ABSTRACT
Children with developmental trauma are often adversely affected across a broad range of cognitive (e.g., learning), physiological (e.g., fight-or-flight), emotional (e.g., depression and suicide), and behavioral capacities that span the continuum of extreme internalizing and externalizing physical and mental health problems. Behavioral displays of trauma (i.e., traumatic re-enactments) arise from experiences of fear that cause children to also experience behavior dysregulation, which in turn interrupts children’s learning, academic achievement, self-efficacy, and adjustment to school/classroom norms of behavior. As a result, children with DTD are likely to experience learning disabilities in reading, writing, and math, compounded by high comorbidities with other neurodevelopmental disorders, specifically ADHD and autism. The combination of social, cognitive, psychological, and learning challenges these children face further complicates their academic and social development. Chapter 7 provides readers with a description of research on trauma-informed assessment and care in schools, including recommendations to aid school personnel in working with these children.
