About Your Child” Handout, but you can download it by itself here.

To create your child’s symptom constellation, draw lines between the symptoms and cross the center of the sun each time. You’ll create a one-of-a-kind constellation to help other caregivers, educators, therapists, and anyone on your child’s team understand them better.

We've heard from parents and caregivers that many of you have been sent home from the hospital or NICU not fully understanding that your baby will likely continue to experience effects from opioid-exposure in the coming months and years. Many of you went home believing acute withdrawal was the end of the struggle and quickly learned that it was not!

We hope this document becomes a resource for parents and caregivers, as well as hospitals and NICUs, to help support families as they continue care at home.

Generously shared with us by Mindy Reichelt - Abell.

Mindy is the Director of Secondary Education at an urban school district in Cincinnati, OH. She earned her Ed.D in 2020: her dissertation focus was care coordination for children with prenatal opioid exposure. She continues her advocacy both by engaging in research on pharmacological interventions for prenatal exposure and by sitting on the board of Next Steps, under the auspices of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, which is dedicated to combating the effects of the opioid epidemic.