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Susan Doctor, PhD

Prior to her September 2002 retirement, Susan Doctor, PhD was an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Reno in the Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies (CASAT). In that capacity, among many other things, she taught various classes ranging from Alcohol/Drug Prevention, to her specialty, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Fetal Drug Effects (FDE). Although no longer employed full time by the university, Susan continues to teach one class per semester.

Susan has spent most of her professional life in various areas of the discipline of education. She began her career as an elementary school teacher. After five years it was obvious that her students had problems that were beyond her scope of practice to address. Consequently she went back to school and earned her Masters degree to prepare for her next professional step – school counseling. After fourteen years of working with middle school children (a counselor’s dream and a teacher’s nightmare!) Susan became the coordinator of Washoe County School District’s Substance Abuse Program and spent ten years building that program. It was during this time that she first came across information about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Drug Effects. She became interested immediately, thinking of middle school students that she was able to develop a relationship with but was not able to help make the behavioral and learning changes that would lead them to a more comfortable life. Susan’s passion was ignited.

Currently Susan gets to choose the work she will do. Consequently you find her providing FAS/FDE consultation throughout the United States, speaking at conferences, training service providers working with people with FAS and/or FDE and care givers raising them, and working “hands on” with people of all ages who have the disability.   

Susan’s publications include the following: 

• Education chapter of the State of Nevada’s response to children exposed to alcohol/drugs in utero;
• Fetal alcohol sydrome/fetal alcohol effect/fetal drug effect: Educational implications (1994). San Jose: Family Education Foundation;
• Editor, A training manual: TIPs on assisting service providers to appropriately respond to the needs  of the pregnant and substance-using woman and her alcohol/drug-exposed infant from Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) #5, Improving treatment for drug-exposed infants,  Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) #2, Pregnant, substance-using women, the March of Dimes Substance abuse curriculum for obstetricians and gynecologists, and Case management for pregnant and parenting addicted women and their families. (1996) Reno: Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies.
• Creating the External Brain: Assisting Adolescents and Adults with FAS from Fantastic Antone grows up (2000).  Fairbanks: University of Alaska Press.

Personally, Susan is the mother of two adult sons, two basset hounds, godmother of a precious young girl, and grandmother to a young boy who never ceases to amaze her. She enjoys travel, reading, music, dance, all water sports, attending movies, developing her spiritual life, and spending time with friends and family.